2020–21 Women's FIH Pro League

Dates	11 January 2020 – 27 June 2021
Teams	9 (from 4 confederations)
Final positions
Champions	Netherlands (2nd title)
Runner-up	Argentina
Third place	Great Britain
Tournament statistics
Matches played	40
Goals scored	156 (3.9 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Olivia Merry (11 goals)
← 2019 (previous) (next) 2021–22 →

The 2020–21 Women's FIH Pro League was the second season of the Pro League, the premier women's field hockey national team league series. The tournament started in January 2020 and finished in June 2021.^[1]

Format changes

The home and away principle was kept but this principle is split over two consecutive seasons from this season onwards and work according to the following example:^[2]

• in season 2020-21, Team A will host Team B twice within a couple of days.
• in season 2021-22, Team B will host Team A twice within a couple of days.

If one of the two matches played between two teams is cancelled, the winner of the other match will receive double points.

The grand final will not be played this edition because of the time proximity with the 2020 Olympic Games.

Coronavirus pandemic interruption

Due to the outbreak COVID-19 pandemic in China, the FIH decided in late January to put on hold the matches between China and Belgium, initially scheduled on 8 and 9 February in Changzhou. For the rest of the upcoming matches in China, the FIH monitored the evolution of the situation closely and following the recommendations of the World Health Organization applied in early February the same measures for the matches scheduled on 14 and 15 March against Australia, Meanwhile, it was evaluated the possibility for China to play these and their other matches on hold in alternative locations.^[3][4]

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Europe, Hockey Australia decided to suspend all international travels for its national teams until further notice in early March. The matches against Germany and Netherlands, scheduled on 21 and 22 and 26 and 29 March respectively, were postponed.^[5] Later Hockey New Zealand took the same decision, postponing their matches scheduled on 19 and 22 March against Netherlands and on 28 and 29 March against Germany.^[6]

Once declared as a pandemic on 11 March, the FIH and all participating National Associations involved in the competition decided to put all the matches scheduled until 15 April on hold. Furthermore, it was agreed that the current edition is maintained, no matches will be played after the Olympic Games and depending on the evolution of the situation and the decisions of the public authorities, every match which can be organized between late April and before the Olympics, shall be played.^[7] On 19 March, it was announced by the FIH that all the matches scheduled to play until 17 May were put on hold.^[8]

On 24 April, it was announced that the competition is extended until June 2021.^[9] The restart for September 2020, was announced on 9 July.^[10] Because not all matches are due to be played before the end of the season, the final ranking will be determined by points percentage instead of total points.^[11]

On 28 May, it was announced that despite the efforts of the involved federations, the matches set to play before the announcing date were going to be the last of the edition.^[12]

Teams

Nine teams competed in a round-robin tournament, being played from January to June.

•  Argentina (3)
•  Australia (2)
•  Belgium (12)
•  China (10)
•  Germany (4)
•  Great Britain (5)
•  Netherlands (1)
•  New Zealand (6)
•  United States (13)

Squads

Results

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	SOW	SOL	L	GF	GA	GD	PCT
	Netherlands (C)	12	10	1	0	1	35	7	+28	.889
	Argentina	10	5	2	0	3	24	15	+9	.633
	Great Britain	12	5	2	1	4	24	14	+10	.556
4	Germany	8	4	0	1	3	12	11	+1	.542
5	Australia	8	3	1	2	2	11	12	−1	.542
6	New Zealand	10	4	1	2	3	22	19	+3	.533
7	Belgium	12	3	1	2	6	19	25	−6	.361
8	China	2	0	0	0	2	2	7	−5	.000
9	United States	10	0	0	0	10	7	46	−39	.000

All times are local.^[14]

Fixtures

11 January 2020 14:00 China  0–3  Netherlands Report Zerbo  8', 40' Leurink  31' Wujin Hockey Stadium, Changzhou Umpires: Kang Hyun-young (KOR) Junko Wagatsuma (JPN)

12 January 2020 14:00 China  2–4  Netherlands Peng  30' Chen Yi  54' Report Nunnink  6' Keetels  23' Welten  36' Matla  47' Wujin Hockey Stadium, Changzhou Umpires: Amber Church (NZL) Kang Hyun-young (KOR)

25 January 2020 14:00 United States  Cancelled  Netherlands Report Karen Shelton Stadium, Chapel Hill

As a mark of respect for United States manager Larry Amar, who died that week whilst with the team, their first match of the FIH Pro League was cancelled.^[15] In accordance with the League's regulations for a cancelled match, the points of the second match count double.

25 January 2020 16:00 Australia  3–3  Belgium Malone  21' Bone  59' Commerford  60' Report Versavel  33' Englebert  45' Nelen  55' Penalties Peris Nobbs Malone Lawton Claxton 4–2 Ballenghien Rasir Raye Englebert Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Umpires: Amber Church (NZL) Michelle Joubert (RSA)

26 January 2020 14:00 United States  0–9  Netherlands Report Albers  6', 43', 53' Matla  22' Welten  40', 50', 55' Zerbo  56' Verschoor  59' Karen Shelton Stadium, Chapel Hill Umpires: Catalina Montesino (CHI) Irene Presenqui (ARG)

26 January 2020 15:00 Australia  1–1  Belgium Nance  45' Report Duquesne  47' Penalties Stewart Nance Kershaw Kenny 1–3 Versavel Ballenghien Raye Duquesne Nelen Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Umpires: Amber Church (NZL) Michelle Joubert (RSA)

1 February 2020 17:00 New Zealand  1–2  Belgium McCaw  17' Report Ballenghien  2' Weyns  51' North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland Umpires: Steve Rogers (AUS) Wanri Venter (RSA)

1 February 2020 18:30 Australia  2–1  Great Britain Kershaw  26' Stewart  60' Report Robertson  18' Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Umpires: Kelly Hudson (NZL) Emi Yamada (JPN)

2 February 2020 15:00 New Zealand  4–1  Belgium Merry  31', 35', 51', 55' Report Raye  7' North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland Umpires: Wanri Venter (RSA) Aleisha Neumann (AUS)

2 February 2020 17:30 Australia  Cancelled  Great Britain Report Toman  17' Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Umpires: Emi Yamada (JPN) Kelly Hudson (NZL)

Game was abandoned at half time due to heavy rain and thunderstorms when Great Britain was leading 1–0.^[16] In accordance with the League's regulations for a cancelled match, the points of the first match count double.

7 February 2020 18:00 Argentina  6–2  United States Jankunas  3' Merino  23' Gorzelany  33' Luchetti  37' Sánchez Moccia  57' Rebecchi  60' Report Hoffman  24' West  50' CeNARD, Buenos Aires Umpires: Catalina Montesino (CHI) Ayanna McClean (TTO)

8 February 2020 18:00 Argentina  6–1  United States Gorzelany  1' Merino  8', 60' Rebecchi  13' Barrionuevo  40', 53' Report West  28' CeNARD, Buenos Aires Umpires: Ayanna McClean (TTO) Catalina Montesino (CHI)

8 February 2020 19:30 New Zealand  0–3  Great Britain Report Howard  9' Watson  21' McCallin  50' North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland Umpires: Irene Presenqui (ARG) Aleisha Neumann (AUS)