The 14th edition of the Men’s Hockey World Cup will be played in a format which is getting introduced for the first time. Scheduled to begin from November 28 in Bhubaneswar, the mega event will witness all the 16 participating nations getting chances to progress to the quarter-finals as per the new format. This world tournament will see 'cross-over matches' being played after the commencement of pool stage. While the pool topper will directly enter the quarter-finals, the team standing last will be eliminated. The 2nd and 3rd placed teams will battle in the cross-over round to make their way into the next stage. The winner of each of the four cross-over games will join the pool topper to compete in quarter-finals. Here’s how the new format will work:
  1. 4 teams in 4 pools each
  2. 3 points for win; 1 for draw; 0 for a loss
  3. Teams finishing the pool stage with most points will qualify for the quarter-finals
  4. Last-placed teams will be eliminated
  5. Teams on 2nd and 3rd position will play the cross-over matches to decide the rest of the contenders of the quarter-finals
  6. Teams losing the cross-overs will be knocked out
NOTE: If two or more teams finish the pool stage with same points for any place, they will be ranked according to: - Number of matches won or - Goal difference or - Goals for or - Result of the match between them or - Field goals scored or - Shootout or It’s for the first time that the Men’s Hockey World Cup will see 16 teams battling for the title. Earlier the number of participating teams was 12. But two years ago, the International Hockey Federation decided to increase the number of participants to 16. Teams: Pool A consists of Argentina, Spain, France, New Zealand; Pool B comprises Ireland, China, England, and Australia; Pool C has hosts India along with South Africa, Canada, Belgium. Group D involves Pakistan, Netherlands, Germany, Malaysia.