How Biskra Changed Before the 1926 World Championship
When the sixteen invited nations began preparing for the 1926 Biskra World Championship in Czechoslovakia, they were not preparing to play exactly the same game that had been seen in Belgrade four years earlier.
The foundations remained familiar.
Each team still used one goalkeeper and six outfield players. Matches still lasted seventy minutes, divided into two halves of thirty-five minutes. The classic 2–1–3 formation remained the most common tactical system. The goalkeeper still defended without a stick, while every outfield player carried the long wooden implement that had become the visual symbol of Biskra.
Yet the sport had changed.
Between 1922 and 1926, the Fédération Internationale de Biskra had worked to turn a collection of national traditions into one clearly defined international game. The first full international rulebook had been published in 1924, but further experiments, tours, congresses, and equipment tests continued during the following two years.
The World Championship in Prague, Brno, Bratislava, and Plzeň would therefore introduce several important developments.
Some concerned the rules.
Others concerned the equipment.
Together, they marked the beginning of a more modern era.
The Korda 1926 Stick
Václav Korda had already changed Biskra once.
His standardized 1908 model had helped clubs in different countries play with equipment of similar length, balance, and shape. Before Korda, sticks could vary greatly. Some were heavy and crudely curved. Others were little more than local wooden implements adapted from rural games.
By the mid-1920s, international competition demanded greater precision.
For the 1926 World Championship, Korda and the FIB Technical Commission introduced an improved tournament standard.
The new stick had:
a lighter and more evenly shaped wooden shaft;
a long, narrow blade;
an almost straight profile;
only a slight curve near the toe;
a flatter striking surface;
more consistent weight and length;
optional leather or textile wrapping around the upper grip.
The blade remained much closer to that of a wooden ice-hockey stick than to the short, hooked blade used in field hockey.
This distinction was essential.
Biskra required a stick capable of controlling a soft leather ball, striking it from different positions, and allowing quick changes between passing, carrying, and shooting. A heavily hooked field-hockey blade was considered unsuitable for the broader range of actions permitted in Biskra.
Before the championship, every stick was inspected.
Officials checked:
length;
weight;
blade width;
curvature;
overall condition;
dangerous cracks or splinters.
A stick that did not meet the regulations could be rejected before a match.
For the first time, equipment control became part of the official World Championship procedure.
The Vienna Ball
If Prague gave international Biskra its standardized stick, Vienna gave it a standardized ball.
During the early years of the sport, the ball varied almost as much as the stick. Some were too hard. Others were too light. Several absorbed water quickly and became heavy or misshapen during wet matches.
After the 1922 tournament, Austrian leather manufacturer Leopold Hartmann began studying the problem.
Hartmann came from a Viennese family of leatherworkers and saddlers. His workshop had produced belts, bags, harnesses, exercise balls, and sporting goods. When military demand declined after the First World War, the business increasingly turned toward civilian sport.
Hartmann obtained several Biskra balls used in different countries and cut them open.
He found no true international standard.
Some contained tightly packed cloth. Others used cork, rubber, wool, or combinations of improvised materials. Their weight, bounce, and durability differed considerably.
His first successful model appeared in 1924.
It became known as the:
Hartmann Modell 24
International newspapers soon gave it a simpler name:
The Vienna Ball
The ball used:
a small core of pressed cork;
a thin elastic layer of rubber;
tightly wound wool or textile fibres;
a soft leather outer covering;
stitched panels treated with wax to reduce water absorption.
The result was a ball designed specifically for Biskra.
It was:
softer than a field-hockey ball;
less dangerous when struck at high speed;
heavy enough to resist moderate wind;
less bouncy than a small football;
suitable for close control with a long, narrow blade;
durable on uneven grass.
For the 1926 World Championship, Hartmann produced an improved tournament version.
Each ball was weighed, measured, checked for roundness, and tested for bounce. Approved balls received an official FIB stamp.
The relationship between Korda and Hartmann became one of the most important technical partnerships of early Biskra.
Korda designed the stick that gave the sport its reach.
Hartmann created the ball that gave it its rhythm.
Numbers Become Compulsory
At Belgrade in 1922, identifying players from the stands had often been difficult.
Journalists relied on physical appearance, club colours, or information shouted from the touchline. Referees could also struggle to identify players after a crowded incident.
For the 1926 World Championship, shirt numbers became compulsory.
Each national squad registered twelve players, numbered from 1 to 12 for the entire tournament.
A common convention gradually emerged:
number 1 for the first-choice goalkeeper;
numbers 2 and 3 for defenders;
number 4 for the half;
numbers 5, 6, and 7 for the three forwards;
numbers 8 to 12 for substitutes and the reserve goalkeeper.
The system was not yet absolute. Some countries assigned numbers according to their own preferences.
Nevertheless, the introduction of visible shirt numbers changed the experience of the game.
It helped:
referees identify offenders;
journalists record goals and substitutions;
spectators recognize leading players;
officials prepare accurate match sheets;
historians preserve tournament statistics.
Biskra was beginning to create a permanent written record of itself.
Shin Protection Becomes Common
Protective equipment remained modest.
The players of 1926 still wore simple shirts, shorts, long socks, and leather boots. There were no helmets, plastic guards, or modern padded uniforms.
However, shin protection became increasingly common.
The long Biskra stick could generate powerful accidental contact, especially in crowded defensive situations. Players also risked being struck by the ball or by an opponent’s boot.
Some used shin guards borrowed from football. Others wore locally produced protection made from:
hardened leather;
thin strips of wood;
cane;
pressed fibre;
layered cloth.
Shin guards were recommended by tournament doctors and FIB officials, but they were not compulsory.
Defenders and halves used them most frequently because they entered more tackles and blocked more shots.
Many technical forwards resisted them, arguing that they reduced speed and freedom of movement.
The debate reflected a larger tension inside the sport: protection was increasing, but Biskra still valued lightness, mobility, and individual skill.
Optional Gloves for Better Grip
Outfield gloves remained optional.
They were not the large padded gloves associated with ice hockey. Most were thin leather gloves designed mainly to improve grip.
They helped players:
hold the stick in wet conditions;
reduce blisters;
control the shaft during powerful shots;
protect the palms from rough wood;
maintain grip in colder weather.
Some players wore only one glove, usually on the lower hand.
Canadian, Swiss, and Czechoslovak players were among the most likely to use them. Many Yugoslav and Argentine players preferred to play bare-handed, believing that direct contact with the wood gave them better control.
The choice remained personal.
The Modern Goalkeeper Begins to Emerge
The goalkeeper remained unique.
He was the only player on the field without a stick.
His task was to defend the goal using:
hands;
feet;
legs;
body position;
courage.
By 1926, goalkeeping had become more specialized.
The FIB permitted and encouraged several protective items:
thick leather gloves;
shin guards;
knee protection;
reinforced trousers;
a simple abdominal protector;
boots with good grip;
a shirt clearly different from those of the outfield players.
There were still no rigid helmets, masks, or heavy chest protectors.
The best goalkeepers were becoming more mobile. Instead of remaining passively on the goal line, they stepped forward to narrow the shooting angle and threw themselves toward the feet of attackers.
Petr Havlíček of Czechoslovakia and Heinz Lidner of Austria represented this emerging style.
They were not merely men placed in front of the goal.
They were specialists.
The German Boots
One of the most discussed equipment innovations arrived with the German team.
The players brought specially made sporting boots produced by a small Bavarian workshop.
The manufacturer was not publicly promoted during the tournament, but the boots had been developed with the involvement of a young German shoemaker named Adi Dassler.
They were noticeably different from the heavy football-style boots still used by many teams.
The German footwear had:
softer leather;
reduced weight;
a more flexible sole;
shorter and more carefully positioned studs;
stronger heel support;
reinforcement around the toes;
improved grip on wet grass.
German players could stop, turn, and accelerate with unusual confidence.
Other delegations examined the boots closely. Coaches asked questions. Players compared them with their own footwear.
The boots were not an official FIB product, and no commercial name appeared in the regulations.
Yet their presence hinted at a future in which equipment would be designed for individual sports rather than adapted from whatever was already available.
Seventy Minutes of Continuous Play
The basic duration remained unchanged.
A Biskra match consisted of:
two halves of thirty-five minutes;
a short half-time interval;
continuous time.
The clock did not normally stop for:
ordinary fouls;
balls leaving the field;
substitutions;
brief injuries;
arguments with officials.
Only a serious interruption could justify additional time.
This system produced a demanding contest.
Players had to manage energy carefully, especially in warm weather. Teams with stronger conditioning could dominate the final stages of a half.
The continuous clock also made substitutions and temporary dismissals strategically important.
Every minute continued to pass.
Draws in the Group Stage
Matches in the preliminary groups could end level.
The points system remained simple:
two points for a victory;
one point for a draw;
no points for a defeat.
When teams finished level on points, the main criteria were:
the result between the teams;
goal difference;
goals scored;
an additional match, when qualification could not otherwise be decided.
No extra time was played during the group stage.
A draw was accepted as a complete result.
Extra Time and Replays
Extra time was not invented for the 1926 championship.
It had existed before, but no match at Belgrade 1922 had required it.
For knockout games in Czechoslovakia, the rule was clearly defined:
two additional periods of ten minutes;
both periods played in full;
no sudden-death goal;
twenty additional minutes in total.
If the score remained level after extra time, the match would be replayed the following day.
There were no penalty shoot-outs.
A replay could create serious problems for the schedule, especially in a tournament spread across four cities. Officials nevertheless considered it fairer than deciding a World Championship match through a small number of isolated shots.
Fortunately for the organizers, no match in 1926 would require a replay.
The final would come close.
Twelve-Player Squads
Each country registered twelve players:
seven starters;
five reserves.
The small squad reflected the amateur nature of the tournament. Many nations could not afford to transport large delegations, especially those travelling from other continents.
Every place mattered.
A squad normally included:
two goalkeepers;
three or four defenders;
two or three halves or versatile players;
several forwards.
Multi-sport athletes and players capable of covering more than one position were particularly valuable.
Five Changes in Each Half
The substitution rule was unusually flexible for the period, but still carefully controlled.
Each team could make:
up to five substitutions in the first half;
up to five substitutions in the second half;
two additional substitutions during extra time.
Unused substitutions did not carry into the next period.
All changes had to be made:
during a stoppage;
through the official substitution area;
with the referee’s permission;
after the outgoing player had left the field.
A substituted player could not return during the same half.
He could, however, return in the following period.
For example, a player removed during the first half could play again after half-time. A player removed during the second half could return if the match entered extra time.
Once removed during the final period available to him, his match was over.
The system allowed coaches to rest players, protect minor injuries, and alter tactics without permitting the constant line changes associated with ice hockey.
It also created difficult decisions.
Removing an important player too early meant losing him for the rest of the half.
The Canadian Two-Minute Penalty
Perhaps the most distinctive new rule came from Canada.
During the Canadian national team’s European tour in 1924, officials and opponents observed that Canadian players were familiar with temporary penalties through ice hockey.
The idea attracted the attention of the FIB.
Until then, referees often faced an uncomfortable choice. They could award a free strike for serious misconduct, or they could remove a player permanently. There was little between the two.
The Canadian solution offered a middle punishment.
For the 1926 World Championship, Biskra introduced the:
Two-Minute Temporary Dismissal
A player could be removed for two minutes for offences such as:
dangerous use of the stick;
repeated fouling;
violent pushing;
deliberate obstruction;
aggressive protest;
delaying the game;
entering the field incorrectly;
persistent disregard of the referee’s warnings.
The dismissed player sat beside the officials’ table.
His team continued with one fewer player.
The full two minutes had to be served. A goal scored by the opposing team did not end the penalty.
The player could return only after receiving the signal of the timekeeper and referee.
Serious violence, deliberate striking, or extreme misconduct still resulted in permanent dismissal.
The Canadians considered the rule natural.
Czechoslovak and Austrian officials admired its clarity.
Some Yugoslav and Hungarian players feared that it would weaken the traditional physical character of Biskra.
Whatever the opinion, the rule gave the sport a disciplinary system unlike those used by most field games of the period.
It would soon become one of Biskra’s defining features.
Direct Free Strikes
All free strikes in Biskra remained direct.
A player could shoot at goal immediately from the restart without first passing to a teammate.
This encouraged:
powerful shooting;
rehearsed defensive walls;
specialist free-strike takers;
tactical fouls far from goal rather than close to it;
greater caution around the scoring area.
The rule also made the accurate long-distance striker an important figure in every team.
The Penalty Strike
The penalty procedure was clarified before the championship.
A penalty was taken from a fixed mark with only:
the attacking player;
the goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper had to remain on the goal line until the ball was struck.
The attacker was allowed one direct attempt.
There was no rebound.
If the goalkeeper saved the shot, or if the ball missed the goal, the action ended immediately.
This made the penalty a duel rather than a continuation of open play.
It also increased the prestige of specialist goalkeepers.
Obstruction Is More Clearly Defined
The FIB also clarified the rule against obstruction.
A player could protect the ball while actively controlling it, but could not deliberately use his body to prevent an opponent from reaching it.
The following actions were prohibited:
turning away and standing over the ball without playing it;
extending the free arm to hold an opponent back;
blocking a running path while making no attempt to play the ball;
trapping the ball beneath the body;
forming an artificial screen around a teammate.
The change was expected to favour technically skilled teams such as Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, and Argentina.
It encouraged movement rather than static protection.
Restarts from the Touchline
The ball had always been returned from the touchline with the stick.
The 1926 regulations simply clarified the procedure:
the ball was placed on or immediately beside the line;
the player restarted with the stick;
opponents had to remain at the required distance;
play resumed only after the referee’s signal when necessary;
a direct shot at goal was permitted because all Biskra free strikes and restarts were direct.
The clarification reduced disputes between countries that had previously used slightly different distances and procedures.
A Larger Officiating Team
Every World Championship match was controlled by:
one central referee;
two touch officials;
one timekeeper;
one match secretary.
The touch officials helped judge:
whether the ball had left the field;
which team had the restart;
incidents away from the ball;
the validity of goals;
substitutions;
serious misconduct missed by the referee.
The timekeeper recorded:
the continuous match clock;
temporary dismissals;
half-time;
extra time;
substitution periods.
The match secretary completed the official report.
The central referee retained final authority.
Official Match Sheets
The 1926 championship introduced standardized match records.
Before every game, teams submitted a sheet listing:
all twelve squad members;
shirt numbers;
starting players;
reserves;
captain;
goalkeeper;
team officials.
During the match, the secretary recorded:
goalscorers;
goal times;
substitutions;
penalties;
temporary dismissals;
permanent dismissals;
referee and touch officials;
attendance estimate;
final result.
These documents would later become invaluable to historians.
For the first time, a Biskra World Championship was not merely being played.
It was being systematically preserved.
A Sport Ready for the World
None of the innovations transformed Biskra beyond recognition.
The game remained fast, physical, technical, and amateur in spirit.
Yet the differences from 1922 were clear.
The sport now possessed:
a standardized Korda stick;
an official Viennese ball;
compulsory shirt numbers;
improved boots;
more common protective equipment;
specialized goalkeepers;
twelve-player squads;
regulated substitutions;
defined extra time and replay procedures;
temporary two-minute dismissals;
accredited officials;
standardized match records.
Belgrade had proven that Biskra could bring nations together.
Czechoslovakia would test whether those nations could now play the same game under the same rules.
Before the first ball was struck in Prague, Brno, Bratislava, or Plzeň, one conclusion was already unavoidable:
Biskra had entered a new era.
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