‘The aerial rule in hockey is umpired perfectly well – by players every week in training’

Columnist and Reading men’s coach Todd Williams runs the rule over the aerial in hockey, a word of comfort for all his fellow coaches and his thoughts on two standout Scots

The aerial rule in our game is fast becoming the offside and VAR of football. Every year a new interpretation just seems to muddy the waters and make it more difficult for players, coaches and umpires to understand.

This year we were told in the Premier Division that once a player touched the aerial pass you could encroach. But apparently that’s not all the time. Or only on Saturdays between the hours of 12-4pm. Or only when the aerial has been thrown by someone born in June, August or the second part of November.