After a long sequence of possession where the attackers move the ball around the defensive 5 but are unable to penetrate inside, a forward attempts to force a hard pass through a set defender from …
BLRvNED GC for playing ball after whistle
With 3m left in Q4 and the attacking team up a goal, an attacker who has just turned over the ball on a stick obstruction foul pushes the ball away from the defender and prevents a quick outlet. …
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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 …
ARGvNED Clean tackles between legs
This passage of play shows not one but two clean tackle attempts between the ball carrier’s legs. In each instance, the attacker was quite stationary and the defender did a good job in coming in low, …
AUSvARG Fair block tackle
A defender moves early into tackling position and makes a block tackle from a stationary position. As she’s deflecting the ball out of bounds, the attacker is unable to adjust her running path and …
AUSvARG Body obstruction shield by attacker
A common area where ball carriers commit body obstruction and shield the ball from a tackle is when they’re dribbling down the left attacking channel. The ball is initially in a natural carrying …
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NZLvBEL GC breaking play
Notice the area of the pitch where this defender chooses to commit a lazy, “oops sorry” stick tackle from behind. Although innocent in appearance, the break stops what was a productive run by the …
ARGvNED Playing ball away for PC upgrade after aerial mistrap
A player mistraps the reception on the aerial and clearly plays the ball off her own foot. She then pokes the ball away in a subtle but cynical motion to ensure the opposition can’t take a quick free …
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NZLvGBR No clear intial receiver aerial
The aerial ball is sent to an attacker downfield who has a defender behind her. This is right on the line where players were in safe positions, and had the ball been sent just a little more shallowly, …
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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 …
ARGvUSA VR PS stick obstruction
After video referral, a penalty stroke is awarded on this play. Although we don’t hear a full explanation from the video umpire as to which stick obstruction was deemed the intentional foul (or both), …
NZLvESP GC for 5m infringement
After a NZL player is judged to have deflected an attempted interception up into himself, he plays the ball after the whistle has gone against him. As the ESP attacker taps the ball in his self-pass, …
NZLvESP Verbal warning for dangerous use of stick
The umpire warns the fouled attacker about flicking his stick up in reaction to the stick obstruction foul. In isolation, this is an excellent intervention. However, we’ve already seen a green card …
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CHNvBEL VR PS danger to GK
On this penalty corner, the goalkeeper makes a save that sits directly in front of her pads. An attacker comes in and places her stick against the ball, and eventually pushes it up against the pads …
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 …
AUSvBEL Clarity on the self-pass
The importance of establishing where the self-pass is taken from is shown in this clip. The foul occurs ~2m behind the 15m line, and from a dead stop, the AUS player puts the ball in motion. He then …
CHNvNED Stick shield
The ball carrier receives the ball on the turn and moves to her left. Her dribble continues in that direction while she places her stick in between the ball at the tackler’s stick in a non-momentary …
ARGvESP GC breakdown stick tackle
A breakdown tackle is rewarded with a green card just as the tempers start to rise in this game. It’s difficult to see exactly what occurred due to the players’ body positions and the distant camera …
NZLvBEL Management of tempers
There are a couple of little nigglies shown by the players here. The controlling umpire double-tweets to get a pause in the play in order to talk to the players, keeping her voice calm. The supporting …
CHNvBEL Management of players pushing in circle
As the ball is being situated for a 23m restart, the players begin jostling for position in the circle. The umpire uses her whistle to get the players’ attention and prevents the ball from being put …
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ARGvNED Verbal warning for dissent
Early in the first game of this two-match home-and-home set, the umpire chooses to set the tone of the communication he will not be accepting. The involved player protests that an earlier foot had …
AUSvNED No foul push in circle
At the end of matches, you’ll be called upon to make split-second decisions that could have an outsized impact on the perception of the weight of that call on the result of the game. It’s …
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 …
AUSvNED When the ball is played on a free hit
A 23m restart is taken with the smallest of dribbles, and although the taker draws it back to a stationary position before resuming his movement, has clearly initiated his self-pass. It’s important to …
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NEDvAUS Early break on PC
A defender breaks early and although she does stop her forward momentum into the circle, the umpire calls for the restart immediately in order to keep things safe for everyone. When the regular pace …
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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NZLvARG Intentionally off back-line
In attempting to clear the ball, the defender sends it at a sharp angle off the back-line. Giving his body position and the full purchase he had on the ball, it’s appropriate to deem this an …
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NZLvBEL PC upgrade
An upgrade penalty corner is awarded on this last-ditch desperation tackle, a classic example of attempting to stop the play with no real opportunity on the ball. To access this content, …
ARGvNED Body shield on circle entry
In this lead-up down the left side, the ball carrier’s continuing movement sidestepping and using the body to block the defender’s stick amounts to an obstruction that isn’t called in this instance. …
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GERvESP Ball intentionally played off back-line
Description to follow To access this content, you must purchase FHu3t Green, FHu3t Green 365, FHu3t Yellow 365 or FHu3t Yellow. …
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AUSvGBR GK clearance intentional off end line
Watch the path of movement of the goalkeeper’s arm as she attempts the clearance, which travels too directly off the end line. This is deemed intentional by the umpire and play is restarted with …
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ARGvBEL 15m ball placement
When attackers are pressing, it’s important to intervene as soon as possible to prevent a free hit from being taken incorrectly and subsequently reset. Here the ball is rolling, making it impossible …
NZLvARG GC playing ball after whistle
A green card is given for playing the ball after the whistle, following up from an incident late in Q1 where the card was not given. To access this content, you must purchase FHu3t Green, …
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ESPvNED PC for foot on the line
A shot taken on the penalty corner goes between the post player’s legs, strikes the post and on its way out, hits his back heel. The correct decision here is another penalty corner rather than a …
USAvNED Transition positioning getting caught
A common positioning mistake is for umpires to get caught ball-watching on difficult decisions like aerials. Without knowing exactly where she began at the 15m free hit, it’s likely the umpire is too …
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INDvBEL Yellow card for physical breakdown
Yellow card for the breakdown comes as the defender moves into the path of the attacker on the dodge. If the attacker has embellished the contact, is it to the degree that the initial foul was not …
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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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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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INDvBEL Stop time temper management
This is the first show of any tempers in the game, which has just under 10 minutes to go. It’s easy to get lulled into complacency when things have been going so well, but the umpire steps in at the …
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UKRvAUS PC intentionally off back-line
The defender is very subtle here but despite using the side-board and low pace, does manage to intentionally send the ball off the back-line and a penalty corner is awarded. To access this …
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INDvNED 10′ YC stick to face
The IND attacker lifts his stick dangerously when attempting to evade a tackle and strikes the defender in the face. This isn’t a red card situation, as the play was reckless but within the context of …
GERvKAZ Bully for 2 balls on the pitch
A shot rebounds off the boards and is in possession of the attacking team inside the circle when the ball patrol mistakenly throws in a second ball. A bully is called, and the ball is brought back to …
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ARGvNED YC 10′ for dangerous tackle
A breakdown foul occurs on the sideline on which the umpire plays advantage. The ball enters the circle, and the ball is then sent intentionally off the end line. The foul is dangerous and physical, …
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ARGvNED Attacker breaks early on PC
On the first penalty corner of the game, the far right attacker breaks early into the circle prior to the injection. The umpire correctly stops the play, sends the injector to the centre line, allows …
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ESPvBEL Far side positioning adjustments
Martin Madden’s movement here is a great example of how there isn’t necessarily one “correct” place to be vis-a-vis the play. When the ball gets bogged down in a crowded area, he moves quickly to a …
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NZLvESP Aerial attacker no control
On the aerial reception, the initial receiver isn’t given 5m to control a difficult aerial coming from overhead. The defender infringes the 5m immediately after the first touch, resulting in a quick …
GBRvAUS PC upgrade playing ball after whistle
A defender plays the ball off her foot on a missed trap and after the whistle has sounded, pushes the ball well away from the spot of the foul. The two exacerbating factors are the obviousness of the …
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BLRvNED Goal disallowed for hit
Big decisions require clarity, timing and a strong presentation. In disallowing this goal, the umpire is looking at the size of the backswing of this hit. Although the stick remains on the court …
ARGvNED YC breakdown tackle
A yellow card is awarded for this breakdown of play that comes, as it frequently does, after a turnover in possession. This was the second card to ARG for a breakdown, and the 4th card overall. …
AUSvGBR Ball not trapped under no danger at GK
Two things to look at: what attempts did the attackers make to move the ball out of the goalkeeper’s pads on each engagement, and did they push the ball back under the goalkeeper at any point? The …
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