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So it’s the center of November. In Lausanne, Switzerland the place the FIH is predicated first snow has arrived. However that didn’t cease FIH from launching a few press releases in current days. Asserting some novelties following the assembly of their govt board final week.
In as we speak’s podcast & column right here we are going to solely be addressing two of those. So the primary ever world cup to be held in two completely different nations is not going to be on as we speak’s agenda. Nor the controversial selection for Bhubaneswar for the lads’s world cup, that means 3 out the latest 4 world cups can be hosted by India.
The selection to begin a world cup for Hockey5s by 2023, a presumably deadly selection for our 11v11 sport of hockey, may even have to attend for an additional time. As will the launch of the FIH Intercontinental Cup, principally the 2nd division for the FIH Professional League. We are going to focus on these decisions in separate podcasts & columns within the close to future…
Nonetheless as we speak we are going to restrict ourselves to much less controversial although necessary adjustments: first we are going to focus on the brand new system for our world rating to be launched in January of 2020. Secondly we are going to speak concerning the highway to Bhubaneswar and future world cups. Wether these will all be hosted in India is for another time.
Who higher to speak us by way of the brand new world rating and the brand new pathway to qualify for a world cup then Jon Wyatt, sports activities & improvement director for the FIH… We spoke with him earlier than when the thought of a brand new world rating was first introduced in March (hear right here), however now we’re near the launch.
Why we want a brand new world rating
As Wyatt explains the present world rating is predicated upon tournaments, the place the brand new rating shall be match-based. Since most nations solely received to take part in FIH tournaments when certified, some solely received to play for factors a few times each 4 years. As a result of just some 20% of all official matches performed within the worldwide scene had been being performed in rating tournaments. So 80% of the video games being performed didn’t have any contribution to the world rating.
That could be a drawback. As a result of most nations must present to their authorities or the sports activities funding our bodies of their nation some sort of progress to be thought-about for assist. Should you rarely get to play for world rating factors that turns into a tough process. So this was one of many extra necessary causes to rethink the worldwide rating. Nevertheless it’s not the one motive.
Within the earlier rating most everyone will agree there was an excessive amount of subjectivity, particularly within the relative significance given to completely different continental championships. This led to a flawed rating. A match-based system will to a sure extent get rid of this subjectivity. As a result of it’s going to now deal with the relative power of the 2 groups taking part in a sport as an alternative of making an attempt to determine and evaluate the power of total continents.
Moreover this, the brand new rating shall be extra easy and dynamic… making it simpler to create some further buzz about particular person worldwide video games of any stage. As a result of the instant impression of a win or loss shall be simple for all to see.
How & when
The brand new rating system will take impact from 2020-01-01 onwards. Nonetheless FIH has chosen to make the change extra step by step. In order to not throw everyone off stability from the get go… Regardless that the place of the FIH is excessive efficiency administrators of the nations shouldn’t deal with this world rating, however reasonably on performing nicely at key moments such because the Olympics and the World Cup. It’s clear a direct change of the rating, recalculating the outcomes of the final 4 years for instance, wouldn’t be honest on those that made their decisions in these days primarily based upon the outdated system. That’s the reason the factors for every nation within the world rating on January 1st shall be precisely the identical as as we speak. However for each sport performed from that day on the brand new calculation per match will take impact. Therefore for the brand new system to take full impact it’d take a while. It’s going to take 4 years for the factors from the outdated system to be washed out. I’d have liked to see a direct upset of the world order, however should admit this slower implementation is the honest manner of doing it.
So let’s dive in… what is going to it appear to be?
When the brand new rating is launched the FIH may have a full and detailed clarification of the algorithms used plus a FAQ (continuously requested questions) primarily based upon all remarks the FIH received from worldwide coaches and efficiency administrators when requested for his or her enter. However let’s check out what it’s going to turn into…
First precept is the usual quantity of factors for a win is 10, which implies the loser of that sport may even lose 10 factors. Regardless of the calculations that may observe, the quantity of factors received by the winner will at all times be precisely the identical quantity of factors misplaced by the loser of that match.
Two components will affect the usual quantity of 10 factors received or misplaced:
- the distinction in rating factors earlier than the match is performed
- the significance of the match
The distinction of rating factors between each groups in a match is used to calculate the primary multiplier. Primarily based upon this the usual quantity of 10 factors may max be doubled (issue 2) or minimal lowered to zero (issue 0). That means the quantity of factors received or misplaced may most be 20 and minimal 0 relying upon the distinction in rating factors. As a result of if staff A (ranked for instance within the prime 5) performs staff B (ranked for instance between 8 and 12), it will be a much bigger accomplishment for staff B to win the match. That’s why primarily based upon the distinction in rating factors staff B for instance would win 15 factors as an alternative of 10 (and staff A would lose 15 factors) if staff B beats staff A. Nonetheless if staff A would win it will be much less of a shock. That’s why staff A in case of a win would for instance solely win 5 factors as an alternative of 10, that means staff B would solely lose 5 as nicely.
The above state of affairs can be true in case of an unusual official (follow) match. However a second multiplier can be utilized primarily based upon the significance of a match. So the minimal multiplier can be 1 for normal official matches. However for matches with extra significance the quantity of factors at stake may rise drastically:
- x2 for official invitational tournaments with 4 nations or extra
- x3 for official qualifiers to continental championships
- x5 for the FIH Professional League in addition to the brand new FIH Intercontinental Cup (or the 2nd division to the Professional League)
- x6 for the continental championships in addition to the FIH Qualifiers (for each World Cup or Olympics)
- x10 for each the World Cup and the Olympic Video games
So a win on the Video games or WC towards a lot increased ranked nation may presumably end in 200 factors.
The principle motive for including extra weight to video games in invitational tournaments (4 or extra nations concerned) in comparison with common one-on-one take a look at sequence is as a result of FIH needs to advertise/encourage tournaments. And as anticipated the Video games and World Cup can be the occasions the place probably the most factors could be received (or misplaced).
What about our brief format of the sport?
For these in love with the brief format of our sport, indoor hockey, the rating will stay as is and solely be modified after the subsequent World Cup in order to not upset a qualification path to the World Cup half manner. Indoor hockey nevertheless will observe within the footsteps of outside hockey as quickly as attainable is predicted. By the best way… isn’t it time to cease calling our brief format of the sport indoor hockey? Sure there are nations the place it’s performed outside as nicely 😉
Let’s name it Hockey6 or SuperSixes or no matter cool identify FIH advertising may give you and ensure the foundations are versatile sufficient to have this sport performed indoor or outside and on any easy floor. As a result of that is the one and solely brief format of hockey that’s supported, has a legacy and a loyal fanbase world wide… should you catch my drift 😉
New qualifying pathways to the World Cup and Olympics
Again to outside hockey… FIH additionally introduced a brand new pathway to qualify for the subsequent World Cup in Bhubaneswar. No, clearly FIH by no means stated something about Bhubaneswar being the chosen venue as soon as once more. However since cash was the deciding issue to find out the hosts for the World Cups everyone knows it is going to be Odisha and Bhubaneswar as soon as once more.
IOC nonetheless needs two completely different pathways inside attain of each (!) nation to qualify for the Video games. Internet hosting the Video games (or World Cup because it follows the identical path) remains to be the primary strategy to qualify. So , the host nation takes the primary accessible spot. Keep in mind: 12 collaborating nations for the Olympic Video games and 16 for the World Cup.
Subsequent up, the winners of the continental championship qualify instantly as nicely. That will be the primary path to qualification. The second path to qualification comes by way of FIH Qualifiers who will decide which nations will take the remaining spots for the principle occasion. This arrange will stay the identical…. with some small adjustments for the FIH Qualifiers.
That’s the place it will get a bit of bit extra difficult… For Tokyo 2020 the FIH Qualifiers had been performed in a better of two format at house for the best ranked nation. The place in a semi guided draw, the best ranked nations – not but certified – can be matched up with the bottom ranked nations. And sub-top nations can be drawn in the same strategy to decrease ranked nations. Winner takes all the place the winner of those two video games at house for the best ranked nation can be decided by the aggregated rating of each video games.
So what is going to change for the FIH World Cup in 2023?
First change is with reference to the timing of those Qualifiers. The time between deciding who was taking part in the Qualifiers and the precise video games was too brief for Tokyo. Which means for the hosts of those video games there was not sufficient time to essentially do some highly effective advertising for these extremely necessary video games in line with FIH. So, for the subsequent World Cup the FIH Qualifiers will all be performed in March 2022!
Yep, that’s proper… in March! As soon as once more the FIH fully ignores the necessary home leagues. In our conventional European home leagues competitors restarts in March yearly, after a brief winter break… due to local weather, worldwide hockey and indoor hockey. March by way of Might/June are the important thing months of those home leagues, in addition to the EHL. One can solely say… unimaginable! And I would even add…. incompetent!
The second change is of much less significance, although I don’t agree once more. The FIH qualifiers will turn into house & away video games, as an alternative of two house video games for the upper ranked nation. FIH thinks this may make it fairer, my ideas are the upper ranked nation has earned the benefit of taking part in at house twice. It’s the challengers who have to make the additional effort to vary the order. Added bonus, in line with FIH, can be a decrease ranked nation that may have the chance to host a house sport for his or her followers towards one of many prime nations. This, I agree, is an actual bonus. The primary sport can be performed at house for the decrease ranked nation. The second and deciding sport can be performed at house for the upper ranked nation.
Not solely is that this dangerous for the ecological footprint of our sport, however it’s going to add prices for each nations who now each should spend money on journey & lodging for the away sport in addition to the numerous prices of internet hosting a prime occasion at house. Each may have the revenues of internet hosting a prime occasion at house as nicely, however for lots of nations these won’t cowl the fee I worry…
A 3rd change will make issues attainable much more difficult. Perhaps extra balanced as nicely, so it could possibly be well worth the headache of explaining it although. The third change is in the best way nations shall be chosen to play these FIH Qualifiers. As a result of right here the FIH will decide the variety of nations per continent allowed to play the Qualifiers primarily based upon the worldwide rating. that means it may very nicely be a better ranked nation wouldn’t be allowed to play the FIH qualifiers if his continental quota has been crammed and as an alternative their spot would go to a decrease ranked nation from one other continent. Nonetheless the FIH feels this may add pleasure to the continental championships as a result of, getting into these, every nation will know what is predicted of them to both qualify instantly (win) or get picked up for the FIH qualifiers… Ah nicely, we would have to attend for the written guidelines regarding this to truly decide what’s what.
Abstract
So to sum up… we received some excellent news with a brand new and improved world rating as of subsequent yr. And we received some dangerous information with poorly deliberate and dearer FIH Qualifiers. However what stings probably the most is the entire disregard of the FIH for the extraordinarily necessary home membership competitors. I’m repeating myself, but it surely’s value repeating till heard… These home membership leagues are the muse of our sport. If we don’t respect the home leagues our sport of hockey will rush in the direction of the tip of hockey as we all know it…
