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 …
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 …
ARGvNED Aerial into space
The aerial ball is missed by the initial defender and as the ball bounces into the space behind her, it appears it could be safely contested by the next set of two opposing players and play allowed to …
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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BLRvNED YC for breakdown
A defender (#5) reaches in after being beaten at the centre line and the umpire plays advantage through until a free push is awarded near the circle in front of her. The umpire initially has the …
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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ARGvESP Late whistle on 5m aerial
This aerial is mistrapped but the opposition wasn’t 5 metres. Advantage didn’t accrue so the whistle was blown a little on the later side by the trailing umpire. Knowing your responsibilities is …
AUSvBEL Reversal of free hit for time-wasting
The umpire reverses the free hit as the player on the ball fails to put it in play within a reasonable amount of time according to the tempo established throughout the game. To access this …
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NZLvBEL First shot hit high on PC
The first strike on this penalty corner is a hit, which sails undeflected over the logged goalkeeper and crosses the goal line higher than the backboard height. To access this content, you …
AUSvNED Attacker interfering
Just prior to offloading the ball to a teammate, an attacker slips as he attempts a change of direction, knocking his defender back onto the floor as his teammate picks up the ball. It can be tricky …
NZLvARG GC breakdown just outside
The umpire deems this foul to be intentionally committed just outside the circle, and gives a green card at the same time. Given the physical nature of the breakdown, this is a good time to send the …
ARGvNED Triple advantage goal
Three consecutive advantages are well-given, clearly signalled with the one arm high in the air, and lead to a goal. Read ahead where the ball may fall after a missed reception or a foot foul, and …
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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NZLvESP Interfering with quick self-pass
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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INDvBEL Anticipation and no foul signalling
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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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 …
UKRvAUS 3pts of contact on goal
The camera work on this goal is poor but it appears that the attacker used her right hand to stabilize her body as she took a very low position and spin to deflect this ball into the goal. Note that …
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 …
NZLvESP Aerial not given for initial receiver
There are several moving pieces in this aerial, and shows the difficulty in parsing out exactly 5m of clear space for an initial receiver. In tracking the reception area prior to the ball arriving, …
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INDvAUS 2 GCs breakdown and danger
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 …
AUSvBEL Stick obstruction by attacker on swing through
Before getting the pass away, a defender is able to successfully poke the ball away from the attacker, who swings through anyway. Although there is a loud clash of sticks, the contact is created by …
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NZLvGBR Aerial steal
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 …
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 …
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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AUSvBEL Green card for reckless tackle
On the attempted tackle, the defender comes through the back of the receiver in an uncontrolled manner. Although the attacker may have gone down a little too easily, the defender didn’t try to step …
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ARGvNED Defender hits umpire with PE after PC
After a penalty corner concludes, a defender discards her protective glove and inadvertently throws it at and strikes the umpire with it. Although the rule does prohibit players from throwing any …
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NZLvESP Dangerous breakdown tackle upgraded plus card
An upgraded team penalty is given after this breaking tackle in a dangerous position just outside the circle. At this point in the game with the physical play and previous cards that have been given, …
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ESPvGER Use of body after shot hits post
When a shot at goal does not touch a defender before careening off a goalpost or crossbar, the danger is the responsibility of the shooter and therefore deemed created by the attack. The goalkeeper …
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NEDvAUS Turnover drill
It’s a small detail but makes a mammoth difference in the end positioning result. When the ball is turned over in the midfield, the umpire immediately turns to sprint hard towards her own circle. When …
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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BLRvNED Rolling and raised ball
Two separate elements can be highlighted in this passage of play. First, after the ball is rolled in from the ball patrol on a 9m free push, the defender puts the ball into play without making a …
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 …
INDvBEL GC playing ball after whistle
After the ball goes off his foot and both whistles have sounded, the BEL player continues to play the ball and passes the ball away. This breaks down a potential quick counterattack and is met with a …
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AUSvNED Clean tackle from behind
Although it’s rare, it is possible for players to make successful and clean tackles from behind their opposition. It’s important to make no assumptions and focus on the defender’s stick and body to …
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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ARGvESP GC breakdown tackle outside 23
A green card is awarded for this breakdown tackle just outside the 23m area. The intent is easy to divine from where the defender decides to step in and stop the attacker’s progress. To …
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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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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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ARGvESP Stop time management
The umpire stops time to send a calming message to the player that when he’s unsighted, it’ll take a moment to get the message through the radio to get to the correct decision. The game had been …
NZLvESP VR for danger and stick injury
A dangerous play emerges when a defender deflects the ball up in the air and the attacker attempts to pick it with their stick, hitting the fouling player in the forehead. The initial danger was still …
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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 No advantage ball placement
Early in a match is a great time to set your standards for ball placement. When advantage doesn’t accrue after this stick obstruction foul, the umpire steps in with a clear double-whistle and …
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AUSvNED Interior positioning for sideline play
Notice the umpire’s positioning and movement as the ball moves around his deep and near sideline area. Instead of moving too quickly outside the play from the preferred interior position, he moves …
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NZLvESP GC for playing ball after whistle
A green card is shown as the NZL player ignores the whistle indicating the ball had gone over the sideline, and then clearly steps in and around the ball to interfere with it either being played or …
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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 breakdown tackle not penalized
Although this tackle happens early in the game, only 30 seconds into the first quarter, it’s important to be engaged and prepared to provide the correct intervention. This defender reaches in …
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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 …
NEDvBEL Penalty corner upgrade
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 …
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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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 …
