We at the ISBHF hope that everyone has had a good start to 2021 and is staying safe!
In this brand new regular monthly series, we will be bringing you news from the ISBHF – this time for the month of January!
Message from ISBHF President
At the beginning of the year, ISBHF President George Gortsos has delivered a message to the ball hockey community. In a short video interview, he evaluated 2020, how he missed the best ISBHF Junior and Masters athletes competing at our regular summer events, and how the ISBHF had adjusted in a challenging year. George ended on a positive note, giving hope that we will soon meet at the rinks!
The full video is available here:
Rules and Regulations Update
The ISBHF Technical Committee was very active in 2020, updating outdated rules and regulations, so that the ISBHF is ready for the events of the future. A new Rulebook – 2021 Version has been finalised and distributed to all ISBHF Members. But what are the biggest changes in the 2021 Rulebook?
- Line changes are no longer permitted after flooring in Men’s, Women’s, U-20 Men’s and U-18 Men’s categories
- A new penalty type Late Hit has been introduced to protect the safety of players
- When a goal has been scored into a displaced net, and the displacement did not adversely affect the entry of the ball, the goal will be awarded
- Changes of face-off procedures
- and more.
2021 Events
And most importantly, 2021 events. The ISBHF Board of Directors held a meeting on Friday, January 15th, to discuss the situation regarding our three main events:
Men’s & Women’s World Masters Championships, in Czech Republic, June 16-20
U-20 & U-18 World Junior Championships, in Switzerland, June 22-27
U-16 Boys & U-20 Girls World Junior Championships, in Slovakia, July 1-4
Ball hockey fans can expect the decisions on these three events to be made soon, no later than mid-March.
Stay with us, stay safe and stay healthy. We hope to see you at the rinks, soon!
