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 …
NZLvBEL No attacker touch inside the circle before crossing the goal line
For a goal to be scored, an attacker must touch the ball inside the circle before it crosses the goal line. There was no touch by an attacker here, and also no defender, so the correct decision is a …
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BELvAUS dangerous play swing and miss
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 …
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AUSvBEL Penalty stroke on tackle from behind
A clear foul occurs when the defender misses the initial tackle and pursues from behind and pushes down the attacker when in a dangerous scoring position. A penalty stroke is unquestionably the …
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NEDvBEL Penalty corner upgrade
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 …
NEDvAUS Opponent within 5m of initial receiver on aerial
As this aerial goes up, two opposing players may have been within 5m of each other in a receiving area. However, from where the ball is heading there is an initial receiver from the attacking team who …
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AUSvARG Breakdown stick tackle and ball placement
The second warning whistle of the game comes from this clear and unnecessary breakdown stick obstruction, 5’ after the first warning whistle of the game. On the ensuing free hit, the umpire …
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INDvNED VR intentional use of the foot
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 …
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NZLvESP Player management
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 …
CHNvGBR VR aerial 5m infringement
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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 …
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 …
USAvNED VR no goal 5m before entering circle
This goal is referred by USA for not going 5m before it enters the circle. It’s difficult to see from the limited angles and resolution available to us, but here are some considerations to have in …
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NZLvBEL Fussy ball placement late in game
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 …
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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, …
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GERvAUT Shot before 3pts of contact
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 …
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AUSvNED Shoot-out intentionally off backline by GK
The umpire mistakenly awards a penalty corner (which isn’t possible in a shoot-out anyway), or a retake, when the goalkeeper plays the ball intentionally off the backline during a shoot-out attempt. …
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GERvAUT Hit on long pass then deflection into defender at close range
Players are most likely to hit the ball in indoor when they are attempting a long pass that requires a high rate of speed to avoid interception. Although this hit wasn’t detected at the time, …
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AUSvNED GC breakdown tackle from ground
A defender attempts a tackle from a poor position in behind and interferes with the ball carrier with their arm or stick. Although the defender is on the ground, they haven’t met the criterion for an …
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UKRvAUS 3pts of contact on goal
The camera work on this goal is poor but it appears that the attacker used her right hand to stabilize her body as she took a very low position and spin to deflect this ball into the goal. Note that …
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 …
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 …
AUSvBEL VR SO goalkeeper obstruction
A video referral is sought when the goalkeeper ends up with the ball underneath her body after a save. The important things to look for are whether the goalkeeper actively moved for that purpose or …
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AUSvNED Aerial interception outside 23m for goal
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 …
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NZLvUSA GC reckless stick
On this attempted tackle, the defender recklessly uses her stick and strikes that of the ball carrier. A green card is awarded. To access this content, you must purchase FHU3T Green, FHU3T …
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 Attack positioning with space
The attack begins well behind the centre line. As there are large channels for the ball to move through, the controlling umpire is very high up the pitch and close to their end line. The lack of …
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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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NZLvGBR Ball played into circle before 5m
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 …
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AUSvNED Aerial across circle supporting umpire help
Some excellent cooperation on display on this attacking aerial across the circle. The ball travels across the pitch to a receiving area clearly occupied by an attacking teammate. A defender is in the …
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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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UKRvAUS Foul on the bully no flat side
The AUS player fails to both start her stick on the ground as required in 6.5(a), but also fails to tap her stick against her opponent’s with the flat side over the ball (it appears to be either the …
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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 …
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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 …
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MASvIND Yellow card for stepping into running line of attacker
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 …
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ARGvNED Aerial into space
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 …
INDvBEL Advantage not taken on shot
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 …
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AUSvARG GC x2 and retaliation
This study in managing off-ball situations is fascinating. The Argentinian attacker slips on his own after he’s entered the circle. As he’s regaining his footing, the Australian defender …
ARGvESP Self VR for ball outside the circle on a PC
The umpire takes a self-referral as to whether the ball leaves the circle on this bobbled penalty corner reception which leads to a goal. The number of angles that give us different views and show how …
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NZLvGBR Breakdown missed
A subtle but physical breakdown foul is missed on the near sideline in front of the 23m line. The umpire is running the outside line with her head turned, making it difficult to see the push in the …
ARGvNED PC dragflick strikes below knee for foot
On the penalty corner, if the ball strikes a defender who has closed to within 5m and that ball is under the height of the knee, that ball is not considered dangerous and another penalty corner should …
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INDvBEL Anticipation into attacking area
This clip shows better anticipation and protection of the mission-critical area of the circle. Even as the ball is moving around behind the centre-line, the umpire is already deep in his attacking …
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NZLvBEL Management of tempers
There are a couple of little nigglies shown by the players here. The controlling umpire double-tweets to get a pause in the play in order to talk to the players, keeping her voice calm. The supporting …
NZLvGBR Allow advantage
The ball carrier is at full stretch and easily works through the two fouls committed on her. The umpire fails to play advantage and the player has to bring the ball back 10m from where the is when the …
AUSvNED Attacker interfering
Just prior to offloading the ball to a teammate, an attacker slips as he attempts a change of direction, knocking his defender back onto the floor as his teammate picks up the ball. It can be tricky …
NZLvESP Clean tackle with noise
Here is a good, up-close example of a tackle with lots of noise, but none of it caused by the defender. Watch his stick jab only slightly forward, and the direction of the ball after the successful …













































