Ask The Umpire
Question: "On a penalty corner the ball is shot at the goal cage from just inside the top of the circle. A defender (not the GK) standing on the goal line unintentionally stops the ball from going into the cage with his foot. The umpire signals penalty corner and gets no argument from the high ranking umpire manager at the match. How is this possible?"
Answer: What we're not telling you in the question is that the ball had not yet left the circle so a goal could not have been scored. Rule 12.3.a applies, not Rule 12.4.a.
Point of Emphasis: Do NOT blow your whistle during penalty corner play when a shot is released before the ball has left the circle.
Answer ( NFHS ): In NFHS rules (the rules that govern interscholastic field hockey in the USA) awarding a penalty corner is not possible. The umpire manager would have taken the match umpires to task because the correct call would either be for a free hit for the defense or a penalty stroke for the attack.
SCENARIO #1: When it is a Free Hit -- In the rules governing outdoor interscholastic field hockey in the United States, a shot may not be taken on the penalty corner until the attacking team has met the conditions that would allow for a goal to be scored. If the attack took this shot before they had met those conditions, the play was dead before it reached the defender's body.
SCENARIO #2: When it is a Penalty Stroke -- In the rules governing outdoor interscholastic field hockey in the United States, a shot may be taken on the penalty corner after the attacking team has met the conditions that would allow for a goal to be scored. If the attack took this shot after meeting those requirements, the correct call would be a penalty stroke.
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