A green card is given for this breakdown stick tackle from behind. It’s very subtle but near the end of Q1 in which a few niggling tackles have already occurred, this isn’t a bad time for this level …
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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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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NEDvBEL No advantage
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 …
ESPvNED Ball placement on the sideline
After a sideline ball is given to the attack, the player tries to take the self-pass quickly with a rolling ball, too far from where the ball exited the pitch. Be prepared for players trying to take …
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NEDvAUS VR PS reversal
A penalty stroke is given for this tackle inside the circle, and goes to VR. The foul was initially given for the body contact on the tackle made by the AUS defender, which was reckless and took the …
GERvKAZ No drilling danger
A defender attempts to clear the ball from within his circle and sends the ball hard directly at a set opposing attacker, who was around 4m away. Although 3m is not a firm line when considering …
AUSvNED PC upgrade for not 5m
A free hit is taken 2-3m from the circle edge with multiple defenders in play. One defender who had worked to back pedal doesn’t back off the full 5m and heads back towards the ball to attempt a …
AUSvBEL Fitness and footwork
When using the new positioning, umpires need to have the fitness and footwork required to backpedal at sufficient pace to stay well ahead of the play. Another crucial component is committing to …
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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NZLvBEL Management
The umpire takes an opportunity early in this game to set the standard for communication from the players. After the message isn’t received as well as he would like, the umpire formally stops time and …
UKRvAUS Trap for bully
The ball carrier dribbles into trouble and ends up in a stalemate with one opposing defender. When the ball doesn’t move, the umpire calls a bully for the no-fault obstruction and it takes two tries …
UKRvAUS Deflected shot raised but no disadvantage
This passage of play shows how raised balls are handled inside the circle. The first is a save made by a defender where she stops the ball legally in mid-air, deflecting it back towards an attacker, …
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GBRvAUS 3D skills
The attacker receives the ball over her shoulder, angling her stick so the ball lifts in the air. After a second touch, she tries to spin away from the tackling defender who has been able to make a …
NEDvAUS GC advantage and communication
A green card is given after a short advantage is played through a transfer across to the other side of the pitch. The chasing defender beats the attacker to the ball and receives a little shove in the …
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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 …
UKRvAUS Drilling or penalty corner
This ball is forced into a fairly set defender from close range and should be considered dangerous. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T Green, FHU3T Green 365, FHU3T Yellow 365 …
NEDvBEL Mis-timed intervention from support
Be very careful about the timing of your interventions when you’re not the controlling umpire. Sometimes you can be not focused on the ball enough and lose the fact that the play is underway and an …
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AUSvGBR GC hitting ball away
A green card is given for playing the ball away after the whistle. Be aware of players frustrated by a non-call. A loss of composure earlier in the sequence often results in a lashing out at the next …
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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NEDvBEL YC 3rd breakdown
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 …
CHNvBEL No danger and no intent off end line
There are two events in quick succession in this clip. The first save by the goalkeeper rebounds high and quickly towards an attacker, who confidently reached up and receives the ball, and is able to …
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GBRvAUS Cooperation from supporting umpire
One difficult area for the controlling umpire is the top of the circle, when the ball is received by a player facing in the opposite direction. Their body will often block the view of the ball, making …
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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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ESPvNED Goal on potential GK obstruction
The fine line between the onrushing goalkeeper putting himself into the attacker and the attacker receiving to back into the goalkeeper is in question here. Expanding your vision so you can perceive …
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ARGvNED No danger to teammate
Three incidents happen in quick succession here. A ball hit at pace deflects off a defender’s stick and is only dangerous at that point to his teammate who ducks out of the way, so no foul is awarded. …
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 …
ESPvNED Aerial to undetermined receiver
An attacking aerial is thrown beyond and equally between two opposing players and the free hit is awarded to the defending team. One way to interpret this situation is that the ball is receivable in …
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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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AUSvNED Advantage and breakdown warning
In the first passage of play, the far side umpire plays an advantage from a foot foul as the ball pops into a lovely bit of central space where the attacker has the opportunity to control positively. …
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ARGvESP Advantage recognizing space
A crucial read on the advantage allows an exciting goal opportunity to develop in the central channel. If you are looking ahead to where the ball should go next, you can properly and quickly assess …
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INDvNED Caught high in support
Here’s an example where positioning choices made 70m away can impact our ability to be in the right spot for our mission-critical calls. As the supporting umpire, we can get very enthusiastic about …
AUSvNED No third party obstruction
After playing a quick self-pass, the ball carrier meets a defender and passes the ball over the oncoming defender’s reverse stick. Although his path is blocked by the defender’s body, the ball has …
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 …
ARGvNED PS VR for stick shield denied
A penalty stroke is called on this tackle, and the defending goalkeeper requests a review on the basis that the attacker shielded the ball with his stick. There is a turn made but at real speed, …
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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 …
ARGvBEL GC playing ball away but no PC
A professional foul is committed right around the 23m line as several defenders converge around the ball carrier and put their bodies in his path. After the whistle is blown, a defender casually taps …
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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 …
BELvNZL GC for stick obstruction breakdown
A defender is beaten to the ball and as she is beginning to fall off the pace, throws her stick in from behind and breaks down the play. This is a clear green card. To access this content, …
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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 VR body contact on the tackle
The umpire awards a penalty corner for body contact made on this tackle, and the defending team refers this to the video umpire. Although the defender gets the ball, they are behind the attacker at …
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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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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 …
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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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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AUSvGBR GC taking a shot after the whistle
The attacker attempts to bring down an overhead but it has exited the pitch. He continues the play and unleashes a hard cross towards goal after the whistle has blown. For the reckless play, the green …
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ESPvGER Difference between a PC and PS
A shove in the back from the pursuing defender is appropriately penalized with a penalty corner. The temptation may be to give a penalty stroke because it presents as an intentional foul, but the …
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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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BLRvNED GC 3m infringement
The BLR defender commits a stick obstruction along the side-boards and, within hearing distance of the whistle, clearly puts her stick down in the way of the NED attacker’s self-pass, breaking down …
AUSvNED stick block
A very subtle stick block gives the ball carrier two steps of clearance to get spacing in the circle to try to attempt a shot. Notice the stick moving over the ball and then the movement to the left …
