Competition secretariat


At De Reigers we have four different competition secretariats:

 

The competition secretariat has a number of important tasks and responsibilities.

Here are some of the most important ones:

  • Match Schedule: Preparing the match schedule for all home teams.
  • Communication: Maintaining contact with the KNHB (Royal Dutch Hockey Federation), other clubs, referees, and team managers to ensure everyone is aware of match times and locations. This may also include communicating any schedule changes.
  • Administration: Registering teams, checking match forms and results
  • Regulations: Ensuring that all matches are conducted according to the rules and guidelines of the hockey association. This includes adhering to mandatory playing times and complying with the rules.

 

The competition secretariat plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth running of the competition and supporting the teams within the association.


Scheduling matches

Match scheduling works as follows. Matches may start between 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM. First, the teams scheduled for a start time set by the association are scheduled. For senior teams, these are the first teams, and for youth teams, these are the teams playing in leagues higher than the first division. Then, the other teams are scheduled. This process takes into account the availability of fields, referees, substitutes, bar duties, travel distances of the opponents, and any requests submitted by teams.

Match times may not be changed up to 2 weeks before the start.

Indoor matches are scheduled by the KNHB itself. The club has no influence on this.

Referees

From U12 onwards, all matches require 2 referees with a card.

This is arranged as follows:

1. For competition matches on a regular match day, the referee committee will decide for youth and the match secretariat for seniors.

2. For indoor matches, each team (home and away) must arrange its own referee.

3. For practice matches, each team (home and away) must arrange its own referee.

4. In catch-up matches, the team playing at home must arrange two referees itself.

From the U16 youth level onwards, players must obtain their referee card. They are then assigned to referee youth teams younger than themselves.

Field selection

On weekends with wintry weather or heavy rain expected, the pitches are inspected before the start of the competition. If the pitches are rejected, the teams and referees will be notified by the match secretariat. This also applies to cancelled away matches.

 

Substitutes

Players are not allowed to simply substitute for any team. This is to prevent competition distortion. You can find the decision tree regarding substitutes on the KNHB website. The general rule is that someone from a lower team can substitute for a higher team, but not the other way around. If players are from a lower age group, there may be a maximum difference of one division. If you have any doubts or would like to request a dispensation for substitutes, you can do so through the match secretariat until 6:00 PM on the Thursday before the match weekend.