RULES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO
THE SPORT OF INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY AT
THE ARAFURA GAMES
The following Rules and Regulations relating to the Hockey competition shall be read in conjunction with the Arafura Games Charter.
1. RULES OF THE GAME
The Arafura Games Tournament shall be conducted in accordance with the 2007 Rules of the Game of Hockey and the Regulations of the FIH.
2. ENTRIES
All participants, players and officials must complete accreditation with the Arafura Games prior to competing in the Games.
Each Association shall supply a final participating team list together with a payer number (Regulation 4) alongside each player name, by 13 April 2007 for program publication purposes. Team officials must be named indicating their position and team uniform colours identified.
Amendments to entries will be accepted no later than the time of the pre-tournament briefing meeting on 12 May 2007.
3. PARTICIPANTS
If there is an uneven number of men's teams or women's teams entered, NT Hockey Association, NTHA reserves the right to select a Regional or under age NT side to even the draw.
4. DRESS AND TEAM COLOURS
4.1 Each team will wear the colours of its country (either primary or different) as specified on the entry form. If in the opinion of the NTHA the colours of two opposing teams might lead to confusion, one of the teams will need to change colours. This team will be chosen by the toss of a coin. Goalkeepers must wear a shirt of a colour that is different and distinctive from field players of both of the teams.
4.2 Before the start of the tournament, each country will give each of its players a number which will remain the same throughout the competition, and this number will appear in full figure, not outlined and not less than 20 cm in height, on the back of the players shirt. Goalkeepers shall wear their number on the front as well as on the back of their shirts.
4.3 Each country will choose these numbers (from 1 to 32) and will send to the Organising Committee by 20 April 2007, its numbered list together with details of its primary and different colours.
4.4 Goalkeepers must wear protective headgear at all times. It is strongly recommended that other protective equipment also be worn at all times.
5. TEAM SIZE
A maximum of eighteen (18) players per team may be entered by each country for the entire tournament. Only sixteen (16) of these players can participate in any match.
6. THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMPETITION
Teams will only play one game per day and the number of competition days are restricted to the Arafura Games period 12 to 19 May 2007.
A one pool competition or a two or more pools competition will be determined for each division (men /women) once final team registrations are known.
6.1 One Pool Competition
All the teams will play against each other to complete the minor round.
6.2 Two or more Pools Competition
If the number of teams requires a separation of teams into pools the NTHA reserves the right to rank teams and allocate them to a Pool. Teams will then play against each team within the pool to complete the minor round.
7. RANKING AT END OF MINOR ROUND GAMES
7.1 The following points will be awarded to each match in either the one pool or multi pool structure:
* Three (3) points to the winner
* One point to each team, in the event of a draw
* No points to the loser
7.2 The total number of points accumulated will determine the ranking in the each pool. If at the end of the pool matches, two (2) or more teams have the same number of points for any place in a pool these teams will be ranked according to:
1) The number of matches won.
2) Their respective goal-difference (which means "goals for¨ less "goals against¨). A positive goal-difference always takes precedence over a negative one.
3) If there remains equality between two (2) or more teams with the same number of points and the same goal difference, then these teams will be ranked according to the respective number of their "goals for¨.
4) Should in this case the number of "goals for¨ awarded to two (2) or more teams be equal, then the result of the match between those teams will be taken into consideration to determine the ranking.
5) Should there still remain equality between two (2) or more teams, then the matter will be settled by a penalty-stroke competition between those teams (Regulation 10).
8. CLASSIFICATION MATCHES AND FINALS
Matches to determine medal winners Gold, Silver and Bronze will be dependent on the structure of the competition. The schedule of these matches will be advised at the Managers meeting prior to the commencement of competition.
8.1 Round Robin competition.
Final 1st in division v 2nd in division (gold/silver)
Semi Final 3rd in division v 4th in division (bronze)
Classification matches for other teams will determine final division ranking.
8.2 Pools competition
Depending on the number of teams in the pool, matches will be played v teams in other pools to determine the top four teams which will play off for medals.
9. DURATION OF THE MATCHES
A match shall consist of the regulation time of two (2) periods of thirty-five (35) minutes each, separated by an interval that shall not exceed ten (10) minutes and shall not be less than five (5) minutes. The finals, ie medal matches, shall be extended if, at the end of the regulation time, the result is a draw. After a five (5) minute rest, the team will change ends and the extension of time shall consist of:
9.1 Two (2) periods of seven and a half (71/2) minutes each to be played. There will be no half time between the two (2) periods however teams will change ends. The first team to score in this period will win the game.
9.2 If the score is still a draw at the end of the above extra time, a penalty stroke competition will be played (see Regulation 10) to establish the winner of the match.
10. PENALTY STROKE COMPETITION
10.1 Five (5) players from each of the two (2) teams, chosen by their respective team manager from the players nominated for that match, except as excluded here under, shall take a penalty stroke alternately against one and the same goalkeeper of the other team, unless the latter has been incapacitated and replaced, making a total of ten (10) penalty strokes, five (5) for each team.
10.2 No player who has been suspended by the Tournament Director or, has been excluded permanently (red card) from the field of play during that given match by the umpires shall take part in the penalty stroke competition.
10.3 If during a penalty stroke competition a player (either a stroke taker or a defending goalkeeper) is suspended, then that player shall take no further part in that penalty stroke competition and unless a defending goal keeper, cannot be replaced.
If a stroke taker, any stroke the player should have been entitled to take will be counted as no goal. If a defending goalkeeper, the replacement may only be from one of the nominated stroke takers. The player replacing the defending goalkeeper may continue to take penalty strokes but, when required to defend penalty strokes, must wear protective headgear. This player may also wear other approved protective equipment.
10.4 The umpires, after consultation with the Technical Officer on duty, shall choose the goal to be used and shall toss a coin with the captains, the winner having the choice to take or defend the first penalty stroke. The team having scored or been awarded the highest number of goals shall be the winner and the competition will cease once an outright winner has been established.
10.5 In the event of an equal number of goals having been scored or awarded, a second series of penalty strokes must be started with the same players, subject to incapacitated defending goalkeeper(s) being replaced, and shall cease after a team shall have scored or been awarded one more goal than the opposing team after an equal number of strokes (no minimum, no maximum) have been taken by each team. That team shall be the winner of the second series.
10.6 The sequence of stroke takers does not need to be the same as in the previous series and the team manager has freedom of choice at the time of each stroke as to which of the nominated players shall take the stroke. In this second (unlimited) series, all five nominated players shall take a stroke before any of them are eligible to take a further stroke.
10.7 The team whose player has taken the first penalty stroke of the first series (see paragraph 9.1) must defend the first penalty stroke of the second (unlimited) series.
10.8 Only the team managers, defending goalkeepers and nominated stroke takers may enter the field of play during a penalty stroke competition. These persons will remain outside the 25 yard area unless a player is authorised by an umpire or technical official on duty to take or defend a penalty stroke.
11. TIME-KEEPING
11.1 Time-keeping will be controlled by the judges of the match, whose responsibility it will be to signal the end of any period of regulation time (half-time, full-time and any periods of extra-time).
11.2 The umpires shall blow a whistle to start or restart the game. They shall also signal to the judges every stoppage they may order and the subsequent restart.
12. INTERRUPTIONS OF A MATCH
12.1 If the umpires decide to interrupt a match eg because of weather conditions, that match shall be resumed as soon as possible, not necessarily on the same pitch, under the following conditions.
12.2 The match must be completed up to the agreed regulation full-time (see Regulation 9), the score on the resumption being that at the time the interruption took place.
13. FAILURE TO PLAY
During the pool matches
13.1 A team refusing to play or to complete a match shall be considered as withdrawing from the tournament.
13.2 If a team so withdraws from the tournament, any matches it has played until then, as well as all the matches it has still to play, will be recorded as a 5-0 loss and that team shall be ranked last in the pool and in the tournament. The pool points table will be corrected accordingly.
During the finals matches
13.3 A team refusing to play or to complete a match shall be considered as withdrawing from the tournament at that stage.
14. ADMISSION TO THE FIELD OF PLAY
14.1 Each team engaged in a match may have up to nine (9) persons on the team bench (5 interchange players, manager, coach, assistant coach and physiotherapist).
It is compulsory for the team manager to occupy the team bench, as he/she is responsible for the conduct of all persons in this area.
14.2 In addition to the nine (9) persons, the team (medical) doctor may be allowed to sit on the bench provided that the team has given their name and obtained the authorisation of the NTHA before the start of the tournament. This authorisation may be given to one named doctor - the same person throughout the tournament.
14.3 Blood Rule
14.3.1.1If a player sustains an injury which causes bleeding then that player must leave the field of play as soon as possible and must not re-enter until the bleeding has ceased and the wound is adequately covered. Blood stained clothing must be replaced and equipment cleaned before re-entry to the field of play.
14.3.2 If blood staining to the field of play occurs then immediate cleaning must take place by applying an 80% alcohol solution (if a grass field of play) or rubbing with a cloth soaked in an 80% alcohol solution (if a synthetic field of play) for approximately one minute. During this operation there must be a time stoppage of play.
14.4 No incapacity treatment will be permitted on the field of play.
14.4.1 If a player becomes incapacitated on the field of play, one of the umpires may stop the match and assess whether or not the player requires attention from the team bench.
14.4.2 In the case of an injury to a field player, the umpire may authorise the registered team medical doctor and/or physiotherapist, or, if a team does not have such registered officials, the on-duty doctor and/or team manager, to enter the field of play, without material for treatment, to assist and remove the player concerned from the field of play as soon as it is safe to do so. The umpire may also authorise, if necessary, the stretcher bearers to enter the field of play.
14.4.3 In the case of an injury to a goalkeeper, the umpire may authorise the registered team medical doctor and/or physiotherapist, or, if a team does not have such registered officials, the on-duty doctor and/or team manager, to enter the field of play, with material for treatment, to assess and as appropriate provide brief treatment or remove the goalkeeper concerned from the field of play as soon as it is safe to do so. The umpire may also authorise, if necessary, the stretcher bearers to enter the field of play.
14.4.4 If any person from the team bench and/or the on-duty doctor enters the field of play to attend to a player other than a goalkeeper, that player must leave the field of play and return to the team bench area for a minimum of two minutes. The two minute period will be managed by the technical officials on duty. The player required to leave the field may be substituted.
14.5 No liquid or other refreshment may be consumed on the field of play. Any player wishing to take refreshment during a match, including during time stoppages, must leave the field of play and is permitted to re-enter but, not within the 23 metres lines and the back lines. A goalkeeper may leave and re-enter the field of play only adjacent to the goal.
14.6 Team officials and players may leave the technical facility area surrounding the field of play during half time only with prior permission of the Technical Officer on duty but, in doing so players must leave their sticks and goalkeepers their sticks, hand protectors and headgear at or near the team bench and must return not less than two minutes before the match is due to be restarted.
15. PROTESTS
15.1 If a team wishes to lodge a protest at the end of a match, its manager must do so in writing and hand the protest to the Tournament Director (or assistant) on duty within fifteen (15) minutes after the end of the match, having declared their intention to do so under their signature on the match sheet.
15.2 The Tournament Director must make a decision on the protest in
writing and publish it, within two hours after the end of the match or of the penalty stroke competition in question.
15.3 Notwithstanding any of the other provisions of this Regulation, no protest may be made to or considered by the Tournament Director from a decision of an umpire during a match.
16. APPEALS
16.1 If one or more of the teams involved in a protest wish to appeal, the team managers must do so in writing within 30 (thirty) minutes after the Tournament Director's decision has been published (Regulation 15.2). If no such appeal is lodged then the decision of the Tournament Director is final.
16.2 In the case of there being an appeal against the decision, the Tournament Director must immediately inform the President of the Sports Tribunal.
17. SPORTS TRIBUNAL
17.1 NT Hockey will establish a sports tribunal of three members prior to the commencement of the games.
17.2 This tribunal will hear all appeals of any decisions made in relation to protests. (Regulation 16.2)
17.3 The Sports tribunal must meet and give its decision as soon as
possible but not later than two hours before the start of the first match on the next day that games are played.
17.4 The decision of the Sports Tribunal is final and binding.
18. TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
18.1 The Tournament Director(s) appointed by the NTHA shall have, in particular, authority to suspend for one or more matches of the tournament players and/or team officials who have misconducted before or after a match of the tournament.
In such an event and when the tournament is over, the Tournament Director(s), the National Association of the person concerned and, in case of permanent exclusion (red card) of a player from the field of play, the umpire involved, must send a detailed report on to the NTHA within 1 week of the completion of competition.
18.2 The Tournament Director(s) in consultation with the Umpire's Coach shall also appoint the umpires and judges for each match from amongst those previously selected to officiate in the tournament.
18.3 Whenever possible an umpire will not be appointed to a match in which his country is playing. The same rule will apply to any official on duty for such a match.
18.4 A team manager of a participating team is not permitted to be a Technical Official of the tournament (Technical Officer, member of Sports Tribunal, Judge or Umpire).
19. JUDGES AND UMPIRES
Judges and umpires will be appointed to the tournament by the NTHA.
20. DOPING
Doping tests may be carried out in accordance with the standards laid down by the Australian Sports Commission.
21. UNFORESEEN EVENTS
Should circumstances arise which are not provided for in these Regulations, they will be determined by the NTHA.
22. COORDINATOR
The Hockey Coordinator is to be confirmed closer to the tournament date.
http://www.fihockey.org/vsite/vnavsite/page/directory/0,10853,1181-117396-118663-nav-list,00.html
