For field hockey umpires, by field hockey umpires
An upgraded penalty corner is awarded by the umpire after two loud stick tackles. The decision is referred to the video umpire, who determines that on the first tackle attempt, the ball carrier …
Continue Reading about NZLvBEL VR PC stick block by attack →
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 →
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 →
The ball leaves the pitch after being deflected by an attacker. The defender picks up the ball out of bounds and then plays it in line with where it went out, ~5-7m away from the end line. The rule …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG 15m free hit taken close to end line →
A defender attempts to intercept a pass, deflecting the ball back towards a teammate who further tries to cut out the pass. That attempt deflects the ball high into the air where it’s falling into an …
Continue Reading about USAvNED Ball likely to lead to danger →
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 …
As the play is moving across the circle away from the controlling umpire, a chasing attacker clips the heels of the defender chasing down the ball. This may well have been blocked from the view of the …
The ball becomes trapped in the goalkeeper’s equipment after making a save in this shootout attempt. As this is an unintentional obstruction, the correct decision is a re-award. To access …
Continue Reading about INDvNED SO Retake ball trapped in GK →
The rule prohibiting dangerous play by way of “drilling” the ball at an opponent is intended to protect players’ hands, feet and faces from injury caused by balls behind played at them at high …
Continue Reading about GERvAUT Fine line drilling vs. mishandle →
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 →
While playing the rebound on a penalty corner, the attacker’s shot raises into the defender’s upper body from very close range. The goalkeeper is behind him and on the ground. After consulting with …
The ball is struck with a hit from the top of the circle flat on the ground. A deflection, whether it came from the defender or attacker’s stick, raises the ball over the height of the backboard as …
Continue Reading about ARGvUSA Deflection of first shot as a hit on PC →
After the free hit is given, the fouling player never disengages from the channel and interferes immediately and continuously with the self-pass. A green card is the result. To access this …
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 …
Continue Reading about INDvBEL GC playing ball after whistle →
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about ARGvBEL Quick Whistle To Eliminate Defenders →
As the ball is being switched across the circle through the defenders, a reception is bobbled to a small height. The nearest pressing attacker is far enough away that she is not disadvantaged or …
Continue Reading about BLRvNED No foul on raise inside circle →
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 …
Continue Reading about AUSvGBR Positioning staying ahead of play →
On this penalty stroke, the umpire is proactive about whether the taker is properly lining up her feet behind the ball. She also clearly indicates the stroke will proceed on the whistle, not giving …
This clean tackle is misread by the umpire. Notice the front-on positioning, lack of movement by the defender’s stick, the path of travel of the ball after contact, and the attacker’s …
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about AUSvBEL Reversal of free hit for time-wasting →
A team video referral is requested to review the umpire’s decision that a foul outside the circle constituted a breakdown. A pursuing defender may not change his line but if that line cuts across the …
Continue Reading about AUSvBEL VR breakdown foul outside the circle →
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 …
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, …
Continue Reading about NZLvESP Aerial not given for initial receiver →
After a couple of free hits are awarded around the circle, the attacker fails to move the ball 5m before carrying the ball into the circle. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T …
Continue Reading about NZLvGBR Ball played into circle before 5m →
An attacker dribbles in the low right corner in front of the controlling umpire. A second defender joins the first to cut off the playing lanes, and then a third. The third defender initially cuts off …
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 …
On this nullified goal, an attacker is not only standing in front of the goalkeeper but creating significant contact with him as the shot is being taken on goal, pushing him off balance and …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG No goal obstruction on the GK →
Two instances within 45s of the same team playing the ball after the whistle and breaking down play. In both examples, the fouling player subtly moves the ball further away from the spot of the foul …
Continue Reading about AUSvNED GCx2 playing ball after whistle →
There’s a lot of confusion about the dangerous use of the stick and the so-called “swing and a miss.” This happens when someone swings and misses the ball, creating danger. The speed and path of …
Continue Reading about BELvAUS dangerous play swing and miss →
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 →
When the ball is on the opposite low side of the circle, it’s almost impossible to see exactly what may be going on through the players’ backs. This is where off-ball supporting umpire assistance is …
As an outnumbered counterattack flows into the circle, the deflected crossing attempt is deflected high off the goalkeeper’s stick. It then strikes his defending teammate in the chest and slowly …
As this penalty corner is being injected, the far right-side attacker breaks early into the circle. The supporting umpire communicates this to the controlling umpire over the radios and the penalty …
As soon as the ball popped past the planted defender near the centre line there was always going to be a breakdown tackle to stop this threatening run down the middle of the field. Note the exact spot …
Continue Reading about ARGvBEL Breakdown tackle just outside 23m →
After a series of turnovers, the attacking team moves away at speed with the ball. A chasing defender clips the heels of the ball carrier, who is maintaining a straight line in his run (although there …
Continue Reading about MASvIND Yellow card for stepping into running line of attacker →
This is an example of what is sometimes a difficult call to make regarding 3 points of contact. Accompanying the advent of the prohibition against “drilling” as a specifically-described piece of …
Continue Reading about GERvAUT Shot before 3pts of contact →
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 …
This goal goes to a team video referral. Note the amount of spray at the impact point of the stick to the ball, which is the result of the ball being driven into the ground. Also, the looping, slow …
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 …
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 …
Early in Q1, the attack is full steam ahead down the dangerous middle of the pitch when this late tackle comes in around the attacker’s shins. What would you look for to upgrade this free hit to a …
Continue Reading about MASvIND First green card for breakdown tackle just inside the 23m line →
This attempted pass towards the circle is sent through the set defender’s stick hard from close range. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T Green, FHU3T Green 365, FHU3T Yellow …
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 →
When this defender “bravely” comes in behind the shooter, she is struck in the head with the attacker’s backswing. The attacker lacks eyes in the back of her head and cannot be held responsible for …
Continue Reading about NEDvBEL Dangerous tackle from behind on shot →
The defender attempts to clear the ball out of his end but mishits on his reverse. This is not danger but, as he goes over the ball, uses of the back of the stick. To access this content, …
This video referral gives us the opportunity to examine a decision we aren’t faced with often, which is whether a player intentionally uses their foot to play the ball. The giveaway here is the …
Continue Reading about INDvNED VR intentional use of the foot →
The supporting umpire would have been positioned well upfield to be properly placed to assist his colleague during the taking of the PC. Focus on anticipating the breakdown and try to predict where …
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 …
