Click on ...More below for full details:

Great Britain's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Fixtures
Friday 25 May - 10:05 BST - Great Britain v Malaysia
Sunday 27 May - 12:05 BST - Great Britain v India
Monday 28 May - 10:05 BST - Great Britain v Argentina (should be tasty given the recent advert)
Wednesday 30 May - 10:05 BST - Great Britain v New Zealand
Thursday 31 May - 08:05 BST - Great Britain v Korea
Saturday 2 June - 10:05 BST - Great Britain v Pakistan
Sunday 3 June - tbc - classification matches

Following the league area meetings that were held this week the league committee is now in a position to release the provisional league placements for next season. Please click on ...More below to see these (see under League Re-Structuring at the bottom of the web page).

Please be aware these are still draft and subject to final ratification by the league committee in May.

Note:
News Item reproduced from the Davis Wood League Website.

Have fun, meet new people, learn new skills, deliver the Olympic Legacy, know you are making a difference, add it to your CV, be on a winning team, get a t-shirt AND have the opportunity to enter a fantastic draw for special prizes including tickets to hockey events, vouchers and signed kit from the GB players. These are just some of the benefits of deciding to ‘Be a part of it’ and become a Hockey Maker!

Click on ...More below for further details (and not on the logo to the left!)

The content of this Code of Behaviour is an extension of the Generic Code of Behaviour and it applies to all Spectators and Parents involved in hockey in England.

Although the emphasis of this code is on young people, this is not exclusive to young people’s activity and it is recognised that parents and spectators will also be present at senior games.

In order to protect the reputation of hockey in England, the code also applies to all those associated with the EHB who are involved in hockey whilst outside England.

Click on ...More below for further details.

This will take place on Friday 29 June 2012 at The Dolphin Inn, Bovey Tracey, starting at 7.00 p.m.

Please confirm availability or offer apologies to DHUA Secretary Andy Rowe at gfz@tesco.net

Further details to follow in due course.

I am pleased to tell you that I was able to award James Sinclair his Level 2 yesterday on a match he umpired in the West Ladies Premier League, his performance was very good and was indeed a credit to Devon and their coaching. Just a pity that he will be moving to Reading for university next season and we will not necessarily see a great deal of him in the West for the next few seasons.

Peter Lovell
West Umpiring Secretary

Congratulations to James from everyone in DHUA. James is on the National Young Umpire Promising List (NYUPL) and we wish him well for the future. We hope to see him when he is home from University.

Paddy Porter
President DHUA

There were four teams (City of Bath, Havant, ISCA and Plymouth Marjon) at this event hosted at UCP Marjon in Plymouth on Sunday 1st April 2012. The winners were Havant U14, who despite a hard fought draw against ISCA U14 in the final game, won the other games easily. ISCA U14’s were 2nd.

Thanks to everyone involved, including Devon Umpires John Dale-Burrows, Andrew Harvey, Clare Martin, Peter Sim and Alan ‘Paddy’ Porter.

Picture:
President DHUA (Alan ‘Paddy’ Porter) presents the winning certificate to the Havant U14 Captain.

The England Hockey Board Awards Lunch is the perfect occasion to recognise the dedication, hard work and achievements of our Hockey Makers and Clubs during the 2011-12 season. Now in its third year, this is an event not to be missed.

The EHB Award categories are as follows:
* Performance Coach of the Season
* Performance Umpire of the Season
* Young Performance Umpire of the Season
* Club of the Season
* Club Team of the Season - Women
* Club Team of the Season - Men
* Club Member of the Season
* Club Coach of the Season
* Umpire of the Season
* Association or League Volunteer of the Season

EHB sponsors Harvester are kindly helping to provide a number of fantastic prizes which will benefit the winner as well as their club. If you know of a person, club or team who deserves one of these prestigious awards, please nominate now by clicking on ...More below to find out how to complete the online nomination form and read more about the event.

Great Britain hockey stars Dilly Newton and Maddie Hinch were guests of honour at UCP Marjon on 23rd March 2012. The visit came as part of a nationwide programme, the Hockey Nation, which will see British Olympic hockey players visit more than 450 secondary schools over the next two months.

The ‘Come and Meet’ sessions gives thousands of youngsters the chance to try In2Hockey, a version of hockey for 10 to 14 year olds, ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games this summer.

Dilly and Maddie, both members of the Great Britain hockey team preparing for the Olympic Games, hosted an In2Hockey coaching session before answering questions in a specially arranged Question and Answer session.

Dilly said, “I started playing hockey at school so it’s fantastic to be able to return to the playground, to meet the kids and speak to them about their sporting ambitions. The Olympic Games was always a massive inspiration to me growing up and if I can help inspire the next generation and recruit some new fans of hockey in the process then that would be great!”

Jamie Oxley, Lecturer in Coaching & Sports Development & RELAYS Project Manager said, “ The winners of the 5 of a side hockey tournament were Plymstock School boys team, and Ivybridge Community College girls team. It was brilliant for so many local schools to be able to get involved in this event and meet such inspirational sportswomen.”

For more information about the Hockey Nation programme, click on ...More below.

With 11 of the 12 teams now qualified for both the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the Olympic picture is clearing up. But with so many teams making it to the games through so many different events, FIH.ch thought it would be useful to remind hockey fans, which teams are headed to London and how they earned their berth to the Games.

Click on ...More below to read the full story.

The npower Big Dribble gives you the chance to be part of a fantastic hockey record and wish the Great Britain teams good luck for the Olympic Games. Dribble your 100m down the course and sign the giant hockey ball.

24th April

9.30am to 11am – Exeter city centre

1.45pm to 3.15pm – Plymouth, Armada Way

If you want to support The npower Big Dribble, help volunteer or even do your own Little Dribble, please register on The npower Big Dribble website by clicking on ...More below.

The npower Big Dribble supports WellChild, the UK’s national charity for sick children and is part of Great Britain Hockey Nation programme.

Get your club shirt on and get dribbling!!

Barbara Reynolds
Relationship Manager
Cornwall, Devon, Somerset & Channel Islands
England Hockey Board (EHB)

Sport England has commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct this important survey about your experience of taking part in Hockey and we would appreciate you taking the time to share your views. You may have already been contacted by Ipsos MORI inviting you to take part, if you have already completed the survey this year there is no need for you to do this again.

To thank you for your time, Ipsos MORI are offering you a chance to win shopping vouchers which can be spent in a range of over 20,000 stores in the UK. All those completing the survey will be entered into a free prize draw for three ‘Love2shop’ vouchers, 1st prize voucher value - £250, 2nd prize - £150, 3rd prize - £100 (see: www.highstreetvouchers.com). Details of the draw are available on request from the Ipsos MORI team (see email address below).

By taking part in this survey, you will be helping your sport to understand more about your sporting experiences, your motivations and the challenges you face. This will help sports bodies be more responsive to your needs and do more to encourage new participants.
The results will help drive and shape sport in England in the years to come as we work to deliver a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

To be part of this unique project and help shape the future of sport in England, please click on ...More below - your help and time would be much appreciated by Hockey and Sport England.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Ipsos MORI team at:
SportEnglandSurvey@ipsos-mori.com

Click on ...More below for the DHUA Constitution that was voted on and approved at a Special General Meeting on 12 February 2012.

Following 2 successful camps in 2011 hockey players have another chance to receive top level coaching from highly experienced England Hockey coaches and international/national league players.

The next series of ‘Sporting Dynamics’ hockey camps will be running at UCP Marjon in April and Olympic themed camps in July and August. In addition players aged 14-18 and above are encouraged to come and assist with the Junior Camps.

EASTER - 12th April- 7-12 Years – 10-4pm – £20
13th April – 12-16 Years – 10-4pm – £20

SUMMER - 23rd July – 7-12 Years – 10-4pm - £20
24 & 25th July – 12-16 Years – 10-4pm - £40
31st August – 6-10 & 7-14 Years – 10-4pm £20

Click on ...More below for an application form.

Any problems please contact Matt Bodily
matthew.bodily4@gmail.com
07557 872181

This News Item is from The Davis Wood Hockey League Website and is reproduced below in it's entirety:

It has been bought to the league committee’s attention by the West Umpires Association that many pitches used for DWHL games are still not marked (or poorly marked) with, in particular, the 5 metre line.

The league committee appreciates that many clubs play on pitches that are not owned by themselves and are therefore depended on ‘landlords’ making the necessary changes / improvements. Clubs are advised though that should they choose to proceed with the organisation of league games on pitches of this standard and an umpire subsequently refuses to officiate the game as a direct result of the pitch not having all of the said makings (as they are perfectly within their right to do), it will be the home club who will be deemed to have failed to have fulfilled the game and subject to the usual sanctions imposed by the league in such instances (which can involve a points deduction for the whole club).

In addition the committee was further notified of some clubs not wearing appropriately numbered shirts and/or not ensuring there is no clash of colours (shirts, shorts or socks). League rule 9.2 and 9.3 explicitly states a requirement for both of these. Action will be taken if reports of such instances are made by umpires to the relevant area secretary. Should an umpire refuse to officiate a game on these grounds it will be the offending club (or in the case of a clash of colours the away team) who will be deemed to have failed to have fulfilled the game and subject to the usual sanctions imposed by the league in such instances (which can involve a points deduction for the whole club).

Note from President DHUA:
Should a DHUA Umpire feel they wish to take the action mentioned above please make sure this is communicated to DHUA at the earliest possible opportunity as well as the DWHL.

The winner of the previous caption competition in my opinion, featuring Andrew Harvey (DHUA Vice President, DHUA Assistant to Chief Coach, The Davis Wood South Area League Secretary, etc., ad infinitum) is:

”What am I bid for this pretty green card thingy? Excellent condition, never been used.”

The next photo, supplied by Graham Woolcock, for the Caption Competition has been posted.

Pop along to the DHUA Blog by clicking ...More below and leave your Caption.

The only rule is the caption must not be offensive, just funny. Anonymous posts may be rejected. If you’re going to leave a caption then leave your name!

Paddy Porter
President DHUA

P.S. If you have a suggested photo for the Caption Competition then please email it to me with any relevant details.

The judging panel of the Devon Sport Awards 2012 could not distinguish between the top two entries in the ”Club of the Year” category and awarded Okehampton Hockey Club and Croyde Surf Club a joint award for ”Club of the Year”. The awards evening was hosted by Mark Tyler. The awards were presented by West Devon's Gorgs Geikie and Keryn Seal. Gorgs, known in the media as ‘Britain’s Lara Croft’ is the British number one Lady Pistol Shooter. And Keryn, self-confessed Arsenal fan is a member of England’s Blind Football Squad. Both of them have their aims pinned on a London 2012 Olympic Medal.

Okehampton Hockey Club have recently expanded their Youth Development Programme to two 1 hour sessions every Saturday morning with over 50 youngsters regularly attending. This is only possible due to a dedicated team of coaches, senior club players and young leaders, overseen by the club's inspirational level 2 coaches, Richard and Jane Jones. Regular skills awards are held to enable the youngsters to monitor their progress and celebrate their improvements. The Club organises teams for both girls and boys to compete in the Devon U12 and U14 tournaments.

Okehampton Hockey Club is giving youngsters the opportunity to partake in sport in a structured and friendly environment. The opportunities afforded these youngsters help with their confidence both physically and socially. All our junior members adhere to the Club Code of Conduct and are encouraged to play fairly, whilst respecting their fellow players, coaches and officials.

Okehampton Hockey Club were also recognised for coaches voluntarily leading after school clubs at local primary schools, utilising QuickSticks, to introduce children to hockey, The uptake for junior hockey has seen the introduction of a 2nd session enabling more age and skill level specific coaching.

Okehampton Hockey Club in partnership with Stuart Lord at OCRA (Okehampton Community Recreation Association) hosted the annual 'QuickSticks' Festival where over 200 local Year 6 children attended. The level 1 & 2 coaches were ably assisted by ten, 15-18 year old junior club members.

The Club had the responsibility for coaching and organising the West Devon teams for the Devon Games to Inspire.

Okehampton Hockey Club was awarded England Hockey's, 'Clubs First' accreditation in 2009 and as such all our coaches are CRB checked and have attended the necessary Safeguarding courses.

Okehampton Hockey Club is committed to supporting the Devon Hockey Umpires' Association and as such actively encourages their youngsters to follow the example of their Level 1 umpires, by umpiring mini games. Several of the young players have successfully passed their Level 1 and Foundation Umpires Award.

The Club is looking forward to further expansion and development, along with successfully retaining their ‘Clubs First accreditation in 2012.

For more information about Junior Hockey in Okehampton, please contact Richard or Jane Jones on 01837 810167

The attached photograph has Richard and Jane Jones and Simon Bourne from Okehampton Hockey Club pictured with Gorgs Geikie.

Object Name: Devon Sports Awards 2012
Caption: - Photo mandatory by-line:Phil Mingo/Pinnacle - Tel: +44(0)1363 881025 - Mobile:0797 1270 681 - VAT Reg No: 768 6958 48 - 09/02/2012 - SPORT - Active Devon - DEVON SPORTS AWARDS 2012 - Sandy Park Stadium, Exeter, Devon
Byline: Phil Mingo/Pinnacle
Credit: Phil Mingo/Pinnacle
Copyright string: PINNACLE PHOTOGRAPHY LTD- PHOTO AGENCY UK

A recent sweep by DHUA has resulted in almost 50 Level 1 Candidates having their Level 1 Candidate status revoked as they have failed to pass their Level 1 Umpire Award within 2 years of doing the course and passing their exam.

This is a terrible waste of money by Clubs (who usually pay for the Level 1 Candidate). Based on an average course cost of £25 this means £1250 has been thrown down the drain.

As a Club do you have a proactive system in place that:

• Monitors your Level 1 Candidates to check their umpire activity?
• Encourages them to get FREE DHUA Umpire Coaching and Assessment?
• Offers them support and guidance to achieve their Level 1 Umpire Award?

There are few Clubs which can afford to lose £25 per failed Level 1 Candidate these days. Also the more umpires per league team you have the lower the DHUA Appointment Fee.

Getting your club members to undertake a Level 1 Umpire Award Course, support and encourage them to get qualified, pays back for the club in the long run; it is a win-win situation for the club.

If you want any support or guidance from DHUA then please let us know and we will help in whatever way we can.

Paddy Porter
President DHUA

I have been informed that Stu, as he was affectionately known by many, (pictured above - back row - 3rd from left), who was very well known in Devon Hockey circles, has sadly passed away.

Stu’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 17 January 2012 starting at 2 p.m. at Exeter Crematorium if you are able to attend.

Please click on …More below for a link to the crematorium.

Paddy Porter
President DHUA
president@devonumpires.co.uk

The FIH is pleased to confirm the complete list of officials which will oversee the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments at the Olympic Games in London, which take place from 29 July to 11 August 2012.

Click on ...More below for further details.

The DHUA Selection and Coaching Committee have made the following Neutral Pool Panel promotions based on the Criteria for Devon Neutral Pool Umpire Panels with immediate effect for the following umpires:

Pool B - Stephen Mason

Pool C - Matt Reynolds and Maurice Salzmann

Pool D - Giles Ebbutt and Rick Jenkins.

Congratulations to all these umpires for their promotions and thanks for their ongoing commitment to DHUA.

The criteria for the Neutral Pool can be read by clicking ...More below.

Keith Dingle
Chair, DHUA SCC

Torbay Hockey Club has achieved ‘A’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘A’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 3 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means Torbay will pay the lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £8 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ and ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving or maintaining ‘A’ Club Status.

Exeter and Culm Vale Hornets Hockey Club will be competing in the top division of the Davis Wood Hockey League (WoESWHL) for the first time in the club’s history, during the 2011/12 season. It is the club’s intention to consolidate its position in this division and strive for future promotion to National league status.

ECV Hornets run 4 men’s league teams, 3 ladies league teams and have active junior and masters sections. We are a thriving Exeter and Mid Devon club looking to build on our recent success and create foundations for future growth.

We are seeking a Player Coach or Coach for the Men’s 1st XI , to help us to develop our squad and cascade improved quality and hockey excellence throughout the club.

You will be expected to work with the 1st XI captain as well as our club coaches to ensure a professional and co-ordinated approach. You will deliver an effective and developmental coaching programme that will aid the progression of the 1st XI squad and produce high quality performances on the pitch.

We are looking to fill the role with someone who has either played or coached hockey at a high level and is ideally level 2 or 3 qualified (or working towards). You must demonstrate good technical and tactical knowledge and inspire the team to reach their potential. You must be an effective communicator who can command the respect of the players and be an ambassador for the club both internally and externally.

Salary is negotiable dependent upon qualification and experience.

Please send a CV and covering letter to;
Paul Newman
club_secretary@ecvhornets-hc.co.uk

ECV Hornets Hockey Club has achieved ‘B’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘B’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 2 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means ECV Hornets will pay the second lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £13 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status or maintaining ‘B’ Club Status.

If you, as a DHUA Appointed Umpire, find you are unable to umpire a fixture to which you have been appointed by DHUA then please carry out the following actions AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY:

1. Inform the First Named Team, AND,
2. Inform the relevant DHUA Appointment Secretary that you are no longer available

It is YOUR responsibility, as a DHUA Appointed Umpire, to contact BOTH and not just one. It is NOT the responsibility of the relevant DHUA Appointment Secretary (who has enough on their plate as it is) to have to inform the first named team. Inform BOTH at the EARLIEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY so the Club or DHUA can attempt to make alternative arrangements regarding umpires. Please make sure you get POSITIVE confirmation from both if you do not speak to them directly.

NOR, is it very helpful to have the first named team contact the DHUA Appointment Secretary to ask for a replacement umpire WHEN you have not had the courtesy to let the DHUA Appointment Secretary know you can’t umpire!

Paddy Porter
President DHUA

Okehampton & Okehampton Columbines Hockey Club has both achieved ‘A’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘A’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 3 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means Okehampton & Okehampton Columbines will pay the lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £8 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ and ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving or maintaining ‘A’ Club Status.

Dart Hockey Club has achieved ‘B’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘B’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 2 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means XXX will pay the second lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £13 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status or maintaining ‘B’ Club Status.

West Dorset Hockey Club has achieved ‘A’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘A’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 3 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means West Dorset will pay the lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £8 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ and ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving or maintaining ‘A’ Club Status.

Teign Hockey Club has achieved ‘B’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘B’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 2 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means Teign will pay the second lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £13 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status or maintaining ‘B’ Club Status.

Are you a Neutral Pool umpire or a DHUA Umpire Coach?

Then watch out for a lovely pressie on it's way to you from DHUA in the next few days to say thank you for your support to Devon Umpiring.

Paddy
President DHUA

Following an 8-1 defeat to Spain, Andy Halliday catches up with GB Captain Barry Middleton 24 hours after the game. Middleton shares his thoughts on the game, what went wrong and how they now regroup and look forward to the rest of the tournament.

Click on ...More below to access the interview

Spain humiliated Great Britain 8-1 to reach the top four of the the Champions Trophy hockey tournament Tuesday, as hosts New Zealand advanced with a barnstorming comeback against the Netherlands.

Click on ...More below for further details

Great Britain rally to beat Pakistan in Auckland opener.

Great Britain made an assured start to their Champions Trophy campaign as they came from behind to beat Pakistan 2-1 in Auckland.

Click on ...More below for report and video highlights on BBC

From Engalnd Hockey:

We've set the channel up to bring you the latest hockey videos and footage from around Great Britain. You can catch up with the GB men's team as they arrive in New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy, find out all about the Hockey Nation and how you can be a part of it, watch match highlights from both the men's and women's premier hockey leagues and catch up with the latest hockey from around the world with the FIH monthly update.

And that's not all...we want you to get involved. Get filming your team mates and club activities; upload your silky skills, match highlights, wonder goals and why not film your pledge to the Hockey Nation whilst you're at it. Send the link to ehtv@englandhockey.co.uk and we'll add them to the playlists.

We can't wait to build up a base of hockey fans on this site and we know that there's thousands of you out there; subscribe to England Hockey TV today and be a part of our Hockey Nation.

PGSOB Hockey Club has achieved ‘A’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season, for the 4th season in a row. The main criteria required to achieve ‘A’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 3 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means PGSOB will pay the lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £8 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ and ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving or maintaining ‘A’ Club Status.

James Sinclair, a product of the Devon Young Umpire Programme, has being selected to join the National Young Umpire Promising List (NYUPL) one the Development Panel (click on …More below for further details). Although Devon Umpires past and present are on this list (Ben Homer, Tim Chipperfield, Adam Wheeler) James is the first ‘home grown’ Devon umpire to be selected for the NYUPL.

James started umpiring at the Plymouth Primary Mixed Hockey Festival before moving on to umpire at the Devon Youth Games (now called Games to Inspire). In February 2010 James passed his Level one Umpire Award and has since been an active member of the Devon Young Umpire Panel and West Young Umpire Panel. Julia Gill said, ”James has worked really hard and has a bright future in the game.”

DHUA Umpire Coaches are now continuing to work with James as he aims to achieve his Level 2 Umpire Award. In the longer term DHUA hope that James will get his Level 3 and umpire in the National League and beyond!

Picture:
James umpiring the Devon Cup Final 2010; Teign v Mannamead at University of Exeter

The link to this can be found on the 'All Links' page of the Devon Hockey Website.

Umpires should print off and carry a form with them.

Click on ...More below and look under England Hockey.

United Services Plymouth (US Plymouth) Hockey Club has achieved ‘A’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season, the 3rd season in a row; they also have the highest Umpire/League Team ratio in Devon. The main criteria required to achieve ‘A’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 3 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means US Plymouth will pay the lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £8 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ and ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status.

Old Plymothian and Mannamedian (OPM) Hockey Club has achieved ‘A’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season, the 4th season in a row. The main criteria required to achieve ‘A’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 3 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means OPM will pay the lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £8 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ and ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status.

North Devon Hockey Club has achieved ‘A’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season, the 3rd season in a row they have achieved this. The main criteria required to achieve ‘A’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 3 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means North Devon will pay the lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £8 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ and ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less than ‘B’ Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements.’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status.

East Devon Hockey Club has achieved ‘B’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘B’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 2 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means East Devon will pay the second lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £13 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less then 'B' Clubs per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status.

Ottery Crickets Hockey Club has achieved ‘B’ Club Status for the 2011/12 season. The main criteria required to achieve ‘B’ Club status is the requirement to have at least 2 qualified active Level 1 Umpires per league team. This means Ottery Crickets will pay the second lowest DHUA Umpire Appointing fee of £13 per appointed umpire and have umpire appointing priority over all ‘C’ Clubs (according to the criteria laid down in the DHUA Club Agreements). ‘A’ Clubs pay £5 less per DHUA appointed umpire.

If your club is interested in achieving ‘A’ or ‘B’ Club status then look at the criteria on the Devon Hockey Website by clicking …More below and looking under the Heading ‘DHUA/Club Agreements’

Details of the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees (look for ‘Umpire Development’). Club UDO’s should contact them to arrange for Club members to attend a Level 1 Umpire Course; the more umpires you can get qualified in your Club means you can work towards your Club achieving ‘A’ Club Status. There are courses in Plymouth and Exeter already set up with other planned.

World War I officially ended on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day on the eleventh month, 1918 - Armistice Day. The act of a Two Minute Silence began on the anniversary of Armistice Day in 1919 by those who did not want to forget the millions killed, injured and affected.

Now generally called Remembrance Day, millions of people stop what they are doing and observe a Two Minute Silence at 11am on 11 November each year in the memory of those who have been affected in all conflicts.

The Royal British Legion is the nation's custodian of Remembrance, ensuring that people remember those who have given their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. Click on ...More below for further details.

Umpires should be aware that teams this weekend may wish to hold a minute’s silence before a fixture. Please discuss this with the Captains beforehand. Should it be agreed by all that this is acceptable then the players of both teams and the umpires should gather around the centre circle and one umpire should blow their whistle to start the remembrance act. After one minute the umpire should blow their whistle again to end the act of remembrance.

The floodlights at Kelly College Tavistock have been tested and approved for matches to be played under floodlights, in accordance with rule 5.2. for the 2011/12 season.

I have been informed by the South Area Secretary Men's League that this is the ONLY pitch in Devon that has been passed to play under floodlights.

To clarify it is NOT the decision of the umpires on the validity of playing a league match under floodlights or not; this is a league matter. However, an umpire may call off a match under floodlights if, in their opinion, it is unsafe to continue playing. The decision of whether the result stands rests with the league alone.

Paddy Porter
President DHUA

Date & Time:
Monday 7 November 2011, starting at 7.30 p.m.

Please note the venue has changed to:
De-Tracey’s Bar & Restaurant, 56 Fore Street, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbott, TQ13 9AE.

Agenda:
Introduction, Aims of RDU, DHUA Club Agreements, Umpire Courses (Level 1 and Foundation), Young Umpires, Club Umpire Appointing System, Appointing to Ladies Teams, Umpire Coaching, etc.

Club UDO and Club Umpire Appointing Contacts should attend. The DHUA Club Agreements will be available at this meeting.

Those confirmed as attending are as follows:

DHUA Committee:
Paddy Porter (President)
Graham Woolcock (Appointment Secretary – League)
Denise McMahon (Membership Secretary)
Andrew Harvey (Assistant to Chief Coach)
Andy Rowe (Secretary)
Graham Doney (Umpire Course Co-ordinator)
Roger Triscott (Committee Member)
Peter Hammond (Young Umpire Coordinator)

Clubs Attending:
East Devon (Steve Morgan)
OPM (Rob Logan)
Ottery Crickets (Mike Dutton)
Plymouth (Rob White)
Tavistock (Phil Honey or Bob Cowen)
Teign (Phil Wright)
Tiverton White Eagles (Sue Sharland)

Clubs Not Attending:
Dart
Exe
Kingsbridge & Salcombe
North Devon

Clubs who have failed to Reply (as far as I am aware – apologies if you have and I’ve missed the email):
Ashmoor
Chard
Dartmouth
Dawlish
ECV Hornets
Honiton
ISCA
Mannamead Ladies
Newton Abbot
Okehampton
Okehampton Columbines
Plym Valley
Plymouth Marjon
PGSOB
Sidmouth
Taw Valley
Torbay
Torbay Ladies
USHC Plymouth
University of Exeter (Men)
University of Exeter (Women)
University of Plymouth
West Dorset

Paddy Porter
President DHUA

Will umpires please check the spelling of the offenders name on the red card report form.

Similar names with different spelling could cause confusion and problems.

Sam Tallowin
Devon County Disciplinary Adminstrator

There is a shortage of umpires available for Saturday 12 November 2011.

DHUA will be appointing to this date in the next few days so please update your availability by clicking the 'Change Availability' button in your Personal Area.

At the same time please update all dates so DHUA can make other appointments.

Thanks in anticipation.

Graham Woolcock
DHUA Appointment Secretary
gjw1967@hotmail.co.uk

The role of nutrition in sport has become well accepted. Those who undertake regular training might consider themselves to be taking part in sport, not just taking part in exercise. Each sport has its own specific dietary considerations but the major basic principles underlying their diets are healthy eating. This is certainly no different for hockey umpires, who are tested both physically and mentally on the national programme. This intensity increases further when umpiring in a tournament situation over two or three days, when the role of nutrition and diet becomes even more important.

To read more about this article by Marc Abraham, NPUA Umpire and Student Dietician, click on ...More below.

It has come to the attention of DHUA and the DHA County Disciplinary Administrator that some umpires are bottling their responsibilities to the game of hockey when considering awarding a Red Card, even to the extent of discussing this with their colleague, before awarding just a Yellow Card.

This action can only lead to further instances of bad player behaviour in future where the offending player believes, wrongly, that they have ‘got away with it’. So in the next game, or another game down the line, the player is more likely to carry out the same behaviour.

If an umpire genuinely believes that a Red Card is warranted then the umpire has a duty to hockey, themselves and their fellow umpires to award a Red Card and report the matter to the relevant authority using the prescribed form within the required time limit. Any other course of action is a ‘cop out’.

Failure to issue a Red Card may actually lead to situations where bad behaviour escalates or retaliation is taken by the opposing team.

It matters not if the Red Card offence is in the first minute of the game or the last minute. Using either excuse is not acceptable!

In cases where persistent aggressive dissent or umpire abuse is used then, ultimately, a Red Card should be issued.

Good player management using the article at …More below will help reduce such instances but at the end of the day if a player deserves a Red Card then a Red Card must be given and the Red Card Report Form completed.

The following are the categories of offence for which a Red Card may be given:

Category of offence. If the offence is one where physical violence is used, attempted or threatened against another player or an umpire i.e. boxes (b) or (c) below, please also delete the two alternatives which do NOT apply:

a) physical violence was not used, attempted or threatened.
b) physical violence was used, attempted or threatened to a player or any other person
c) physical violence was used, attempted or threatened to an umpire or properly appointed tournament or match official.

Every Umpire should take the Red Card/Matchday Misconduct Offence Report Form with them to every game they umpire.

This form can be downloaded from:
http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/core/core_picker/download.asp?id=5986&filetitle=Red+Card%2FMatchday+Misconduct+Offence+%96+Report+Form+%28from+September+2011%29&log_stat=true

Club UDOs please contact Graham Doney by email on knockmain@aol.com with the number candidates they wish to put on the Level 1 course to be arranged shortly. Dates to be published after DHUA meeting on 17th Oct.

Graham Doney
DHUA Umpire Course Co-ordinator
knockmain@aol.com

There is a new EHB Red Card/MMO Report Form, effective September 2011.

To download it click on the link below (this will take you to the relevant page on the England Hockey Website). There are other downloads available there that will be of interest, including guidance to umpires for completing the form.

Please note that although the Regional Disciplinary Officers are listed often the form needs to be sent to the County Disciplinary Officer, who for Devon is Sam Tallowin (his contact details can be found at http://www.devonhockey.net/Public/Committees.php) under DHA Committees.

We understand that RDA’s and CDA’s have been asked to be less tolerant of umpire abuse across the board. All DHUA umpires should be aware of the Player Management information on the DHUA website at http://www.devonhockey.net/Handbook/Handbook244.pdf

Abuse of umpires will only be reduced if umpires continue to improve their player management and umpiring skills; DHUA offer FREE Umpire Coaching so please make yourself available to umpire under appointment form DHUA and request this. Also, instances of abuse should be indentified and dealt with early on (using the tools outlined in the player management advice) and not ignored or allowed to continue unabated.

Rule 13.1 Location of a free hit:
b. a free hit awarded within 5 metres of the circle to the attack is taken at the nearest point 5 metres from the circle.

On page 50 of the rule book these are described as, “broken lines are marked with their outer edges 5 metres from the outer edge of each circle-line ; each broken line starts with a solid section at the top centre of the circle-line and each solid section is 300 mm long with gaps between the solid sections 3 metres long”

So, what do you do as an umpire if you turn up at a game and there are no dotted lines outside the shooting circle? Call the game off? Refuse to umpire? Play on? Hopefully you will decide to play on but what challenges does this have for you and the players?

Firstly, make the team Captains aware before the game and inform them that the umpires will decide where the 5 metres dotted line ‘should be’ if a free hit is awarded to the attack within 5 metres of the circle line; make sure they pass this information on to their teams.

During the game you will need to vocalise this by using your voice. Do not let the attacking free hit to take place until you are happy (perhaps by giving a ‘thumbs up’ signal to the person taking the free hit) but equally do not be too precise (no pacing out the 5 metres). The aim is to allow the game to proceed without any unnecessary delay. Wherever the free hit is taken then that is 5 metres no matter what any of the players may decide.

Finally, make the home team aware that they should address this matter via their hockey club and facility provider.

For Rules of Hockey click on ...More below.

Reference the new ‘Devon HUA Availability Emails’ function. This is an AUTOMATED email and cannot be ‘switched off’ by the webmaster. The ONLY WAY to stop receiving these automated emails is to log into your Personal Area of the Devon Hockey Website at http://www.devonhockey.net/Public/PersonalLogin.php (click on ...More below to do this) and update your availability for the period referred to in the email, even if this to say you are not available. Don’t forget to click the ‘Submit the Changes’ button at the bottom of the ‘Availability Edit Page’.

Please note you will get an email on every occasion a new availability batch is created so you will need to do this again (usually once per month).

This function has been added to ease the administrative workload on the relevant Appointment Secretaries, where they previously had to chase and remind umpires to enter their availability.

I hope this helps explain the situation.

From: Devon Hockey Web System [mailto:noreply@devonhockey.net]
Sent: 05 September 2011 08:01
To: >Name of Umpire<
Subject: Devon HUA Outdoor Availability for >Name of Umpire< for 1st Oct 2011 to 31st Oct 2011

Anne,
The Devon Hockey Umpiring Association records show that you have not entered availability for the Devon Hockey Outdoor programme for 1st Oct 2011 to 31st Oct 2011.
You only have ? days (until 10/09) to submit your Availability, so please do it now.
Please submit it through your personal area, at http://www.devonhockey.net.

If you will not be participating in this batch of appointments, please contact the relevant person so that we can change your records accordingly.

Please do not reply to this email as the email address is never monitored.

Please contact the relevant person so that we can change your records accordingly.

This email has been automatically generated by the Devon Hockey Web System.

Regards,
Devon Hockey Web System
Emailed using TexAlert(tm) from Tex Solutions

The FIH have announced plans to change the Rules of Hockey concerning stick regulations.

The new stick regulations brought in by the FIH are already in force in international hockey but they are not to be introduced into domestic hockey until after 1st January 2013.

Land's End will welcoming the Olympic Flame to the United Kingdom on Saturday 19 May. From there it will travel across Cornwall to Devon. In Devon the following events are planned:

Plymouth will hold an Olympic Torch evening celebration on Saturday 19 May.

Exeter will hold an Olympic Torch evening celebration on Sunday 20 May.

Click on ...More below to go to the official Olympic Torch Relay website for Plymouth and from there you can follow on to Exeter.

You have until 11.59pm on 26 April 2011 to finalise & submit your application

The ticket application process:

• Create an account online
• Decide which tickets you would like to apply for
• Submit your application
• Your application will be processed and, if successful, payment will be taken. Where demand exceeds supply a ballot will be used. A notification will be sent to confirm which tickets you have been allocated.

To apply for tickets you must be:

• Living in UK or EU County
• Be over 16
• Have a Visa Card

How to apply:
http://www.tickets.london2012.com/howtoapply.html

The ticket application process can be viewed at:
http://www.tickets.london2012.com/applicationprocess.html

You will need a ticketing account or if not you will have to sign up for one. This can be done at:
https://www.tickets.london2012.com/member

You have until 11.59pm on 26 April 2011 to finalise & submit your application

If you wish to apply for tickets and travel or be sat with or near other DHUA Members who are applying then these are the sessions you may wish to choose. If successful then DHUA may try and arrange transport for those travelling from Devon to these games. DHUA may also decide to subsidise these dates but this is NOT guaranteed. There is no guarantee that DHUA will arrange transport and the purchase of tickets and travel to the games is entirely at your own risk.

Date - Session Code - Ticket Cost - Games
Monday 30 July 2012 - HO005 - B: £45 - Men’s Preliminary x 2
Thursday 9 August 2012 - HO035 - B: £65 - Men’s Semi-Final x 1

You will be responsible for buying your own tickets at your own cost. If you buy too many tickets then this will be your responsibility.

Of course you can choose any session you want but if outside those listed above then DHUA will NOT be offering to subsidise them.

You have until 11.59pm on 26 April 2011 to finalise & submit your application

Any questions then please contact:
Paddy Porter
president@devonumpires.co.uk
07736-312190

Click on ...More below for details

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) today announced that the hockey pitches to be used at the Hockey Centre at the Olympic Park will be blue. Over 600,000 spectators will be cheering on as the world’s top Hockey players battle it out on blue pitches for the first time ever at an Olympic Games.

Click on ... More below for further details.

P.S. Guess the umpires won't be wearing cerise!

See the Links Page (by clicking on ...More below) to see the links for hockey, now that the schedule has been announced.

DHUA have reviewed the Leagues and Competitions available within Devon for Level 1 Candidate Coaching and Assessment.

It is the policy of DHUA to make sure the fixture on which a Level 1 Candidate is assessed represents a fair test and is of a standard where the Level 1 Candidate can be honestly tested. It is in no ones interest to assess a Level 1 Candidate on a fixture where there is nothing to test the candidate.

In certain leagues and competitions only fully qualified Level 1 Umpires are above can be used (unless an exemption is obtained from the relevant organiser). The Leagues and Competitions where a Level 1 Candidate can umpire are highlighted with ‘(*)’ after them.

League/Competition - Level 1 Assessment Possible
West Men’s League - Yes (see Note 1)
West Women’s League - Yes (see Note 1)
BUCS - Yes (see Note 1)
Devon Competitions - Yes (see Note 2)
England Competitions - No
Exeter Summer Leagues - Yes (see Note 2)
Plymouth Summer Leagues - Yes (see Note 2)
Plymouth & District League - No (see Note 3)
Friendlies/Tournaments - Yes (see Note 2)

Notes:
1. Only in certain lower leagues and only with a qualified Level 1 Umpire
2. Only at the discretion of DHUA
3. Available for level 1 Candidate Umpire Coaching only.

Finally, it is also the policy of DHUA to assess a Level 1 Candidate on a NEUTRAL fixture not involving teams of the Club to which they may be affiliated.

To make yourself available for a Level 1 Assessment please update your availability on the Devon Hockey Website via your Personal Area (click on …More below) and DHUA will then appoint a Level 1 Assessor.

If a DHUA Appointed Umpire is unable to fulfil a fixture to which they have been appointed then they should, IMMEDIATELY they are aware of this, contact the Club/Team concerned AND equally (if not more) IMPORTANTLY the relevant DHUA Appointment Secretary. It is totally unacceptable for the relevant DHUA Appointment Secretary to receive an angry telephone call from the Club/Team without any prior knowledge of it, especially on the morning of the appointment (unless of course there are genuine emergency reasons). Should DHUA become aware that an umpire has withdrawn from a fixture and not contacted the relevant DHUA Appointed Secretary at the earliest possible opportunity then DHUA will deal with this matter in the same manner it intends to deal with Clubs. As the saying goes, “You can’t have your cake and eat it” (although I’m sure some would if they could – but hopefully not whilst actually umpiring)!

The Relevant DHUA Appointment Secretary:
The names, contact details and responsibilities of the DHUA Appointment Secretaries are listed on the Devon Hockey Website under Committees and then under Devon HUA (click on ...More below to go to this page). Make sure you contact the correct one. Don’t assume because you contact the wrong one (or in fact just anyone on the DHUA Committee) the message will be passed on to the correct DHUA Appointment Secretary. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure YOUR non availability, problems with umpiring, etc. is communicated to the CORRECT person at the EARLIEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY!

After a successful trial as part of the Reinvigorating Devon Umpiring campaign last season (2009/10), the Devon Hockey Website has undergone a major upgrade to allow Devon Clubs to ‘nominate’ their own affiliated umpires to umpire fixtures that have been designated by DHUA. We are the first county to do this; Devon leading the way once again!

For example, United Services Plymouth may be asked to provide an umpire for a fixture between teams from Plymouth Marjon and OPM at UCP Marjon. Previously (in 2009/10), United Services Plymouth would have been informed of this by email, then United Services Plymouth would check with their affiliated umpires before the name of the umpire would have been passed to the relevant DHUA Appointment Secretary who would then replace the requirement for an umpire with the actual name of the umpire. This would then be published on the Devon Hockey Website. A long winded process but it did work.

However, in future this procedure will be streamlined due to the major financial investment by DHUA in an automatic club nominated umpire appointing system. Now, DHUA will nominate a Club to provide an umpire (as before). This fixture will then automatically appear in the relevant club admin area on the Devon Hockey Website and an email sent to the club. The person within that club (called the ‘Club Umpire Appointing Contact’) is responsible for deciding who will umpire that particular fixture. On receipt of the alerting email, they will allocate an umpire from their club (via a drop down list in their club admin area), having checked with the club umpires who is able to fulfil the appointment for fixture. Once appointed by the Club Umpire Appointing Contact then name of the club affiliated umpire appointed will automatically appear next to the fixture on the Devon Hockey Website replacing the name of the club appointing. How this will work is shown below.

Before any umpires are appointed the website shows:
Women - Trelawney Division 1
10:30 Plym Valley v Tavistock @ Lipson Community College

Umpires are then appointed and published by DHUA:
Women - Trelawney Division 1
10:30 Plym Valley v Tavistock @ Lipson Community College
Roger Smith, Umpire appointed by OPM

Within the club admin area of OPM it shows:
10:30 Plym Valley v Tavistock @ Lipson Community College
Umpire appointed by OPM Needed

The Club Umpire Appointing Contact for OPM (after consulting the fixtures the club has that week and club affiliated umpire availability) then decides to appoint Donald Richards an umpire affiliated to OPM to fulfil the requirement by DHUA for an OPM Club Nominated Umpire.

OPM appoint a Club Affiliated Umpire and the Devon hockey Website shows:
Women - Trelawney Division 1
10:30 Plym Valley v Tavistock @ Lipson Community College
Roger Smith, Donald Richards

I hope this all makes sense!

Detailed instructions will be sent to the person of each club who has been nominated by that club to act as the ‘Club Umpire Appointing Contact’. It is a requirement for ‘A’ and ‘B’ Clubs to provide umpires under the terms of the Club Agreements to DHUA. This new system will be used to allow clubs to fulfil this requirement and hence benefit from lower DHUA umpire appointing fees. Eventually ‘C’ Clubs will also be asked to appoint umpires using this system.

For 2010/11, DHUA now has over 10 new Level 1 Umpire Coaches this season and they will be allocated, subject to availability, to fixtures where clubs appoint their umpires to allow club nominated umpires to receive free umpire coaching so as to improve the skills and confidence of club nominated umpires.

New initiatives will also be brought forward to have occasional appointing days where (apart from in Premier Divisions) the teams of ‘A’ Clubs of whatever division will have umpire appointing priority over all ‘B’ Club Teams who in turn will have priority over ‘C’ Club Teams.
Paddy Porter
President DHUA

As previously notified, the number of days in the past that an umpire can enter a Non DHUA Appointed Game to their Match History was reduced in 10 day stages over the 2009/10 season to 30 days.

For the 2010/11 season this will be reduced to 20 days on 31 October 2010.

After this date, if you have not added a game you umpired and this game is more than 20 days old then to add the game to your Match History you will need to contact the DHUA Membership Secretary who manages the Level 1 Register.

DHUA feels that entering games umpired within 20 days is a reasonable time to allow someone to add such a game to their Match History. It will also allow the umpire to keep up-to-date with News Items (such as this one) and any important announcement in relation to all aspects of Devon Hockey and beyond.

REMEMBER: DHUA APPOINTED GAMES are ADDED AUTOMATICALLY to your Match History.

If you have been appointed to a fixture by DHUA and you HAVE NOT been contacted by the HOME Team at least 5 days before the fixture then please complete this survey by clicking on …More below.

For a Saturday Fixture this means the previous Monday
For a Sunday Fixture this means the previous Tuesday
For a Wednesday Fixture this means the previous Friday

If you have been contacted within the 5 days period then you can still complete the survey by clicking on …More below.

DHUA will be taking a very strong line with errant Clubs from now on.

This link, in case you forget it in future, can be found under ‘Surveys’ on the ‘All Links’ page of the Devon Hockey Website.
Paddy Porter
President DHUA

To all Club UDO's,

DHUA wish to get a rough idea of the number of people from your Hockey Club that you wish to nominate for a Level 1 Umpire Award course for this season. Therefore, to aid this planning can you, as your Club UDO, complete the survey ASAP so the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can plan and organise the courses throughout Devon over the next few months.

The survey can be done by clicking on ...More below.

Please note that the contact details for the DHUA Umpire Course Coordinator can be found at the link Committees (under Devon HUA Committees - Umpire Development) on the website (click on link above) and all questions in relation to the Level 1 Umpire Award Course (other than the completion of the survey) should be addressed to them.

The England Hockey Board (EHB) Masters Development Committee recently commissioned Yew Consulting to undertake a review of the Masters hockey domestic offer with an aim to identify existing Masters leagues and knockout competitions; highlight any barriers to participation; understand what existing and potential new players would like the domestic Masters offer to be and recommend key actions to encourage more people to play Masters hockey. For the purposes of this report when talking about Masters hockey we are referring to any hockey played by people over 40 years of age.

Thank you for taking the time recently to complete the survey. We can announce the winners of the free Hockey News subscriptions draw offered for completing the survey – they are D. Gifford of Surrey, J. Rees of Buckinghamshire and C. Kimber of Dorset. Well done and thank you once again.

We welcome all feedback on the final report so if you would like to comment on the findings and conclusions please complete the attached document and forward it to mastersreview@englandhockey.org by 30th September 2010.

If you would like to see the complete report this is available by clicking on ...More below, which constitutes a page within the Masters section of the England Hockey Board website, which is regularly updated with Masters Hockey information – please feel free to visit (go to www.englandhockey.co.uk and click Take Part then Masters Hockey).

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
The Masters Development Committee
Postal Address: England Hockey Board (EHB), Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1RR

The ‘Control Ladder’ isn’t some new fangled invention from those wily clever Japanese type people. It is an umpiring tool that can be used by umpires to aid ‘Player Management’.

DHUA, courtesy of Surrey HUA, have produced an article on this that has been uploaded to the Devon Hockey Website. All umpires are encouraged to read it and inwardly digest it (not literally obviously as the ingestion of a pdf file, even if printed onto paper, is clearly not advisable).

It is hoped to make Player Management and the Control Ladder the subject of a pre season umpire forum (details to follow).

Click on ...More below to read 'all about it'.

Paddy Porter
President DHUA

As previously notified, the number of days in the past that an umpire can enter a Non DHUA Appointed Game to their Match History has now been reduced to 30 days. It has been lowered over the 2009/10 season by 10 days per month down to 30; it is not currently planned to lower it any further.

If you have not added a game you umpired and this game is more than 30 days old then to add the game to your Match History you will need to contact the DHUA Membership Secretary who manages the Level 1 Register (click on ...More to see who this might be).

The DHUA committee feel that entering games umpired within 30 days is a reasonable time to allow someone to add such a game to their Match History. It will also allow the umpire to keep up-to-date with News Items (such as this one) and any important announcement in relation to all aspects of Devon Hockey and beyond.

REMEMBER: DHUA APPOINTED GAMES are ADDED AUTOMATICALLY to your Match History.

If a game is cancelled and your have been appointed to it by DHUA please DO NOT enter any Match Feedback, including any transport costs incurred for the fixture in question as it causes all sorts of problems when we try an reappoint to the fixture in the future.

If you do incur any transport costs (e.g. because you travelled to the game and it was then abandoned before it was completed, cancelled before you got there, etc.) then please email the DHUA Treasurer with details of your transport costs (if applicable).

Also copy me in on this email so I can remove your appointment to this game.

Paddy

3G Pitches In England That Have Been Certified As Meeting the FIH Performance Standards.

This list is updated when the FIH advises England Hockey of 3G pitches that have been approved / certified as meeting their performance standards. Certification is issued by the FIH following on-site testing by an FIH Approved Test Laboratory and England Hockey therefore permits these pitches to be used for competitive hockey.

It is important that clubs / schools / organisations recognise that the list certifies the named pitch ONLY. It does not certify any other pitch of the same model / made by the same manufacturer.

To see the full list click on ...More below.

Ivybridge Community College, Devon.
Pitch Type: Polytan 2035,

Certified as meeting the FIH Performance Standards in April 2009

There are times when fixtures are cancelled (e.g. inclement weather, unavailability of facilities, illness, cancellation due to a higher priority game, etc.). When this happens there are several actions that need to be carried out. While some are obvious, others may not. By taking the actions in the link (click on ...More below), it is hoped that everyone involved is kept up-to-date and this will aid the efficient operation of Devon Hockey Umpires’ Association and the running of the Devon Hockey Website.

Paddy
President DHUA

It is the responsibility of the first named team to confirm the following with the Devon Hockey Umpires’ Association (DHUA) Appointed Assessor, Coach, Mentor or Umpire in accordance with the rules of the relevant League or Competition:

• Date
• Time
• Venue
• Team Colours

Click on ...More to see what actions are to be taken if you are not contacted.

Paddy
President DHUA

Click on ...More for full details

It may seem a little obvious but some facilities have a no smoking policy, especially Astroturf hockey pitches. So, if you still smoke, and will continue to do so even after 1st July, please resist the urge to light up before, or after, you umpire. Only smoke in designated areas and this will make my life a lot easier (yes, people do complain to me about things like this)!

Paddy
President

Some Facts about Smoking
> About 12 million adults in Great Britain smoke cigarettes - 26% of men and 23% of women.
> Contrary to popular belief, adult smoking rates vary only slightly in different parts of the country: 24% in the East of England, 28% in the North West, 25% in Scotland and 23% in Wales.
> Like most of life's other nasties, smoking is most prevalent among those aged 20-24: 36% of men and 29% women in this age group smoke.
> The lowest smoking rate is among people aged 60 and over: 14% smoke in this age group. Why? Around one quarter of smokers die before reaching retirement age.
> Every day 450 British children start smoking not yours we hope!
> People do give up 20% of women and 28% of men are now ex-smokers.
> Historically, we are far less smoky today than we were a quarter of a century ago: 26% of men and 23% of women smoke today, compared to 51% of men and 41% of women in 1974.
> The Government is definitely not profiting from your habit revenue from tobacco duty in the financial year 2004-05 was a measly 8,103 million, compared to a spend of around 25m on anti-smoking education campaigns, 50m on measures to help people stop smoking and an ever-growing public health bill of nearly incalculable proportions.
> Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product which kills people when it is used entirely as intended.
> About half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit.

This form is to be completed following the issuing of a Red Card or to report a Matchday Misconduct Offence (MMO). It is applicable to men’s, women’s, mixed, senior and junior hockey. Upon completion of the Report Form, it is to be posted / faxed / emailed to the appropriate County / Regional Disciplinary Administrator / National Disciplinary Officer within 72 HOURS of the offence. In the case of a red card, the Report Form is to be completed by the umpire issuing the Red Card or reporting the MMO. The other umpire may comment if they wish - in section 15.

If involving a Devon Team it needs to be sent to the Devon County Disciplinary Officer, Andrew Ashenhurst, a.ashenhurst@eclipse.co.uk.

Also, if a Devon Umpire appointed umpire, or a non appointed Level One Umpire issues a Red Card or MMO to ANY team, from inside Devon or beyond please send a copy to me for DCHUA records as a matter of courtesy.

The form can be downloaded from the DCHUA Website Web Handbook.

Paddy
President

DCHUA will not pay expenses for any games they have not officially appointed Umpires to unless you complete the relevant form. It is always best to get appointed to the game BEFORE the game takes place than to umpire and then try and claim expenses. DCHUA reserves the right NOT to pay expenses for private umpiring arrangements.

The relevant form can be found in the Web Handbook section of the website.

Paddy
President