Euro Hockey League (EHL)


A New Revolution!


With the introduction of the Euro Hockey League as the premiere European hockey competition the sport has entered an exciting stage in its international development.





The Euro Hockey League has tried to open the sport up for the public, making it more viewer friendly through additional cameras around the pitch and introducing a number of new regulations to make the game more attractive to the younger generation. As the promotional video states, the matches are televised in 17 European countries and each stage of the competition is held at one of the participating clubs grounds.

One of the rule changes that many domestic leagues could potentially adopt is where a player can take a free hit can pass the ball to himself provided the ball travels 1 meter. This speeds the game up considerably and keeps the game flowing. However, this rule change has also caused a lot of criticism. The danger inherent with incorporating this rule at a lower level is obvious.

Last year I went to the first round games at HGC and I have to say it was spectacular to watch. There's alot of interest for the games and therefore a great atmosphere around the pitch. The 17.5 minute quarters alow for breaks in play but keep the game moving. The 2 minute penalty rule for a green card creates short numerical advantages that produces an exciting eb and flow to the action. Along with the music, food and drink that accompanies a weekend of games, all the ingredients are available to keep the new generation interested and attract young talent.

This years finals round will be played in Hamburg, Germany the winners of last years competition on the second week of April. Favourites include Bloemendaal and Amsterdam.

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