A penalty stroke is given for this tackle inside the circle, and goes to VR. The foul was initially given for the body contact on the tackle made by the AUS defender, which was reckless and took the …
NZLvBEL No attacker touch inside the circle before crossing the goal line
For a goal to be scored, an attacker must touch the ball inside the circle before it crosses the goal line. There was no touch by an attacker here, and also no defender, so the correct decision is a …
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INDvBEL Aerial lost control
This aerial skips past the first potential interceptor and is mishandled by the attacking receiver, who plays it towards a second defender who is well more than 5m away at the reception. This defender …
CHNvNED GC playing ball after the whistle
At this level of play, a quick and subtle touch by the offending team after they’ve committed the foul and the whistle has gone can eliminate the chance for their opposition to take a quick free …
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NZLvUSA YC after long advantage
A yellow card is shown after a long advantage was played. Note the communication between the two umpires as the trail confirms over the radio they should as a team come back for the card. The trail …
GBRvNZL Not illegal for a player to attempt to legally play the ball while on the ground
Despite the prevalence of one of the biggest urban myths about the rules, It is not illegal for a player to attempt to play the ball by legal means when on the ground in outdoor (only in indoor). The …
MASvIND Ball doesn’t leave circle before the shot enters the goal
The ball doesn’t leave the circle after being injected on the penalty corner. The umpire allows play to continue and the shot to be taken, but calls the free hit once it has entered the goal. …
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INDvBEL Free hit just inside 23m line
This free hit is awarded just inside the 23m line. Although the player in possession takes the self-pass and dribbles outside the 23m, that does not negate the requirement that the ball moves 5m …
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AUSvBEL Aerial and advantage
An aerial goes to two players but the opposing defender is slightly in front, advantage is applied and play continues. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T Green, FHU3T Green …
ESPvGER 5m infringement or not
A foot foul brings a quick whistle from the umpire. With the ball slightly moving, the attacker takes a self-pass and a third defender comes in to attempt the tackle. This scenario shows the …
NZLvGBR Danger on deflected shot off turf
An unusual circumstance where the ball is hit with pace onto the turf and deflects high into the defender. The general principle is that from close proximity and at that height, a defender isn’t in a …
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CHNvBEL Backside stick on tackle
A tackling player attempts to dispossess the ball carrier but uses the back of their stick. If a player tries to use the edge on a shave technique but their stick isn’t flat, there is a good chance …
BLRvNED Breakdown just outside attacking half
Just as breakdowns tend to be committed by defending teams just outside the 23m line in the outdoor game, the centre line is a big marker for players who are looking to avoid the team upgrade penalty …
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GERvAUT Advantage for attack then FHD rolling ball
Several issues of note in this passage of play: The umpire plays an advantage off the stick tackle along the side-boards. The attacker has good options available to him, including the immediate 2v1 …
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NZLvGER Intentionally raised ball from a hit in mid-air
This contentious scenario, a testament to the skill and beauty of hockey, delves into the issue of whether players can elevate a raised ball with a hit. The execution of this skill is not only …
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ESPvARG Stick obstruction after turnover
Immediately after a turnover is created in the circle, be aware of (previously) attacking players trying to poach the ball back and subtly obstructing or otherwise impeding the break by the (former) …
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UKRvAUS Deflected shot raised but no disadvantage
This passage of play shows how raised balls are handled inside the circle. The first is a save made by a defender where she stops the ball legally in mid-air, deflecting it back towards an attacker, …
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ARGvNED GC hitting ball away after whistle
The first green card of the game is given when the ARG player plays the ball momentarily after the whistle. This may be too harsh for many levels of play, but given the obviousness of the foul and the …
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INDvBEL Proactive ball placement inside dotted line
The umpire does a great job here making a quick decision on a free hit inside the dotted 5m line, and immediately “double-tweeting” to get the players’ attention and verbally signal the correct ball …
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GERvAUT No disadvantage off small raise
It’s natural to look for absolute guidelines as to what should or should not be called as a raised ball. However, the most important factor to consider should always be: was an opponent …
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AUSvNED No advantage
Making a decision early as to whether advantage exists is a crucial element of timing and, in turn, your management of a game. The umpire is able to assess very quickly that although a defender …
BLRvNED Body obstruction interfering with stick
As the attacker attempts to avoid the tackle from a defender, the defender is able to get her stick on the ball as the attacker’s legs block and interfere with the defender’s stick. A free …
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ESPvNED Sliding tackle YC
A slide tackle brings down the ball carrier running freely through an extremely dangerous area of the pitch as the time in the quarter is winding down. The 10-minute yellow card must be issued in …
NZLvARG VR not available
One for the video referral nerds out there: after ARG concedes a goal, they attempt to refer a free hit decision outside their attacking circle at the other end. This decision isn’t referrable because …
AUSvBEL VR SO goalkeeper obstruction
A video referral is sought when the goalkeeper ends up with the ball underneath her body after a save. The important things to look for are whether the goalkeeper actively moved for that purpose or …
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UKRvAUS Rebound played in the air and drilling
A goalkeeper save rebounds towards a waiting attacker. The player is only allowed to let the ball hit the stick but not actively play it out of the air, and it appears from the umpire’s signal that …
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GERvKAZ Ball placement on free push
Not every free push taken away from the spot of the foul requires intervention in indoor. However, when the team in possession gains an unfair advantage by cutting out non-fouling defenders as happens …
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NEDvBEL YC 3rd breakdown
This is the third breakdown foul by this team so far in the game, and the two previous had been met with green cards. However, the reason this seemingly innocuous stick tackle is penalized this …
NZLvBEL Not 5m from free hit inside dotted line
This scenario shows the difficulty in balancing the need for flow and penalizing players who breach the rules. A free hit is awarded to the attack 1-2m outside the circle and inside the 5m dotted …
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INDvNED SO Retake ball trapped in GK
The ball becomes trapped in the goalkeeper’s equipment after making a save in this shootout attempt. As this is an unintentional obstruction, the correct decision is a re-award. To access …
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ESPvARG Inattention to ball placement
After a defensive free hit is awarded for danger on the cross, the umpire gets distracted addressing players away from where the ball has drifted to. The team in possession takes advantage and takes a …
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ARGvNED Infringing 5m from behind
The defender runs through the 5m zone as the attacker was taking the free hit. In making an estimate based on the less than 2s and only 2 steps from the taking of the self-pass and the point of …
INDvBEL Back stick
The defender attempts to clear the ball out of his end but mishits on his reverse. This is not danger but, as he goes over the ball, uses of the back of the stick. To access this content, …
NZLvBEL PC upgrades
Upgrades are given during these sequences of play. What are you looking for in these situations, and when would you upgrade or not? Is the defender tackling from behind the ball? Does the defender …
AUSvNED SO GK obstruction no VR
This is a highly complex shootout attempt. The first issue you may see is that the attacker backs into the goalkeeper, knocking him off-balance. Then, the goalkeeper attempts a poke tackle between the …
ARGvBEL Reading attacking play
Preferred positioning has the controlling umpire well ahead of the play, turned to face the attack as it transitions into the 23m area and from an inside angle. In order to get to this spot, umpires …
ARGvESP GC breakdown stick tackle 2
The ARG defender comes rushing in at speed, commits one rash stick obstruction and then takes another bite at the ball and breaks the play down by hooking the ball carrier’s stick. The reckless nature …
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INDvBEL Anticipation into attacking area
This clip shows better anticipation and protection of the mission-critical area of the circle. Even as the ball is moving around behind the centre-line, the umpire is already deep in his attacking …
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GBRvNZL Yellow card for breakdown in Q4 stepping in with shoulder
Late in the game, the fouling team is up a single goal. After turning over the ball outside their 23m line, an attacker is able to beat a tackle. That tackler puts his shoulder in to interrupt the run …
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ARGvESP VR for foot after arm
A video referral for a foot is not normally noteworthy, but what is interesting about this is the communication between the pitch umpires and the video umpire. It’s incredibly refreshing for the …
GBRvAUS Rolling ball on free hit reversed
The attacker is awarded a free hit a few metres inside the sideline, also inside the 23m area. She retrieves the ball which is rolling towards the sideline, and continues the roll without any change …
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ESPvBEL No goal PC first shot hit high
On this penalty corner, the insertion isn't cleanly trapped and needs to be brought outside the circle by the flicker. He then drags the ball inside the circle and releases it towards the goal, but …
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BELvAUS GC breakdown tackle
This is a classic turnover situation. A retreating defender chases the ball carrier from behind, gets close, but can’t make a tackle from there. Instead, the defender attemps to block space away …
GERvAUT Shot before 3pts of contact
This is an example of what is sometimes a difficult call to make regarding 3 points of contact. Accompanying the advent of the prohibition against “drilling” as a specifically-described piece of …
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AUSvARG VR drag flick danger
A drag flick that strikes a defender who has closed to within 5m will be judged as dangerous if it hits at knee height or above. It’s crucial that in the absence of video referral, the supporting …
AUSvARG YC for breakdown dangerous tackle from behind
On a dangerous break, the chasing defender effectively tackles the ball but her feet trip up the ball carrier. This is the same player who took a green card for a breakdown tackle in Q2 of this game …
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NZLvBEL 5m from free hit inside dotted line
Very similar to the play in Q2, a free hit awarded right on the circle edge has a delay before the play can be restarted. This time, the umpire ensures the defenders stay 5m from the spot of the foul …
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ARGvNED GC playing ball after whistle
Although the green card was given for playing the ball after the whistle, it could well have been given for the breakdown foul that brought on the free hit. This is the second green card for NED, and …
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INDvNED Caught high in support
Here’s an example where positioning choices made 70m away can impact our ability to be in the right spot for our mission-critical calls. As the supporting umpire, we can get very enthusiastic about …
ESPvARG Danger on ball entering the circle
A ball is raised into the circle off a reverse sweep hit, rising dangerously past one defender and heading for a set of opposing players where the defender is marking very tightly. Either for the …
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