Hockey chiefs announce end to own goal peril

Goalkeepers and defenders throughout the hockey world can breathe a sigh of relief from next season as own goals will no longer be possible in the sport.

After a two-season period experimenting with the own goal as a new rule, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has opted to discard it. The rule is no longer obligatory from February 1, though individual nations can decide whether to stick with it until the end of this season before it is removed completely in September.

The move has been widely welcomed by players, many of whom felt it encouraged players to “crash” the ball into the scoring circle hoping for any kind of goalward touch.