Reigning WorldHockey Player of the Year and member of the World Cup championship Dutch team Minke Booij was asked in the most recent edition of WorldHockey Online what one rule she would change in hockey if she could:
What does it matter when sticks clash. If the umpire sees a defender or attacker clearly making a hitting movement, they should do something about it, but when that is not the case, play on. Often umpires hear something and 90% of the time they think the defender is fouling, which is not always the case. So make the decision on what you see not on what you hear, especially now with the new sticks, it sounds a lot worse, but a stick feels no pain.
Interesting words, although not surprising from a defender as they're usually on the wrong end of the incorrect calls.
I try to do the following when anticipating a tackle - first, I change my focus away from the attacker and the ball to the defender's stick. Then, I watch the stick for movement. Then, I watch where the ball goes afterwards. If the stick has moved minimally and the ball ends up going in the defender's direction, regardless of how loud the sound is, we should be able to allow it to play on.
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