This was a clear contravention of the Rule as it was written at the time. Now we have a contradiction a player is still prohibited from encroaching to within 5m of an initial receiver until the ball has been received and is in control on the ground, but the ball can be intercepted beyond the playing reach of the initial receiver if this is done safely. Playing reach/distance is rarely as much as 2m. The additional 3m vanishes, as does "in control on the ground". The Rule appears to have been changes to accommodate this "exciting and spectacular" contravention. At least now an initial receiver should know about this possibility.
Sorry but there is a clear definition (5:47) of playing distance in the FIH Rule book (pg 10) "Playing distance - The distance within which a player is capable of reaching the ball to play it."
at 10:00 the Scottish player has eyes only for the ball and makes a clean interception without endangering the NZ player. And both players cover an equal distance to make it to the landing zone. How can that be interpreted as intentional breakdown?
Good question. Remember that the NZ player is the clear receiver and the Scottish player encroached into the receiver's playing distance, making it a contested aerial. The defender encroached intentionally. She did not say he made a choice to break down the play, but he did make a choice to encroach on a ball in which he was never likely to be able to receive without making it a contested aerial.
The distance the ball is travelling, you're juding it on almost instantanous clear receiver, which is clearly the NZ player. The angle you don't see in this video but you can on the original match is from the goal camera - its almost physical contract between the two of them and very much in playing distance of the NZ player
If the free hit is awarded against the team putting the ball into the air, the location of the hit should be where the ball was initially played shouldn't it? At the top level teams might prefer playing on quickly but lower down, a hit 50m further up the pitch would be preferred by many defending teams
