A message on behalf of Hockey Australia,

You may have been made aware of a recent regulation change by the FIH, making it mandatory for all defending players to wear a face mask for penalty corners at all FIH competitions. To align with the FIH standard, Hockey Australia will be adopting the same regulations change for all of its National Championships (U14, U16, U18, U21, Men’s & Women’s Masters, Country Championships, and Indoor Championships) and for all Hockey One League events.

This change at a national level is effective immediately (i.e. in 2025) and reflects our ongoing commitment to athlete welfare, particularly recognising the increasing speed and power of the game.

Additionally, Hockey Australia strongly recommends all States and Territories consider adopting this regulation for all hockey activities to enhance player safety. It is important note in this context that the FIH has also advised all Continental Federations (CF’s) and National Associations (NA’s) they “recognise that not all teams across all levels of competition in all countries will be able to provide appropriate face/head protection for all players. Therefore, should a CF or NA decide not to apply this mandatory use of face/head protection in a particular competition, FIH are supportive of other regulations being adjusted to protect athletes and maintain safe hockey. For example, restricting the first shot at goal (including drag flicks) to be at backboard height or below.” This allows MA’s, clubs and associations to adopt adjusted regulations to ensure player safety at all levels.

The regulation change also introduces flexibility for umpires regarding the 40-second penalty corner setup time while maintaining penalties for deliberate delays. For full details, please visit https://www.fih.hockey/news/penalty-corners-face-masks-mandatory-for-all-fih-events

Hockey Australia and the Liberty Hockey One League are currently in the process of updating their respective Regulations for National Championships and the Hockey One League competition to reflect this change. They will be released and circulated in due course.

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