Rules of Hockey | Penalty Corner Collision | #askFHU

This collision on the penalty corner is worth examining, for a variety of reasons.

For context, there was a significant incident at last year’s Pro League Finals during the semi-final between these two teams where a collision between an AUS attacker and GBR defender resulted in the defender suffering a concussion and had to sit out the rest of that match and the 3rd place game as a precaution. The collision was at least reckless, and some could argue some malice on the part of the AUS player. The foul was caught on video referral but no card was recommended or issued. This collision could have led to a similar serious injury.

One question may be, as an umpire taking charge of the same two teams in nearly the next matchup since that incident, should you take steps to prepare and educate yourself about this background?

Another is to focus on what you as the controlling or supporting umpire can do to process the event and list the factors you'd be looking for in making a decision in the moment, without the benefit of video replay. Having a supporting umpire who you can trust to focus on the “off-ball” aspects of the play will be a massive help, and this is a great conversation to have in your pre-match chat.

As for this particular collision, it looks worse from the side-on angle. However, the goal camera seems to show the drag flicker’s body momentum takes him to the right fairly inevitably. The defender is looking over his left shoulder at the ball and doesn’t see the flicker falling towards him, which catches him by surprise. Could the attacker have taken better care of his body? Maybe. But was there malice in it? 

Knowing the background shouldn’t predispose you to adjudge the game in front of you any differently. However, it can help you understand and manage the players’ reactions, especially this defender’s frustration.

For more in-depth conversations, check out the #RuleyTuesday series of videos too!

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