FIH unveils new World Ranking system for 2020

FIH unveils new World Ranking system for 2020

    Lausanne, Switzerland: December 12, 2019 Following 12 months of painstaking research, analysis and testing, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to reveal details of the new FIH World Ranking system that will be employed from 1 January 2020. The fresh approach – which has been approved by the FIH Executive Board – sees a switch from the existing tournament-based World Rankings to a more dynamic, match-based system, one which is designed to increase opportunities for all National Associations to gain rankings points and also provide a better reflection of current performance. The outgoing FIH World Ranking system has served the sport since 2003, being originally devised to allocate teams into pools at tournaments. The old model operated well on various levels, ranking the top teams who participated in FIH and Continental events with a good level of accuracy whilst also allowing those nations to earn ranking points two to three times per year. However, the numerous restrictions of the tournament-based system – including the limited opportunities for lower-ranked teams to earn points, the degree of subjectivity required to determine the relative strengths of the five continents in order to calculate continental ranking points, and the fact that over 60 percent of international hockey matches had no ranking points on offer – have provided an ever-strengthening case for a change of approach. The new match-based World Ranking system involves an exchange of points between the two teams competing in each FIH-sanctioned match played. In short, the number of points exchanged depends on a trio of factors: the result of the match, the relative ranking of the teams and the importance of the match. As well as the aforementioned increased opportunities to earn points, the new model removes much of the subjectivity surrounding continental weighting by creating a system which is fair to all, whilst also encouraging the playing of international matches. The decision to introduce a new World Ranking system comes at the end of a year-long trial period. Using every official international match played since the end of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, a working model of the new system was created, allowing for constant monitoring, assessment and adjustment throughout 2019. The results of the test phase indicated that the new system was more dynamic and immediately reflective of current form than the existing World Ranking system and was subsequently approved by the FIH Executive Board. The introduction of the new system for calculating the FIH World Rankings will not affect the current placements – each nation will start 2020 in the same ranking position and with the same number of ranking points that they finished with in 2019. The model explained Based on the Elo rating system, which is used as the basis of many other sports ranking systems When two nations play against each other, a number of ranking points are exchanged between them In every match, the number of points gained by one team is exactly matched by the number of points lost by the other Teams will win more points for beating teams ranked above them, and therefore teams will lose more points for losing to a team ranked below them Teams will win less points for beating teams ranked below them, and therefore teams will lose less points for losing to a team ranked above them If a draw occurs, the lower ranked team will gain a small number of points and the higher ranked team will lose the same number of points The number of points exchanged is dependent on the result of the match (win, lose, shootout win/loss or draw), the importance of the match (part of a major tournament, or a test series for example), and the relative difference in ranking points between the teams before the match Speaking about the decision, FIH Sport and Development Director Jon Wyatt said: “As a sport, we are continually looking to innovate and provide opportunities for our member Nations. This new match-based ranking system will reflect current performance of all nations far more accurately than the previous system, and provide the chance for nations to demonstrate to their players, fans, media and funding bodies where they stand within the world of hockey and how they can move up the ranking. “As with any new system launch and the introduction of change, it will take some time for everyone to adjust, and we will continually monitor the rankings to ensure it is accurate and fair to all. We’re excited about the new element that it will bring to every international match, with teams and fans being able to see the effects of the result immediately on the rankings of the teams involved.” More details about the new FIH World Ranking system, including the formula used in the algorithm, weightings of matches and a Frequently Asked Questions document, can be found at the below link, which will also be where the new system will be published from 1 January 2020. http://www.fih.ch/rankings/outdoor/

    Tokyo 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments: pools confirmed

      The final participation in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 of all qualified teams has been approved by their respective National Olympic Committees. Consequently, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has now confirmed the Tokyo 2020 pools as follows: Men Pool A: Australia, Argentina, India, Spain, New Zealand, Japan Pool B: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, South Africa Women Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, India, South Africa Pool B: Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Spain, China, Japan To determine the composition of the pools, the same process has been applied as for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 (see Appendix 2). With all participating teams being ranked among the top 16 teams of the current FIH World Rankings, fans can expect thrilling hockey encounters in Tokyo next year! The 2016 Men’s Gold medallists, Argentina (WR:4), will face Australia (WR:1), India (WR:5), Spain (WR:8), New Zealand (WR:9) and hosts Japan (WR:15). The Women’s Gold medallists in Rio, Great Britain (WR:5), will play against the Netherlands (WR:1), Germany (WR:4), Ireland (WR:8), India (WR:9) and South Africa (WR:16). The Tokyo 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments will be staged in the brand-new Oi Hockey Stadium from 25 July to 7 August next year. The match schedule will be announced at a later stage. #Tokyo2020 #RoadToTokyo #GiftOfHockey

      2022 FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup in Spain and the Netherlands, 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup in India

        8 November 2019 Lausanne, Switzerland: On the occasion of its last meeting of the year today in Lausanne, the Executive Board of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has selected India to host the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup (13-29 January 2023) and Spain and the Netherlands to co-host the 2022 FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup (1-17 July 2022). The venues will be announced by the host nations. The schedule of the 2022 FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup will be as follows: Preliminary Phase: 2 Preliminary phase pools in the Netherlands (including the Dutch team) 2 Preliminary phase pools in Spain (including the Spanish team) Quarter Finals: 2 crossover matches and 2 quarter-finals in the Netherlands 2 crossover matches and 2 quarter-finals in Spain Final phase in Spain: Semi-finals Match for 3rd place Final The competition format of the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup will be the same as in 2018. FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “FIH has received excellent bids to host these prestigious events. It was therefore a difficult choice to make. Since the primary mission of FIH is to grow the sport worldwide – which of course requires to make investments -, the income-generation potential of each bid has played an important role in the decision.” Commenting on the organization of the FIH Hockey World Cups, he added: “We will work closely with the Local Organizing Committees on the sustainability and legacy aspects of these events.” The Executive Board also approved the qualification process for both events: The hosts will qualify automatically (1 team) The winners of the Continental Championships will qualify directly (5 teams) The remaining 10 teams will qualify through a home-and-away play-off; the 20 teams involved in these qualifiers will be determined by Continental quotas, based on the FIH World Rankings at the end of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the finishing positions of teams in the Continental Championships  

        FIH appoints Officials for Tokyo 2020

          September 11, 2019 Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) today revealed the list of Officials appointed for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 hockey tournaments. In accordance with the agreed guidelines and processes of FIH, all appointed Officials come from the FIH Pro League panels as these are the top-rated Officials. While performance was the primary selection criteria, the Officials Committee also looked, as a secondary consideration, at the geographic spread of the Officials to ensure that all continents are represented. As a further demonstration of FIH’s “Equally Amazing” policy, the Technical Officials will work across both genders’ matches. Furthermore, while on field Umpires will be the same gender as the match, Video Umpires may be the other gender as has been successfully implemented during the FIH Pro League this year. Technical Delegates Men’s Competition: DECKENBROCK Christian, GER Women’s Competition: STANDLEY Tammy, AUS Umpires Managers de KLERK Marelize, RSA HORGAN Steve, USA SCHELLEKENS Philip, NED WOOLLEY Minka, AUS Technical Officials BENNETT Sarah, ZIM BURT Josh, AUS CATTON Steve, GBR CHAN Alfred, HKG CHEE Lilian, SGP DELLA MATTIA Adrian, ARG FUERST Elisabeth, AUT NAZARET Magda, POL NISHIZAWA Eiichiro, JPN OTI-MENSAH Frank, GHA RICHARDSON Reyah, TTO TOMLINSON Jackie, NZL WARRIS Rogier, NED ZELKIN Rene, USA Umpires – Men’s Panel BLASCH Christian, GER GOENTGEN Benjamin, GER GROCHAL Marcin, POL KEARNS Adam, AUS LIM Hong Zhen, SGP MADDEN Martin, GBR MEJZLIK Jakub, CZE MONTES de OCA German, ARG PRASAD Raghu, IND SHAIKH Javed, IND TAYLOR Simon, NZL TOMLINSON David, NZL van BUNGE Coen, NED WRIGHT Peter, RSA Umpires – Women’s Panel CHURCH Amber, NZL de la FUENTE Carolina, ARG DELFORGE Laurine, BEL GIDDENS Maggie, USA HUDSON Kelly, NZL JOUBERT Michelle, RSA LIU Xiaoying, CHN McCLEAN Ayanna, TTO MEISTER Michelle, GER NEUMANN Aleisha, AUS PRESENQUI Irene, ARG ROSTRON Annelize, RSA WILSON Sarah, GBR YAMADA Emi, JPN Medical Officers GORDON Leigh, RSA NAYAK Bibhu, IND ROLLE Udo, GER The 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments will be staged in Japan’s capital city from 25 July to 7 August next year. #Tokyo2020 #RoadToTokyo #GiftOfHockey

          FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers: matches, dates and venues confirmed

          FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers: matches, dates and venues confirmed

            September 9, 2019 Lausanne, Switzerland: The FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers have been determined by a draw held today at the headquarters of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in Lausanne as follows: Men 25/26 October: Spain – France, Valencia 26/27 October: The Netherlands – Pakistan, Amsterdam 26/27 October: Canada – Ireland, West Vancouver 1/2 November: India – Russia, Bhubaneswar 2/3 November: New Zealand – Korea, Stratford 2/3 November: Germany – Austria, Mönchengladbach 2/3 November: Great Britain – Malaysia, London Women 25/26 October: Australia – Russia, Perth 25/26 October: China – Belgium, Changzhou 25/26 October: Spain – Korea, Valencia 1/2 November: India – USA, Bhubaneswar 2/3 November: Germany – Italy, Mönchengladbach 2/3 November: Great Britain – Chile, London 2/3 November: Ireland – Canada, Dublin Each qualifier consists of two back-to-back matches which will be played in the same venue. The match times will be confirmed at a later stage and updated on www.FIH.ch. The winners of these FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers will qualify for the 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments which will be staged in Japan’s capital city from 25 July to 7 August next year and involve 12 Men’s and 12 Women’s teams. The following teams are already qualified: Men Japan Argentina South Africa Belgium Australia Women Japan Argentina South Africa The Netherlands New Zealand The final participation in the Olympic Games for any team must be approved and confirmed beforehand by their respective National Olympic Committee. #Tokyo2020 #RoadToTokyo #GiftOfHockey

            AfricanHockeyRoadToTokyo: The Title will be decided on the Final Day

              The African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 headed into its penultimate day with the destination of the title winners still uncertain. After four days of action though we now know that the title will either be won by SuperGroup South Africa or Ghana in the Women’s tournament while it’s the age-old battle between South Africa and Egypt in the Men’s tournament. The day started with Ghana’s women keeping the tournament alive by defeating the ever-improving Namibians 3-0. They scored a goal in each of the first three quarters to win the game that they were never truly in danger of losing. Elizabeth Opoku in the first, Debora Whyte in the second and Ernestina Coffie in the third meant that the 2017 Runners-Up kept the tournament alive to the final day regardless of the South African result against Kenya. The Namibian and Zimbabwean men played off in a Southern African derby match that could give Zimbabwe a possibility of medalling should they win. With that motivation in check they took the lead through Tony O’Riordan in the 18th minute. The Namibians have been guilty of missing good opportunities in this tournament, but that accusation could not be levelled at them in the 41st minute when South African based star Brynn Cleak restored parity. That parity would not last until the end of the quarter as Gift Chomunorwa made it 2-1 to Zimbabwe. The pair, who could not be split at the FIH Opens Series, were in a similar position this time as Cody van der Merwe got the goal that the performance probably deserved. Egypt were given an almighty scare in their quest to break the South African defence of the trophy as they found themselves trailing to spirited Ghanaians. Enrest Opoku opened the scoring in the first quarter but the West Africans only held that lead for four minutes before Hossam Ghobran levelled matters. The game looked destined to be all square at the end of the third quarter but a 44th minute penalty corner by Mohamed Ragab breaking the deadlock. Egypt only made the game safe with a late penalty corner from Amr Ibrahim, but the 3-1 result meant that Egypt would go into the final day with destiny in their own hands. The SuperGroup South African women never really got higher than second gear in a routine victory against Kenya. The Kenyan women were completing their program of fixtures and were hoping to get a victory to confirm a bronze medal at the minimum. Unfortunately, they will now have to wait and see if Namibia can do them a favour after they were beaten 3-0 by the South Africans. The South Africans scored all three goals in the first half before backing off and consolidating the victory. Tarryn Glasby and Erin Hunter got the opening two before Ongi Mali moved to the top of the goal scorers’ charts with the third. South Africa will know a draw against Ghana will confirm another title for Robin van Ginkel’s side. The South African men produced a less devastating display than they had in the previous games but secured a 4-0 win against a supremely fired up Kenya. It took South Africa 29 minutes to break the deadlock but when they did Austin Smith produced his most venomous flick of the tournament to score his 9th goal of the event. In the second half Smith added his second before a superb combination between Ryan Julius and Dayaan Cassiem allowed the latter to finish with a trademark scoop. The South Africans made it 4-0 with a late Keenan Horne strike but the Kenyans will be immensely proud of their performance. For the South Africans all eyes will be on the Egyptian game to decide title while Kenya will be looking to get their first win over Namibia. All the action is broadcast live on the Shoott South Africa Facebook page. African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 Results – 17 August 2019 (W) – Namibia 0-3 Ghana (M) – Zimbabwe 2-2 Namibia (M) – Ghana 1-3 Egypt (W) – Kenya 0-3 South Africa (M) – Kenya 0-4 South Africa African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 Fixtures – 18 August 2019 (W) – 09:00 – Zimbabwe vs. Namibia (M) – 11:00 – Zimbabwe vs. Ghana (M) – 13:00 – Kenya vs. Namibia (W) – 15:00 – Ghana vs. South Africa (M) – 17:00 – Egypt vs. South Africa

              AfricanHockeyRoadToTokyo: Zim hockey teams receive a glimmer of hope

                ZIMBABWE hockey teams’ road to Tokyo qualifiers received a glimmer of hope yesterday when both the men and ladies’ teams registered morale-boosting victories against Kenya in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The ladies registered a 2-0 win over Kenya with goals from Roxanne Viviers, who scored in the 44th minute from a penalty corner, before Nicola Watson added the second in the 51st minute, also from a penalty corner, to ensure the Zimbabwean ladies restored some belief that all had not been lost following two opening losses at the tournament. The Zimbabwe ladies got their tournament underway with a 1-3 loss to Ghana on Monday and a 0-2 loss to hosts South Africa in their second game. Captain Tendayi Maredza scored two penalty strokes in the 50th and 56th minutes to add on to Tatenda Kanyangarara’s 36th minute opener for the Zimbabwean men as they recorded a 3-2 win over Kenya. The Zimbabwe men’s side were hammered 6-0 by Egypt in their opening game before a 9-0 thrashing by South Africa in their second game. They are now left with two matches in their group against Namibia tomorrow and Ghana on Sunday, while the ladies side face Namibia on Sunday. Source: Chronicle (Zim)