For field hockey umpires, by field hockey umpires
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 →
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 …
Continue Reading about CHNvNED Ball placement moving outside the 23m →
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 …
The umpire does a great job here making a quick decision on a free hit inside the dotted 5m line, and immediately “double-tweeting” to get the players’ attention and verbally signal the correct ball …
Continue Reading about INDvBEL Proactive ball placement inside dotted line →
In fiery, physical matchups where tempers can really get out of control, player management is a crucial part of both your skillset and your #thirdteam match plan. Adam Kearns shows some of his …
Late in the game, the fouling team is up a single goal. After turning over the ball outside their 23m line, an attacker is able to beat a tackle. That tackler puts his shoulder in to interrupt the run …
Continue Reading about GBRvNZL Yellow card for breakdown in Q4 stepping in with shoulder →
After creating body contact with an attempted tackle and the whistle sounding for the attacking free hit, the defender continues his attempts at the ball and knocks it away from the ball carrier, who …
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 …
Continue Reading about ESPvNED Ball placement on the sideline →
Seconds into this game, a ESP player attempts to dispossess the GER ball carrier and rather recklessly makes body contact (as per the wording of the rule), bowling his opponent over. The GER player is …
Continue Reading about ESPvGER Reckless physical tackle early →
The defender gains possession of the ball and, after a short adjustment, plays it towards her teammate who is completely unprepared for the pass and actually picks up her feet to get out of the way, …
Continue Reading about BELvNZL Intentional off end line or misplayed →
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 …
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 …
This is a tricky aerial because the angle we have from the camera makes it impossible to see the true trajectory of the ball. Our side-on assessment may be that the attacking teammate would have been …
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 …
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 …
This team referral comes after the umpire chooses to play advantage from the body foul by the defender, and while the attacker manages to put a stick on the deflected ball the shot goes wide. The …
Continue Reading about ARGvBEL VR for advantage off the body ending in a shot wide →
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 …
Continue Reading about CHNvBEL No danger and no intent off end line →
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 …
After a NZL player is judged to have deflected an attempted interception up into himself, he plays the ball after the whistle has gone against him. As the ESP attacker taps the ball in his self-pass, …
This tackle comes in from behind and the stick hits the ball carrier on the leg. An advantage is played to the out of bounds play at the far end, and the umpire from the near side stops play and …
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 …
A video referral is requested for a push inside the circle. The rushing defender and the drag flicker get slightly tangled, resulting in some reflexive actions pushing each other away. Although the …
Continue Reading about AUSvBEL Video referral for off-ball incident inside circle →
Accepting the pass inside the circle, the BEL attacker picks the ball up to make a 3D manoeuvre but in mid-air takes the ball very close to a defender. Had the ball been taken away from the defender, …
Continue Reading about AUSvBEL Dangerous 3D skills in circle →
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 →
Green card given for a tackle occurring before a long advantage is played. Note the timing of the tackle, which is immediately after a turnover is earned with the opposing player in a good space. …
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 …
Continue Reading about GBRvAUS Free hit defence inside circle taken far away →
The attacker is awarded a free hit a few metres inside the sideline, also inside the 23m area. She retrieves the ball which is rolling towards the sideline, and continues the roll without any change …
Continue Reading about GBRvAUS Rolling ball on free hit reversed →
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 …
Continue Reading about AUSvBEL No call third party obstruction →
The umpire here stops time after some shouting and brings the ARG captain in for another chat. The body language here is more positive than the previous attempt, and the captain seems to make an …
Continue Reading about ARGvNED Stop time 2nd warning captain →
The umpire here gets caught supporting too high and then watching the turnover with planted feet rather than getting on her bike immediately. Often when we realize we’ve made a mistake we get caught …
In many parts of the playing field, this tackle may well be deemed a body obstruction as the defender steps in with his shoulder and blocks the path of the attacker. However, when you take into …
Continue Reading about ARGvBEL Non-obstruction going to end line →
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 →
Advantage is played on the foot as the ball falls to an attacker at the top of the circle. He’s unable to get the shot away as a defender is able to poke the ball away before the swing comes through …
Continue Reading about INDvBEL Advantage not taken on shot →
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 …
Continue Reading about NZLvESP GC for playing ball after whistle →
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about AUSvNED Interference with stick after clean tackle →
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 …
Continue Reading about ESPvGER Difference between a PC and PS →
Two points on this play to examine. The first is that the passage begins with a centre-line restart after the ball is played unintentionally off the back-line by a defender. Although initially …
Continue Reading about BLRvNED 3m self-pass centre line and not intentionally off back-line →
An aerial ball is outlet from the left sideline on the diagonal into the middle of the pitch. From the side angle, it appears that the AUS player infringes within 5m of the NED player standing …
Continue Reading about AUSvNED Aerial interception outside 23m for goal →
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 …
Continue Reading about BELvAUS GC playing ball after the whistle →
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG Aerial dangerous on way up and management →
A diving attempt at the ball takes the ball carrier to ground. Questions to ask yourself include: from what angle did the defender approach (were they behind and trying to stop the play, or making an …
An attacker continues to play after giving up the foul and the whistle is clearly heard, resulting in a green card. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T Green, FHU3T Green 365, …
Continue Reading about NZLvGBR GC playing ball after whistle →
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 …
An attacker is sprung free entering the top of the circle. A chasing defender collides with her, taking herself to the ground and committing a stick obstruction in the process. This is clearly an …
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 …
Within the last minute or so of the game, there are two examples where being overly fussy about ball placement breaks up the flow of the attack. A team defending a lead loves when an umpire clamps …
Continue Reading about NZLvBEL Fussy ball placement late in game →
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 …
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 →
