Commonwealth Games 2018: Why Pakistan were allowed to take a penalty corner vs India despite zero minutes being left on the clock

India and Pakistan finished off a pulsating 2-2 draw on Saturday in their opening match of the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia. However, the main talking point of the match came in the last minute when Pakistan got a penalty corner with exactly zero seconds left on the clock, from which Ali Mubashar scored the all-important equalising goal.

As Pakistan scored the fourth goal of the match, fans were left confused as to how they could be allowed to take the PC, with literally no time left on the clock.

Pakistan were awarded PC when there was literally no time left on the clock. (Photo: Screengrab)

According to the rules of field hockey, a dead ball situation like a penalty corner or a penalty-stroke could be taken even if the time on the clock has run out. The only criteria for this to happen is that the decision should have been awarded by the umpire, within the stroke of the full-time hooter.

Even if the clock has zero seconds left, the dead ball, in this case, the penalty corner, needs to be taken before the match can actually be deemed to be over. In such cases, the match finishes with either the ball ending in the back of the net or with the defence successfully thwarting the attack.

India will be disappointed with this result, after Dilpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh put the Men in Blue in a 2-0 lead in the first half. However, Pakistan showed a lot of determination to come back with a 39th-minute goal from Irfan Jr, and the last-minute goal from Ali Mubashar.

The Sjoerd Marijne-coached side will now look to pick themselves up after this result and make it to the next round at the Commonwealth Games.