The home-and-away format will make a return in this season's Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), which starts on Feb 18 and ends in June.
Hockey fans will also be allowed into designated venues to watch the matches.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) competitions committee chairman Datuk Seri Anil Jeet Singh hopes to get 12 teams for the men's tournament this year — eight teams from last season and four new entries.
"It has been a long time since the home-and-away concept was used in the MHL, and it will make a comeback this year.
"Many have invested a lot to form hockey teams, so this format will ensure that they will get more playing time.
"For the record, some teams have invested more than RM500,000 just to play in the MHL, and this season, they can expect better returns," said Anil Jeet yesterday.
The final day of the MHL in June is being kept open, depending on the number of entries.
"Registration ends on Jan 25. After we have finalised the entries for both men and women's tournaments, we will announce the dates for the finals," he added.
The 2021 season, comprising eight men's and six women's teams, was held on a carnival format and centralised under the bubble concept due to Covid-19.
The Charity Shield between MHL champions Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and TNB Cup winners Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) will be held on Feb 18.
Teams are allowed to register as many foreign and national players as they wish. However, only a combination of six foreign and national players will be allowed to be on the pitch at any given time.
