Countdown clock favours Germany, not India!

LONDON/BANGALORE: Wednesday was literally a race against the clock for teams at the Olympic hockey test event in London. Germany beat Britain 3-1 at the Olympic Park but their opening goal prompted concerns about a possible controversy at the 2012 Games if rules were strictly enforced.
After a goalless first half, Germany were the first team to emerge for the start of the second period.When the countdown clock on the scoreboard reached zero, the umpires re-started the match even though several British players were still making their way back on to the pitch. Germany's Florian Fuchs then deflected the ball into an empty net (36th minute), much to the consternation of the British team which had a mere eight players on the pitch.
India, who lost to Australia 0-3 in the earlier match, were left wondering why there was no consistency in the interpretation of the rules. Having made it back to the pitch much ahead of time, the Indians were made to wait for the Australians even as the clock touched zero. "We also tried to do what the Germans did but the umpire didn't allow it. David John (the exercise physiologist) asked the umpires to start the match as the clock touched zero. The Australia hadn't come out of the tunnel but we couldn't start. We are going to register our complaint about this," chief coach Michael Nobbs told TOI.
Nobbs said he had inculcated in the team the habit of promptly getting back on the pitch. "We are never late. You get a two-minute knock on the door and you then have two minutes to get back on the field. We are very strict with our team."
The Australian also felt it was time such inconsistencies in umpiring were gotten rid of. "It's better to find out now than later. I personally feel that it is not sportsmanship to start before the other team takes the field. At the same time, I don't see the rule as too stringent as the Olympics has a worldwide TV audience and many things to cover. If all events were late it would be disastrous for scheduling."
Germany coach Markus Weise said: "To me it sounds like a typical hockey thing. I can't imagine other sports starting (like that). It's a very strange rule, probably provided due to TV demands that a game starts when the countdown is at zero. I don't want to be in a position without 11 players on the pitch and a game starting. It's a bit strange."
Britain's coach Jason Lee insisted his team hadn't been time-wasting. "It wasn't like we were four or five minutes late. We were 10 or 15 seconds late," Lee said. "But in hockey the ball travels so fast that you can't really get into position at that point. The changing rooms are a little bit further (away from the pitch) than what we'd expect."