coaches, haha! No, listen! I haven’t changed my way of communicating just because I am now wearing a mike. For an arbitrator, communicating nicely and effectively with players has always been and will always be very important.” “We arbitrators have been far too lenient in tolerating the ‘high stick’” CHRISTIAN BLASCH understand why the referee is blowing his whistle. Now TV-viewers can hear that really well, while sitting on their couch. For us players it’s sometimes annoying when a camera in the locker-room is recording our tactical plan. As a team of course we would prefer not to have important tactics made public. The opponent could be listening. No, seriously, we don’t spy on our opponents via TV. Maybe other teams do, in order to get some inside tactical information. I could understand if they did.” Matt Taylor: “During the last round of the EHL as coach I was walking around with one of those microphones. I thought it was great. It’s a way to give the viewers good updates on what’s actually happening on the fi eld. The disadvantage is that you are sharing important information with your opponents. Nevertheless I consider it to be a good innovation.” Christian Blasch: “Suddenly, I really have to watch what I’m saying when I am talking to players and Starting this season at the EHL, a player is allowed to stop a high ball with the stick above his shoulder. However, this may in no way endanger other players. Jaap Stockmann: “I am an absolute fan of this new rule. Already I’ve seen a couple of players pluck the ball out of the air this season in the EHL. It was spectacular to see.” Matt Taylor: “Another fi ne innovation! The old rule had the disadvantage that there was a big grey-area regarding whether or not the stick could be raised a centimetre or two above the shoulders. That caused a lot of discussions. Furthermore, players who raised their sticks just one centimetre above their shoulders received a yellow card. That is pretty severe for something silly.” Christian Blasch: “To be honest I am not a big fan of this rule change. We arbitrators have been far too lenient in tolerating the ‘high stick’ during the last few years. As a result, we have had to work very hard to get players to resume respecting the shoulder height rule. From now on players can just do what they want as long as they don’t endanger anyone. I see no advantage to the game whatsoever in the new high stick rule, but maybe we just have to get used to it.” • 20 07 20 12 55 FOTO: FRANK UIJLENBROEK Pagina 54

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