For field hockey umpires, by field hockey umpires
The timing of the umpire’s movement here is a bit off and in the end, has her running inside her circle as the ball is moving around. When the attacker picks up her dribble, the umpire pauses and …
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A dangerous run down the left sideline leaves a defender chasing hard, and starting around the 23m starts to lean in too much with his shoulder, taking the ball carrier to ground and breaking down the …
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If a player sets up a free hit inside the 23m line that should be taken outside and is looking to pass backwards, should the umpire interrupt play to move the hit outside the 23m, even if that …
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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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This is an excellent pick by the umpire of an obstruction that goes unpenalized too often. As the attacker carries the ball towards the baseline, she kicks the stick of the defender away from the only …
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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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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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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 …
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 …
A rare angle on an aerial ball shows us the defender encroaching towards the potential receiving area of the pass where the passer’s teammate is waiting as the initial receiver. This is closer to the …
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The umpire takes a self-referral on this go-ahead goal, which is a crucial decision to take when the defending team has already lost their right to refer. The question may initially have been whether …
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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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This attempted pass towards the circle is sent through the set defender’s stick hard from close range. To access this content, you must purchase FHu3t Green, FHu3t Green 365, FHu3t Yellow …
It’s difficult to be prepared for first time a player at your level breaks a relatively unknown regulation. The FIH shoot-out regulations (which are often mimicked in domestic competitions but not …
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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After committing the foul, the GBR player clearly hits the ball away from the spot of the foul. Green card is awarded. To access this content, you must purchase FHu3t Green, FHu3t Green …
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 …
The first two green cards of the game come in quick succession after first, a chasing defender pushes the ball carrier from behind just outside the 23m. The perfectly-timed and well-weighted nudge is …
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 …
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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Two points on this clip. First, on the sideline ball, it’s crucial to read ahead whenever possible and protect your mission-critical area first when there is a possibility of a quick transition into …
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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 …
An aerial is thrown dangerously on the way up, so the free hit is awarded at the take off rather than the receiving area. The umpire then takes a moment to manage this dissent by stopping time and …
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A midfield pass is played off the back stick and called only for danger when the receiver tries to deflect it on dangerously into her marking defender. Watch for the speed of the swing and the lack of …
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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When a raised shot at goal strikes a defender who is 5m or fewer from the ball, the rule requires us to examine the height. Had this shot struck the runner below the knee, it is not considered …
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 …
This is an example of when possession isn’t accompanied by opportunity, so the better remedy is to blow your whistle. Although the ball carrier may have had the skill to dribble away from the …
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 …
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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A melee in front of the goalkeeper goes on for several seconds, where one attacker, two field defenders and the goalkeeper jockey for the ball. Eventually, the attacker gets his stick on the ball but …
This green card for a 5m infringement has two interesting aspects. First, note the frustration of the NED player when he doesn’t earn the call he believes he’s entitled to on the immediately preceding …
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An attacker attemps to place pressure on a defender who has recovered the ball, but swings his stick over his head from behind. A quicker whistle on these situations can help avoid the ball carrier …
Here are two sequential examples in the same passage of play that feature the umpires’ excellent understanding of flow. We’re now in Q3 and the players have been respecting 5m and ball placement thus …
This tackle is upgraded to a penalty corner as a second defender comes in to bail out his teammate after a dangerous turnover. The extra shove off the ball with the elbow is spotted and the …
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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An attacker attempts a raised hit shot at goal but is off-target, making it dangerous. In this context the free hit would normally go back to where the hit was attempted, but the defender moves the …
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When the attacker makes a moves around the tackler at the edge of the circle, they throw the ball too far towards a second defender. As they were unlikely to catch up to the ball, no disadvantage has …
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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Attacker is occupying the space and is the intended receiver of this aerial. Before the attacker can control the ball to the ground, the defender infringes on the 5m space. As the play …
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The ball carrier is at full stretch and easily works through the two fouls committed on her. The umpire fails to play advantage and the player has to bring the ball back 10m from where the is when the …
The NZL player receives this aerial with some difficulty, taking his time to bring the ball down. In the meantime, a GBR player reads the trouble and closes at full pace, stealing the ball. This play …
A defender attempts a tackle from a poor position in behind and interferes with the ball carrier with their arm or stick. Although the defender is on the ground, they haven’t met the criterion for an …
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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 …
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 …
When this defender “bravely” comes in behind the shooter, she is struck in the head with the attacker’s backswing. The attacker lacks eyes in the back of her head and cannot be held responsible for …
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Right at the 23m line (and arguably over it), the attacker plays the ball into the feet of the defender, who then clearly pushes the ball away in order to prevent the attacker from taking a quick …
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A defender is blocked from attempting a tackle when a teammate of the ball carrier cuts in front of the defender. However, by running that line she brought the ball carrier right into another …
The umpire awards an upgrade to a penalty corner after the defender subtly interferes with the taking of this free hit. After the ball contacts his foot, he pivots and moves his leg in front of the …
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On the penalty corner, if the ball strikes a defender who has closed to within 5m and that ball is under the height of the knee, that ball is not considered dangerous and another penalty corner should …
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