England hockey threatening women’s team with points deductions

[Theeyeballsinthesky]

It seems that women’s hockey teams in England are being threatened with points deductions if they withdraw players due to safety because the other side is fielding a TW. Sides are using TW to do drag flicks which given they’re men are much harder and faster than those done by women.

teams have been told if they come off the pitch due to concerns for their safety, they will be deducted points.

Good luck @ColdEvenings ! I didn't manage to enact any change, but I hope even just standing up and saying 'this isn't right' planted the seed in some people's minds. When I spoke to players privately, most agreed it was wrong, but almost none would stand up and say that.

I believe this insanity will eventually come to an end, but there's there's still a fight ahead and this generation of female athletes are the canaries in the coal mine.

A young male relative has recently moved up to adult hockey. At 13 years old (and 5' 10'') he holds his against the other men. It was so very noticeable to me the impact of male puberty. He would wipe the floor with any woman at that level, regardless of her skill and experience.

@ColdEvenings you missed “gives us an advantage over other teams”

You know, I don't think so. I genuinely don't think women want to win by cheating.

Remember these woman have to change and maybe shower with this man. Do they really want that?

I mean I may be very naive but if a women's team with a man on it wins a game, nobody watching is going to think it's fair.

But it could indeed be that reason and also let's do it before it's done to us.

But whatever a young girl is going to get badly hurt and there is nothing we can do about it. :(

@ColdEvenings you clearly have greater faith in human nature than I do then. My experience as a coach is that some players and teams will do anything within the rules to gain an edge and ‘fairness’ has very little to do with it. It’s the same with doping : “I would never dope! (but I’ll turn a blind eye to the fact that Jeff is clearly a roid-monkey because he’s the best flanker we’ll ever have.)” Many players will justify having a trans player on their team because, unlike doping, it’s not even breaking the rules.

The change HAS to come from the top, if it’s left to individual clubs then nothing will happen.

Can the entire team just not refuse to play? Like the swimmers in the USA? I think we have to go full on stop.

They can but all that will happen is they will be deducted points

the only way for it to work would be for the entire league in that part of the country not to play

Coercive control, in short.

This is what is has been about all along. Control of women.

Exactly that! They make it virtually impossible to complain & then trumpet that no one has complained so they are no problems

Yes it does seem to be.
But everyone refusing to play on the opposing side surely would generate some interest and challenge?
You just can't have men playing hockey against girls and women.

If it were me I'd phone up the clubs insurers and tell them what's happening. Ask them for advice, and what you are covered for. I'd say they would recommend you not to play.

Actually @BCCoach you're probably right, I play in a bottom league team which is more about fun. If there was prize money or cups involved maybe you'd want an unfair advantage.

To answer another poster's reply, why not just not play. Well if everyone is telling you the male player is a woman, you start to doubt yourself.

Like I said earlier even though I know it was a man in the other team I still doubt myself. What if it was a really masculine woman who liked to wear loads of makeup? That's what makes it even more fucked up.

I can't even begin to understand how that poor woman who was raped in a women's hospital ward must have felt. Being told there was no men there! So so so fucked up.

So what do I do? Ask if they have a penis? Doesn't matter if they do in hockey they can still play.

No the English Hockey Association or whatever it's called has to ban them. It's the only way!

But like I said looks like they're not going to do it until someone gets badly hurt.

It just gives me the rage! Hopeless rage. How can people not see how wrong it is. I just don't get it.

I mean ban team women from playing in women's hockey not ban from playing. They can still play in mixed and men's teams.

Do you have a link OP? I can’t find any stories on this?

@SpeccyDoodler DH is involved in hockey & he told me after he got back from the club he was at. One of the women officials he knows very well was absolutely furious & telling him about it

There’s a lot of discussions and tension around the subject in the hockey community. However, I’ve not seen anything on this from England Hockey so I’d be wary of presenting something heard second or third hand as fact, or it comes over as very dog whistley.

Totally agree aboutthere being absolutely no guidance or leadership from EuroHockey or FIH.

Update to this. DH is very involved in hockey & has been doing some further digging.

it seems a number of things have happened. Umpires have raised the issue formally with England hockey asking what to do if a side fields a TW & they are concerned about safety. one university women’s side at least is regularly fielding a TW. The club who were threatened with docked points have also formally complained to England Hockey. It has been pointed out to England hockey that their guidance re trans players is out of date & they are apparently “looking at it”

Thanks for the update eyeballs. It will be interesting to see which way they go.

Update: England hockey have said they will release an updated policy in sept 24. No rush then!! 🙄

in the meantime they’ve kicked it back to the individual hockey leagues to decide how to deal with it and any penalties with the caveat that umpires should always have regard for safety

so they remain spineless af

I’m amazed at how asleep at the wheel they’ve been. Have they not seen what’s been happening in the rugby, athletics, swimming, and cycling worlds? Although football and gymnastics are just as dozy…

Me too @BCCoach it’s not like they can’t look at what other sports have done!

so basically individual umpires are still left to deal with the situation with next to fuck all guidance from England hockey 🤦🏻‍♀️

@Theeyeballsinthesky I just don’t get it. The stuffed blazers that run sports governing bodies are basically interchangeable with, say, a Conservative local association, so I don’t understand how they’ve bought into this. Possibly in the case of hockey some sort of utterly misguided concern for the large number of lesbian players?

Have a look at the England hockey management for answers. Very rainbow.

How very disappointing. I really hope a young girl doesn't get seriously hurt in the meantime.

Probably got persuaded ie railroaded by a couple of influential men.