Hockey looks to basketball for sport appeal

Incheon: Hockey games will be cut by 10 minutes to four 15 minute quarters in a bid to step up the sport`s fan appeal, the international federation announced.

The new format has already been tried in the Euro Hockey League and in India`s championship and will get its first major international tryout at this year`s Asian Games in South Korea in September. International Hockey Federation (FIH) leaders said they had looked at basketball, American football and others in their research on ways to add excitement to the sport. They have also decided to introduce time-outs after goals and penalty corners. Games will move from two 35 minute halves to four 15 minute quarters. "With the additional breaks, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy more replays and be more engaged with the event, whether in the stadium or watching from afar," said FIH president Leandro Negre after the changes were announced late Thursday. "Coaches and players will see improvement in their performance with the additional opportunities to rehydrate and restrategize," he added. An FIH statement said the federation`s excutive board wanted to follow the example of "already-existing formats of several other sports such as basketball, American football and netball", and go into four quarters. The FIH said hockey would be "higher intensity, faster paced and more exciting". The new rules will be applied to all international events as of September 1, which means the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea will be one of the first to try. They will also apply to the Champions Trophy late in the year and the Rio Olympics in 2016.