The Indian men’s team was penalised for fielding an extra player during its qualification match against Belgium in the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 match on Friday.
FOLLOW THE MATCH HERE | India vs Belgium LIVE score
In the first quarter, the referee stopped play after India was found to have 11 outfield players on the field, which was one more than what the rules of the game allowed.
As a result, India’s captain was shown a yellow card, keeping him out for five minutes.
What rule did India break?
Rule 2.2 of the hockey rulebook treats the action as an illegal or faulty substitution.
The stipulated action after such an offence is that the umpires would immediately stop play, with the team captain held responsible. He or She is consequently given a personal penalty card—typically a Green Card (two-minute temporary suspension) or a Yellow Card (minimum five-minute suspension).
The rule further mention that the extra player — in this case, Harmanpreet — must leave the pitch immediately, and the team must play shorthanded for the duration of the captain’s suspension.
Published on Aug 28, 2026
