A subtle but physical breakdown foul is missed on the near sideline in front of the 23m line. The umpire is running the outside line with her head turned, making it difficult to see the push in the …
ARGvNED 5m before entering circle
The attacker on the free hit elects to take a self-pass that moves the ball back and forth—every umpire’s worst nightmare.Let’s do some maths: a stick length is just shy of 1 metre. The free hit …
NZLvARG Hand on back no call
Does the hand in the back on this tackle make a difference? Pay attention to the defender’s stick, the contact made with the ball and the feet of the ball carrier. How would you put these factors …
AUSvNED 15m watch the players
All of us, even the top umpires, make the occasion mistake on out-of-bounds calls. Having the awareness to notice authentic body language by players can help us fix them. Here, the defender who sent …
ARGvNED GC breakdown stick obstruction
A long pursuit by a defender leads to two breakdown tackles and one green card. To access this content, you must purchase FHu3t Green, FHu3t Green 365, FHu3t Yellow 365 or FHu3t Yellow. …
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NZLvBEL Mobility in the circle
After the umpire gets caught a little close to the play on this penalty corner rebound, she makes an excellent adjustment and moves 5m off the end line in order to give herself a broader view of a …
AUSvNED Interference with stick after clean tackle
After a clean tackle, the defender’s stick gets knocked out of his hands by the dispossessed attacker’s leg coming through. This is a great time for a quick whistle to reward the skill and maintain …
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NZLvESP Obstructions around GK
The ball is stopped by the goalkeeper splayed on the ground and rests against his kicker. The attacker makes no effort to bring the ball away and traps the ball there, other hand raised to demand the …
INDvBEL Green card playing ball after whistle
Green card for playing the ball after the whistle has gone. There’s a fine line between players honestly mistaking whether the decision has gone their way, and the obvious concession that the fouling …
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GERvKAZ Early break on the PC
The umpire detects an early break by at least one defender on this penalty corner. Notice that the signal he uses is the same as a free push and leads to some initial, albeit good-natured, confusion …
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 …
AUSvARG Back-pedalling to the back-line
The umpire here shows excellent anticipation and reading of the play after the ball turns over deep in her colleague’s end. By the time she comes into the picture as the ball is being dribbled towards …
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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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AUSvNED GCx2 playing ball after whistle
Two instances within 45s of the same team playing the ball after the whistle and breaking down play. In both examples, the fouling player subtly moves the ball further away from the spot of the foul …
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AUSvBEL Tackling a turned player
The ball carrier turns her back to the defender while keeping the ball mostly moving. Twice, the defender attempts to tackle, the first around the attacker’s legs and the second between them. On the …
NZLvUSA YC after turnover
After a turnover in the circle, the same player who had previously received a green card in Q2 breaks the play down with a stick obstruction. We have also seen a yellow card awarded to this team late …
ESPvGER Green card intentional use of foot
A green card is given for this intentional use of the foot after the defender moves his back foot towards the ball after being beaten on the dribble. Watch for the player moving their foot into the …
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NZLvGBR Back stick no goal
A back stick shot is correctly called in the first instance by the umpire. The slowly looping trajectory of the ball contrasts with the pace of the stick swing, a good indicator that energy has been …
SCOvNZL Free Hit Reset Timing
The first step in our Free Hit Drill is to locate the spot of the foul. If the ball moves away, we can proactively communicate with the players and let them know where we need the free hit taken from …
INDvNED Green card for breakdown stick tackle
Either just before or on the 23m line, a defender throws in a tackle that lands halfway up the ball carrier’s stick. These tackles can be dangerous so it’s a good time to show a green card and try to …
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AUSvNED YC breakdown second card
This is the second card of the game for this player, who badly misses on this tackle and ensures his body stops the potential progress of the attacker to resume his run with the ball. Normally …
GBRvNZL Yellow card for breakdown
A yellow card for the 3rd breakdown by the same team in the match, now in Q3. Note the space available to the attacker behind the two defenders he’s beaten that he would have been able to burst …
ARGvUSA Deflection of first shot as a hit on PC
The ball is struck with a hit from the top of the circle flat on the ground. A deflection, whether it came from the defender or attacker’s stick, raises the ball over the height of the backboard as …
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NZLvBEL No danger and cooperation
A defender makes a great save on the goal line, hitting away a deflection made by an attacker from her knees. Although the ball could have been seen as dangerous, the attacker had put herself in that …
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 …
NZLvGBR Stick obstruction
The defender attempts a tackle from behind the ball carrier. He misses the ball and strikes the attacker’s stick, but the attacker is able to retain possession of the ball and has an opportunity to …
CHNvBEL Body shield on left circle top
An attacker carries the ball towards the top left (far) side of the circle as a defender approaches from the front. The attacker drops the ball behind her body just as the defender attempts to make …
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ARGvBEL Quick Whistle To Eliminate Defenders
Whistle timing is a critical tool in an umpire’s arsenal to create more flowing, attacking hockey. Here the stick obstruction occurs when the ball carrier has three defenders converging on her. While …
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BLRvNED Back-line play no trap
Here’s an alternate view on the trapped ball and how long to wait until calling the bully when the trap has occurred unintentionally. One approach is to jump quickly on the obstruction as soon …
USAvBEL Aerial interception foul
On this aerial pass, the defender moves laterally, slicing across the line of the ball as she should. The real question is whether the interception attempt is outside playable distance and done …
ARGvNED Danger to the goalkeeper
The goalkeeper makes a save, resulting in the ball momentarily sitting balanced on the side of her leg guard. As the goalkeeper attempts to move the ball, which ended up falling between her pad and …
BLRvNED Head injury bully
A player misplays her pass and, when she steps to follow-up, an opposing player inadvertently collides with her and strikes her head. Head injuries should be tended to immediately and so, if the play …
AUSvNED GC for breakdown tackle trip
A green card is awarded after a late stick trips up the ball carrier. To ensure you get this call right too, make sure you’re creating an angle off the sideline that keeps you from getting “caught in …
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AUSvNED Low tackle attacker over top
This tackle shows the fine line between a well-executed block and tackling illegally with body contact. The defender is tracking body-to-body and is able to get his stick completely flat and cleanly …
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NZLvESP PC for intentional foul attacker not in possession
An intentional foul is committed by a defender inside the circle but the ball had yet to reach the attacker when it occurred. The question was asked by the attacking team’s captain as to whether it …
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NZLvBEL Short aerial into crowd
Off the centre pass, a short aerial ball is sent into a crowded area. Although the opposing player is allowed to take it cleanly, the passer’s teammates don’t allow the ball to be controlled before …
AUSvNED Verbal warning to leave the ball
After an unsuccessful tackle leading to a clear and obvious body obstruction, a teammate follows through on the clearance perilously close to after the whistle. The controlling umpire uses a very …
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NZLvGBR GC playing ball after whistle
An attacker continues to play after giving up the foul and the whistle is clearly heard, resulting in a green card. To access this content, you must purchase FHu3t Green, FHu3t Green 365, …
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INDvNED Dangerous shot on goal
While playing the rebound on a penalty corner, the attacker’s shot raises into the defender’s upper body from very close range. The goalkeeper is behind him and on the ground. After consulting with …
AUSvGBR Shot after whistle
An attacker who fails to stop the motion of their shot after a whistle has been blown needs to be cautioned with a green card. As all other players will relax immediately after they hear the call, it …
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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INDvAUS Advantage outside circle leads to PC
The defensive foot just outside the circle could have been blown but, in this case, that would have disadvantaged the attack who would have had to stop the ball and then move it 5m before heading in …
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NZLvBEL Fussy ball placement late in game
Within the last minute or so of the game, there are two examples where being overly fussy about ball placement breaks up the flow of the attack. A team defending a lead loves when an umpire clamps …
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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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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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INDvBEL Danger on raised hit not on target
This attempted shot at goal is not on target or close enough to it so it’s deemed dangerous as it rises at pace and strikes a defender in the knee. Technically, this could also be called as an …
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NZLvESP Player management
In fiery, physical matchups where tempers can really get out of control, player management is a crucial part of both your skillset and your #thirdteam match plan. Adam Kearns shows some of his …
ARGvESP VR for foot outside circle – NAP
The defending team requests a video referral after a penalty corner is awarded after a foot is given just inside the circle on the basis that there was a foot by an attacker immediately before. The …
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BELvAUS PC upgrade 5m infringement angles
This is a fascinating example of a penalty corner upgrade for a 5m infringement outside the circle. First, we consider what distances the tackler and any other player who influenced the play started …
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NZLvGBR No third party obstruction
This is a good example of when an obstruction isn’t a foul. The ball carrier pushed the ball away from him past the nearest defender, and then lifted his stick over his head without making a real …
