A yellow card is given for this breakdown tackle after green cards have already been awarded (one to each team), and a warning to the captains for physical play. The level of physical recklessness is …
INDvNED Green card for 5m infringement
This green card for a 5m infringement has two interesting aspects. First, note the frustration of the NED player when he doesn’t earn the call he believes he’s entitled to on the immediately preceding …
Continue Reading about INDvNED Green card for 5m infringement →
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 …
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 →
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 →
AUSvARG Aerial to attacker 5m infringement
This aerial is called in favour of the attacking team as the initial receiver of the ball was in 5m of space before the ball began its trajectory towards the landing zone. The opposing defender subtly …
Continue Reading about AUSvARG Aerial to attacker 5m infringement →
INDvNED Green card for breakdown stick tackle
Either just before or on the 23m line, a defender throws in a tackle that lands halfway up the ball carrier’s stick. These tackles can be dangerous so it’s a good time to show a green card and try to …
Continue Reading about INDvNED Green card for breakdown stick tackle →
ARGvNED Stop time 2nd warning captain
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 →
NZLvUSA PS taking no questions
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 …
ARGvUSA PC injector goes before whistle
The injector is sent to the centre line for a feint (rule 13.6(a)) because she did not wait for the whistle to restart time and the penalty corner to proceed. The penalty corner is reset with a …
Continue Reading about ARGvUSA PC injector goes before whistle →
ARGvBEL VR for advantage off the body ending in a shot wide
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 →
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about ESPvNED Aerial to undetermined receiver →
NZLvGBR 5m infringement FH GC
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 …
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 →
AUSvNED Verbal warning to leave the ball
After an unsuccessful tackle leading to a clear and obvious body obstruction, a teammate follows through on the clearance perilously close to after the whistle. The controlling umpire uses a very …
Continue Reading about AUSvNED Verbal warning to leave the ball →
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 …
BLRvNED Good goal no 3 pts
Another big decision on a goal in this game as the clock is ticking down. The turning moment here is the diving deflection from the top of the circle, and the question is whether that player had three …
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 →
NEDvAUS VR self on goal stick interference by attack
The umpire takes a self-referral on this go-ahead goal, which is a crucial decision to take when the defending team has already lost their right to refer. The question may initially have been whether …
Continue Reading about NEDvAUS VR self on goal stick interference by attack →
INDvAUS Free hit taken
After a free hit is awarded, the player on the ball cutely moves it slightly but pretends it hasn’t been played. The umpire audibly calls “play on” when an opponent closes and attempts to tackle. …
NZLvESP PC upgrade without goalkeeper
The trailing team has pulled their goalkeeper in an effort to tie the game late. A sloppy turnover brings about a late tackle attempt, with the defender’s stick wrapping around the ball carrier’s legs …
Continue Reading about NZLvESP PC upgrade without goalkeeper →
BLRvNED Duck!
Despite your best efforts, sometimes the ball will spin in unexpected directions after rebounding off the side-boards. Becoming a pylon can sometimes be your best defence! To access this …
CHNvNED Ball placement moving outside the 23m
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 →
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 …
BELvAUS PS controlling umpire positioning
There's been a lot of talk recently about determining if a player is dragging the ball on penalty strokes. Foot position is key to understanding if the ball has been pulled from behind the player, …
Continue Reading about BELvAUS PS controlling umpire positioning →
ESPvARG GC Breakdown body obstruction
After a turnover deep in the ARG defensive end, an unexpected amount of space has opened up after the ball crosses the centre line. Although the chasing defender has a teammate in front of the ball …
Continue Reading about ESPvARG GC Breakdown body obstruction →
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 →
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 …
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 …
Continue Reading about INDvBEL GC playing ball after whistle →
ESPvBEL Aerial to attacker 5m infringement before control
Attacker is occupying the space and is the intended receiver of this aerial. Before the attacker can control the ball to the ground, the defender infringes on the 5m space. As the play …
Continue Reading about ESPvBEL Aerial to attacker 5m infringement before control →
NEDvAUS GC for breakdown play along sideline
After a turnover, a defender tracks the ball carrier up the near sideline and presumbly trips her up. Note that the side-on camera angle doesn’t show what we need to see, but from the umpire’s angle …
Continue Reading about NEDvAUS GC for breakdown play along sideline →
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 YC after advantage for trip behind play
A defender commits a great block tackle and the dispossessed attacker goes over his back. As the attacker is getting up, the defender trips him with his stick and puts him back down again, which is …
Continue Reading about NZLvESP YC after advantage for trip behind play →
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 …
AUSvBEL Penalty stroke
A penalty stroke is given for this tackle. What factors do you see present to support this decision, and what factors would be contrary? To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T …
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 …
Continue Reading about NZLvESP VR for danger and stick injury →
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 …
Continue Reading about ESPvGER Difference between a PC and PS →
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 …
NZLvGBR GC hitting ball away
After committing the foul, the GBR player clearly hits the ball away from the spot of the foul. Green card is awarded. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T Green, FHU3T Green …
AUSvNED SO GK obstruction no VR
This is a highly complex shootout attempt. The first issue you may see is that the attacker backs into the goalkeeper, knocking him off-balance. Then, the goalkeeper attempts a poke tackle between the …
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 …
Continue Reading about GERvKAZ Bully for 2 balls on the pitch →
BLRvNED Third-party to advantage
A defender is blocked from attempting a tackle when a teammate of the ball carrier cuts in front of the defender. However, by running that line she brought the ball carrier right into another …
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 …
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 →
INDvNED Dangerous shot on goal
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 …













































