Ask The Umpire
Question: "Yesterday I took a stroke in my field hockey game and the umpire said it was illegal because I stepped backwards first. I did this all summer in Europe. Is it illegal in the US?
Answer: No. On the issue of steps by the attacker during a penalty stroke, the attacker can take as many steps as he or she wants—forward, backward, sideward, on an angle, even backward and forward in the same stroke—as long as the attacker starts within playing distance of the ball (before the whistle) and stays within playing distance of the ball after the whistle.
Follow Up Question #1: "But, there is a situation right in the NFHS rule book on page 55 that says it is illegal to step backwards. So, doesn't that make it illegal to step backwards?"
Answer: NO. The situation described in the NFHS book incorrectly suggests that [a] an attacker is not allowed to take steps away from the ball and [b] is not allowed to run toward the ball. As we just noted, the attacker may step forward, backwards, sidewards, on an angle, etc., and, they may do so at any speed (i.e. they may run). The rule and associated interpretation only limits the attacker's options by requiring that the attacker start and stay within playing distance of the ball. Nothing in the situation describes the attacker's relative proximity (or lack of proximity) to the ball before or after the backward steps were taken.
Follow Up Question #2: "The rule says you can't pretend to shoot (feint). If you take steps away, isn't that a fake?"
Answer: NO! Walking away from the ball is the OPPOSITE of faking a shot!
It is ABSOLUTELY LEGAL to step away from the ball before shooting. The attacher may take any number of steps backwards as long as he or she stays within playing distance of the ball.
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