Hockey's proposed penalty corner rule: Beginning of the end of the diligent art of drag flick

According to the proposed rule, the attacking players will be at least five metres outside the 'D' box during penalty corners and the ball must travel beyond the D before it can be hit back into the box for a shot at goal.

By Sudipta Biswas


An action of penalty corner with drag flicker shooting the ball into the goalmouth in England. (Photo credit: LJ Mac)

In hockey, no aspect of the game is as exciting as the penalty corner, the most potent weapon for scoring goals. But the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) latest effort to cut down the danger of defenders getting hit from a mighty smash could mark the beginning of the end of the diligent art of taking penalty corner, which is drag-flicking - an action when an attacker stops the ball just outside the D box, then drags it inside the circle and flicks it towards the goal. The flick is taken from a distance of approximately 12 metres from the goal and can travel at a brisk speed, posing a danger to defenders.