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Planet Field Hockey

Here is what I learnt about Indoor interpretations umpiring at the PanAm Indoor World Cup Qualifier in March. Some I have mentioned in previous updates, but they are undocumented and still apply.

With the first ever FIH Indoor World Cup now less than a year away, there appears to be a concerted effort to reach consensus on Indoor umpiring across Europe and around the world. As far as Canada and the US are concerned, this means a relaxing of many interpretations and even rules. Umpires? Manager Craig Madden told the umpires to be significantly more lenient than we had been at the Mavericks? indoor the previous week or the FHO event at Humber College in February.

The FIH Indoor Hockey Umpires? Briefing 2000-2001, dated December 2000, was the basis for the tournament briefing, and is available on the FIH website; this Update document is intended to supplement the FIH one, as there are a couple of major points which came up in the Umpires? meeting but are omitted from that document, and clarifications as to whether recent Outdoor changes also apply to Indoor.

1. Raised Ball
Greater leniency was shown when no advantage is gained. Firstly to attackers within the circle, including the PC stop, where they may now bobble the ball without drawing an immediate whistle. This effectively makes the ruling the same for all players throughout the pitch. Previously forwards could get frustrated when they were penalised for bobbles when all alone in the circle, while defenders could do the same thing and go unpunished.

Also, a player all alone, with no opponent within 5m or more, bobbling the ball up to about knee height, i.e. far more than the 10cm (4?) the rules permit, was allowed to play on, as they really have only disadvantaged themselves through lack of skill.


2. Illegal Substitutions
This caused some controversy at the FHO event at Humber College, and Craig Madden has confirmed that that situation was handled correctly.
If play resumes after a player goes off, but before the substitute player comes on, then that team must play shorthanded until the next legal substitution opportunity. The player who went off may not return to the pitch while play continues; i.e. a player may not substitute him/herself.


3. Turn and Fire
A player in possession of the ball and with opponents behind him/her, is not allowed to turn, on either forehand or backhand, and fire the ball blindly. This is entirely due to the dangerous nature of the move, in particular the follow-through of the stroke, which can easily strike a defender in the head if they have their stick flat on the floor. It follows that a tap through the legs, with no follow-through, is not dangerous, and can be permitted, subject to obstruction.


4. Obstruction
It lives!! As well as the Briefing examples, others mentioned were:

w kicking a defender?s stick out of the way or standing on it;

w circling with the ball in front of a defender. Here the defender?s actions determine whether it is Obstruction or not. If the defender has been fooled by the attacker?s fake into committing, then because the defender is no longer in a position to tackle, the defender cannot be obstructed.
Conversely, if the defender has not been fooled and is still within playing distance and attempting to tackle, Obstruction has occurred.


5. Drag / Sling Free Push
These now are permitted, subject to some restrictions, as mentioned in the current FIH Outdoor Briefing, although no teams made use of this interpretation change.


6. Playing Ball Over Own Back Line
The key here is ?Playing.? If a defender plays the ball towards their own Back Line and then lets the ball go out, that is deemed deliberate, and is a PC. However, a defender making no effort to play a ball passed in their direction which subsequently goes out is not deemed deliberate, and this is a 9m push-out.

When a defender makes a successful tackle which results in the ball going over the back-line, the umpire has to decide whether the defender made a deliberate attempt to put the ball out of play, or was the ball going out of play merely a consequence of the legitimate tackle. While this can be a tricky one to judge, I believe Canadian umpires tend to be too strict and award some unwarranted PCs.


7. Goalkeeper outside the Circle
A goalkeeper, as opposed to a kicking back not wearing a helmet nor other protection reserved for a GK, is not permitted to take part in general play much outside his/her own circle, if any opposing players are in the vicinity. In practical terms, this means a GK may play the ball (only if standing of course!) while on or about their circle line ? it?s not fair to expect them to know exactly where their feet are ? but if already outside the circle, a deliberate step further away should be penalised. Since this is seen as a deliberate act, the penalty is a PC.

Since danger is the reason for this ruling, common sense should be used in its application; e.g. a GK is allowed to take a free push outside their own circle, provided they retreat quickly back inside the circle, since opposing players are obliged to be 3m away. Similarly, a GK can leave the circle to play the ball if all alone in their half and nobody could possibly be in danger, for example if his/her team has a bad PC push-out and the ball travels into the other half.


8. Free Push from the Wrong Spot or Moving Ball
Despite what the Briefing says, rarely, if ever, is a Free Push reversed for taking it from the wrong spot or for the ball being in motion; merely taken again from the correct place. Only for blatant and persistent attempts to gain unfair advantage should the direction be reversed. Of course the good umpire ensures the ball is stationary and in the right place before a Free Push is taken anyway ?


Tony Stewart
April 2002

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