This was a reckless tackle attempt by the Australian defender. She reached in from behind the ball carrier who was breaking through the middle and approaching the 23-metre line. The low chance of …
INDvNED Management of time-wasting
It’s a small thing, but because it’s managed properly it prevents a problem from developing later in this game. With the blue team defending a 10min yellow card, they are presented with a 15m free …
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, …
NZLvBEL GC for breakdown from behind long advantage
The second green card of the game, first to this team, comes after the ball carrier is dispossessed. She chases back and attempts a shave tackle, which results in a stick obstruction. A long advantage …
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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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NEDvAUS VR for ball intentionally off the endline
When the ball is cleared off the end line by a defender, the umpire deems it unintentional, and the attacking team requests their video referral. When you examine the travel of the ball, the body …
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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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CHNvBEL SO obstruction by attacker
The attacker carries the ball to the goalkeeper on this shoot-out, turns her back and continues her motion into the goalkeeper’s space. This is an easy obstruction call with no doubts from any …
NEDvGER VR PC stick shield obstruction
Description to follow …
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NZLvBEL Stick over head foul
The ball carrier executes a dodge and lifts his stick over the defender’s head, slightly striking him on the way down. The defender confronts the attacker after the ball is turned over (on that foul …
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 …
AUSvNED Aerial across circle supporting umpire help
Some excellent cooperation on display on this attacking aerial across the circle. The ball travels across the pitch to a receiving area clearly occupied by an attacking teammate. A defender is in the …
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USAvNED No third party obstruction x 2
Two examples in quick succession where players “cross” each other but don’t create a third-party obstruction. In the first instance, a defender doesn’t cleanly trap the ball and it continues to her …
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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 …
AUSvGBR Positioning staying ahead of play
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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ESPvNED Flashing in the circle
When the play is in the deep far side of your circle, “flashing” a few metres inside the circle towards the penalty spot is an effective and relatively safe way to get yourself a better view of the …
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 …
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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ARGvBEL Caught within 5m and retreating for good tackle
Note the exact spot where the BEL defender commits the initial foul, which is around 1m outside the 5m dotted line. She stands vertically to take up as little passing space as possible and picks up …
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CHNvBEL Near corner movement positioning
Note the umpire’s movement patterns along the end line as the play develops on her near sideline. She shifts herself out of the lane of the closer set of players who could block her view, a few steps …
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INDvARG VR stick obstruction no foul no bully Pibworth Rule
The initial decision on the penalty corner was a free hit for the defence. The attacking team referred it for a stick obstruction. On review, the video umpire found simultaneous fouls by both the …
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AUSvBEL Third party obstruction on penalty corner runner
On this penalty corner, an attacker runs in front of a defender, jumps in the air to avoid the ball but lands on top of her as the ball strikes her. What are the arguments for this being a third party …
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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 …
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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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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NZLvGBR Breakdown missed
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 …
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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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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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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ARGvNED Ball placement from danger
The ball is cleared up the sideline dangerously, and the umpire brings the ball back to where it was dangerous to the opponent, not where the ball was launched from. This is inconsistent with rule 9.8 …
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 …
ARGvNED No third party obstruction
This situation doesn’t result in a third party obstruction as the defender wasn’t within playing distance, preferring to take a more oblique angle to channel the ball carrier into his far corner. …
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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AUSvARG Missed YC for breakdown from behind
What would have been the second yellow card of the game to ARG is missed on this breaking tackle involving a push on the back that takes the ball carrier to ground. These can be difficult to spot if …
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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), …
GERvKAZ Drilling no card
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 …
AUSvGBR Stick over the head
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 …
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 …
ARGvNED Aerial into D
An aerial is launched into the circle safely over the heads of the players with established positions, falling into a landing area where only a solitary attacker was making a great cut for the ball. …
ARGvNED Stop time captains
The umpire calls for the captains to have a discussion about physical play off the ball. Early in a game, this is an excellent strategy for player management, inviting the captains to take …
NEDvAUS SO taken not from centre
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 …
BELvAUS GC playing ball after the whistle
Although a green card is given, there’s an argument for a yellow due to the impact of the foul and the late stage of the game. The defender subtly kicks the ball ahead and pretends to play it …
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ESPvGBR Aerial for attack and ball placement
The attacker is the initial receiver of this outlet aerial, and two defenders encroach on the 5m area. The first freeze frame is the moment when the free hit is awarded; the second where the self-pass …
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INDvAUS VR Goal for obstruction on GK
This AUS penalty corner goal goes to a video referral for the obstruction on the goalkeeper. It can be very difficult to track so many crucial pieces, especially when you as the controlling umpire are …
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AUSvBEL No call third party obstruction
It’s a fine line picking out whether a ball is within playable distance of an obstructed attacker who is at a full run. Inside the circle, given the close proximity of many players and the goal, a …
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NEDvAUS Opponent within 5m of initial receiver on aerial
As this aerial goes up, two opposing players may have been within 5m of each other in a receiving area. However, from where the ball is heading there is an initial receiver from the attacking team who …
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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 …
ESPvGBR Patient whistle on smaller fouls inside the circle
Showing patience inside the circle when little incidents occur can show dividends when an umpire has a thorough understanding of the skill level of the players involved. There is a minor bump by the …
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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 …
CHNvNED Ball placement moving outside the 23m
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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