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 …
NZLvGBR Aerial pressure from behind
An aerial ball is sent to a space occupied by an opposing player. A teammate of the passer starts behind the initial receiver and begins to close. At this level, is it a disadvantage for a receiver to …
Continue Reading about NZLvGBR Aerial pressure from behind →
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 …
Continue Reading about INDvARG VR stick obstruction no foul no bully Pibworth Rule →
BELvAUS GC breakdown tackle 2
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 …
NZLvUSA VR PS for intentional stick obstruction
This penalty stroke decision is referred to the video umpire to downgrade it to a penalty corner. The defender reached in from behind and obstructed by briefly hooking the attacker’s stick, preventing …
Continue Reading about NZLvUSA VR PS for intentional stick obstruction →
ESPvGBR Advantage goal
Terrific advantage played for this goal. The trick is to not only see possession but what also constitutes an opportunity for the level of skill in front of you. For most levels, a player in …
GBRvAUS Back stick in midfield
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 …
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about CHNvNED GC playing ball after the whistle →
GBRvNZL Advantage played on breakdown tackle inside the circle return for the green card
The umpire plays advantage after a defender lunges for a tackle inside the circle, and then returns to the defender for the green card after the next foul is called. To sell the sequence more …
ARGvNED Aerial no control
An aerial ball falls to two opposing players, and the attacking teammate attempts an unsuccessful interception 5m away from the defender, after which the latter is permitted to initially receive the …
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about AUSvARG YC for breakdown dangerous tackle from behind →
NEDvBEL Radio help from supporting umpire
Excellent communication from the supporting umpire over the radio throughout this sequence leads to an accurate and accepted penalty corner decision. It’s just as important for the support to say …
Continue Reading about NEDvBEL Radio help from supporting umpire →
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 …
ESPvGER Sideline vs free hit ball placement
The ball carrier deftly flips the ball off a defender’s foot and it careens off the sideline. No free hit is, as near as we can hear, called by the umpire, but when the attack puts the ball back in …
Continue Reading about ESPvGER Sideline vs free hit ball placement →
NZLvESP PC for intentional foul attacker not in possession
An intentional foul is committed by a defender inside the circle but the ball had yet to reach the attacker when it occurred. The question was asked by the attacking team’s captain as to whether it …
Continue Reading about NZLvESP PC for intentional foul attacker not in possession →
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 …
Continue Reading about GBRvAUS Cooperation from supporting umpire →
NEDvAUS VR for backstick on SO goal
On a sweep shot like this it can be difficult to see a back stick as there is no telltale spray or looping ball trajectory as indicators. Here, the best sign is the toe of the stick. When we don’t …
Continue Reading about NEDvAUS VR for backstick on SO goal →
CHNvNED FHD taken too far away
After the penalty corner breaks down and a free hit defence is awarded for a dangerous ball inside the circle, the ball drifts to the opposite side of the circle and a (former) defender attempts to …
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 …
Continue Reading about AUSvARG Missed YC for breakdown from behind →
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 …
CHNvBEL Body shield on left circle top
An attacker carries the ball towards the top left (far) side of the circle as a defender approaches from the front. The attacker drops the ball behind her body just as the defender attempts to make …
Continue Reading about CHNvBEL Body shield on left circle top →
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. …
NZLvGBR Attacking free hit directly into circle
A free hit is taken just inside the 23m area. It travels towards the circle and hits the edge of the circle line, which constitutes inside the circle. A free hit is given for the defence, taken where …
Continue Reading about NZLvGBR Attacking free hit directly into circle →
BLRvNED No bully for trapping obstruction
The ball gets unintentionally trapped for a short period of time between two players who maintain good control of their weight. The umpire sees the space around players and takes into account that …
Continue Reading about BLRvNED No bully for trapping obstruction →
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. …
ESPvARG Early read on the transition
The umpire on the far side recognises early the potential for an end to end counter and, being aware of the attacker high in the circle, moves quickly to get to his “happy place” behind the base line …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG Early read on the transition →
INDvARG Raising a ball with a hit out of the air
As we are seeing more frequently, players have the skill to hit the ball out of the air and raise it and do so safely. However, there are real questions to ask whether we should be allowing it. In …
Continue Reading about INDvARG Raising a ball with a hit out of the air →
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 …
Continue Reading about INDvBEL Stop time temper management →
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 …
Continue Reading about INDvAUS VR Goal for obstruction on GK →
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about ESPvGER Use of body after shot hits post →
ESPvARG 5m not shadowing and 3rd party obstruction
The first decision of note here is the quick self-pass taken inside the 23m with a defender caught within the 5m zone. That defender isn’t expected to disappear and can, in some circumstances, work …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG 5m not shadowing and 3rd party obstruction →
MASvIND Penalty stroke and yellow card given to defender for diving in front of the ball was tripped
On this play, a penalty stroke is awarded against the defender for intentionally throwing his body in front of the ball inside the circle. However, on replay it’s clear that he tripped over the leg of …
AUSvNED Too high on backfield transfer
Your positioning on backfield possession transfers will have a big impact on your ability to handle turnovers. We have to read the style and intensity of the defending press and if it’s coming, …
Continue Reading about AUSvNED Too high on backfield transfer →
AUSvGBR 15m FH ball placement
A ball goes out off the endline, touched last by an attacker. The defending team attempts to set up a 15m free hit in the middle of the circle, and the opposition is reasonably close in their …
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, …
Continue Reading about NZLvARG GC playing ball after whistle →
ESPvARG GC 5m aerial infringement breakdown
The initial receiver of the ball is an attacker in navy, standing just in front of the 23-metre line. He is sandwiched by two defenders. One defender possibly unintentionally infringes by coming from …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG GC 5m aerial infringement breakdown →
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 …
NZLvGBR PC upgrade hitting ball away
A penalty corner upgrade is awarded when a defender hits the ball away from the spot of the foul given on the edge of the circle. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T Green, …
Continue Reading about NZLvGBR PC upgrade hitting ball away →
INDvAUS GC after long advantage for dangerous play
A lengthy advantage is played after a collision between two players. Although this is clearly a 50/50 ball that the IND captain wins the battle for, there is a little extra afterwards that shows a …
Continue Reading about INDvAUS GC after long advantage for dangerous play →
ARGvNED Stick obstruction GC
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 …
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, …
Continue Reading about UKRvAUS Deflected shot raised but no disadvantage →
ESPvARG Danger on ball entering the circle
A ball is raised into the circle off a reverse sweep hit, rising dangerously past one defender and heading for a set of opposing players where the defender is marking very tightly. Either for the …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG Danger on ball entering the circle →
CHNvNED Side line ball not moved 5m
An attacker is awarded a side line ball. Taking it on the roll, she doesn’t quite move it 5m before sending the cross into the circle, and the free hit is given. To access this content, …
Continue Reading about CHNvNED Side line ball not moved 5m →
INDvBEL Green card playing ball after whistle
Green card for playing the ball after the whistle has gone. There’s a fine line between players honestly mistaking whether the decision has gone their way, and the obvious concession that the fouling …
Continue Reading about INDvBEL Green card playing ball after whistle →
ARGvNED Obstruction kicking stick away
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 …
Continue Reading about ARGvNED Obstruction kicking stick away →
GERvKAZ Body shielding on the boards
When the ball carrier collects this reception along the left boards, he steps forward with his right foot pushing into the defender’s space and interposing his leg between the defender’s …
Continue Reading about GERvKAZ Body shielding on the boards →
NZLvUSA Dangerous 3D skills
An attacker picks up the ball on a 3D dribble and goes straight at the upright defender, without making any attempt to go around. The umpire correctly calls this as dangerous. Switch your focus to the …
