Chennai, Nov 23 (IANS) The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the trial of an updated Video Umpire system at the ABN AMRO Men’s Champions Trophy which will take place in Melbourne from November 28 to December 5.
Under the current procedures, umpires may refer decisions to the Video Umpire when they are not convinced that they have taken, or are able to take, the correct decision relating to the awarding or disallowing of goals.

In addition, and on a trial basis for the Champions Trophy, each team shall be allowed one Team Referral during any match (including any extra-time periods and penalty stroke competitions). In the event of a Team Referral being upheld, the referring team will retain its right of referral, according to a press release from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Monday.

The referrals trial will provide for a wider range of referral possibilities than for the umpire referrals, but are restricted to decisions within the 23-meter areas relating to the award (or non-award) of goals, penalty strokes and penalty corners.

The award of personal penalty cards may not be the subject of a Team Referral, the release added.

The only person who can request a Team Referral is the captain (or his designated acting captain), who must indicate to the umpire that he wishes to use his Team Referral. He must do so immediately after the incident or decision which is to be referred as well as confirming this verbally to the umpire.

FIH Competitions Committee Chairman, Ken Read, commented: “The primary purpose of video umpire is to reduce major errors which may impact upon the result of a match. These errors will chiefly occur within the 23-metre areas, and for Team Referrals are not just limited to goal or non-goal decisions. We will review the results of the trial following the Champions Trophy, with a view to having the best Video Umpire system in place that we can for the Men’s and Women’s 2010 World Cups.”