Hockey World Cup 2023: Know why penalty corner conversion rate has gone down

PC conversion is down from 23.9% at the same stage during the last edition of the World Cup in 2018.

India players ready to defend a PC at Kalinga Stadium

The penalty conversion rate has considerably gone down in recent times. In the ongoing FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, only 43 of the 239 penalty corners have been converted in 24 group-stage matches at a lower rate of 17.99%. It is down from 23.9% at the same stage during the last edition of the World Cup in 2018. In the last World Cup, 40 of 167 penalty corners were converted into goals.

As per several experts and analysts of the game, hockey has moved forward. Gone are the days when teams wishing to win tournaments had just one target--convert one-third of your penalty corners and you will stand a good chance of winning the game.