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Umpires Corner - Questions &
Answers:
Introduction (by Margaret McLoughlin):
Here is a kind of umpires Q+A corner where you can to pose Questions, or even provide Answers by emailing me at my email address below. The first example came about when someone (who shall remain nameless) asked me the following question. I wouldn't say my word was gospel, but it’s my personal response. Margaret M. _____________________
Q8. Hockey Rules when lifted on Goal : The second, when a ball is dropping close to the goal, heading away from the line, how high can a player lift their stick to hit the ball at goal and does it have to be at a certain angle? The confusion here lies in people watching hockey on the TV and seeing people knock balls into the goals with their sticks quite high. A7. Good questions and as ever not clear cut and it entirely depends on how you, the umpire, sees it at the time! Rule 9.7 states that players must not play the ball with the stick when the ball is above shoulder height EXCEPT that defenders are permitted to use the stick to stop or deflect a shot at goal at any height. In the guidance it goes on to say ‘When saving a shot at goal, a defender must not be penalized if their stick is not motionless, or traveling towards the ball while attempting to stop or deflect the shot. Only if the ball is genuinely hit while above shoulder height and a goal is prevented should a penalty stroke be awarded.’ etc… and finishes ‘IF dangerous play results after a legitimate stop or deflection, a penalty corner must be awarded’. Does that fact that there are two defenders make it any more or less dangerous? For me that’s the only point you need to consider – danger. The answer to your second question is contained in the first in that ‘that players must not play the ball with the stick when the ball is above shoulder height EXCEPT that defenders are permitted to use the stick to stop or deflect a shot at goal at any height’. Yes I am sure that very skilful internationals umpired by very experienced umpire colleagues can seem to do things we don’t usually accept. There is a very slight margin for each umpire to make a good decision. Basically what I call an ‘up periscope’ is absolutely wrong and easy to spot, but a play reaching out with half the head just above the shoulder line, is it above or not???? Again the old standby for me is what the player doing dangerous or likely to lead to danger?? This are purely my own views, and possibly do not give you an exact answer. Call it as you see it at the time. If needs be, stop time and have a chat with your colleague, but what ever you do remain consistent throughout the game.
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Q7. When taking a penalty corner, if the taker has one foot
behind the line, can the other foot be anywhere. the reason I
ask, is that during a game our penalty corner injector was penalised
for having one foot behind the line, and the other foot on the line. ------------------------- Q6. This could be an easy one. Your thoughts please. A local lower division mixed league match, hit outside the D to the attacking team. Hit is not cleanly struck, the ball spins, bobbles, bounces forward a metre and then jumps up at the closest defender standing inside the D. The defender has turned their back and the ball hits them on the backside ! I blow - the attackers want a P.C., the defenders a hit for "dangerous" play - what should my decision be ? It didn't appear dangerous to me and was not deliberately raised. A6. THE KEY POINT IS THAT THE DEFENDER HAD TURNED HIS BACK My thoughts in are that:-
So my decision would be tough to the defender PC the same as you. Is there an alternative??
Free hit defense – NO because of rule 9.9 and your interpretation of the actual events which you may wish to speak to the captain about if asked reasonably. BULLY outside the circle – simultaneous offence? Again up to you to sell the decision to both teams Doesn’t matter for me at what level this occurred, it could occur anywhere. First consideration is always DANGER, and by turning his back from the outset he caused the danger
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Q5.
I was on the
umpire course you ran up in Nottingham in October and have been umpiring
the odd game since then. In a recent game, I had a situation where I
wasn't really sure what I should do and wondered if I could ask you advice
please? A5. A good question! You know what, I'm not ever so sure myself as its occurrence, which actually impacts the game, is rare and if it happened it would in most games probably be a play on - unless it was a huge advantage! Right, back to the issues. Obviously rule 13.3 h is the one in play here. From my way of thinking the player breaking the centre line obviously is breaking the rule but if you think about the advantage rule ‘it is not necessary for every offence to be penalized when no benefit is gained by the offender’ as your first thought by having ‘a word’ was spot on. Next thought may be – what are they / have they gained by doing it? IF the ball gets to them, having travelled more than 5 metres outside the circle direct from the injector, then the PC is over anyway, so it should not be signalled as retake. If other players have touched the ball, then you need again to decide if they have gained an advantage, or the attacking team a disadvantage before penalizing them. Perhaps a hit to the original attacking team where the offender gained possession of the ball may be an option? If its just pure breaking the line you may consider a green card. It could be a point of discussion with your colleague but with other more likely events that you need to cover I wouldn’t worry. Certainly it's one that I will throw around my hockey circles to see what they would suggest. If a lighting bolt of another or better answer arrives I will pass it on! -----------------------
Q4. Temporary and Permanent Suspensions of Players (and Substitutes) for both Indoor and Outdoor Hockey - I am confused when reading rule 14 regarding Personal Penalties. A4. Anyone reading rule 14 on its own (in either the outdoor or the indoor rules) should remember that the definition of a player is “One of the participants in a team”, and that the definition of a Team covers the players on the pitch and substitutes. Rule 14.1 makes it clear that any player can be cautioned, warned, temporarily suspended or permanently suspended. As the term “player” refers to players on the pitch and to substitutes, all these actions can be taken with a substitute in exactly the same way as for a player on the pitch. 14.1 (c) and 14.1 (d) also make it clear that if any player is suspended, whether temporarily (yellow card) or permanently (red card), the affected team plays with one less player for the duration of the suspension. This applies equally whether the player being suspended happened to be on the pitch or happened to be a substitute at the time of the suspension. ------------------------
Q3. Where do I send a player receiving a yellow card? A3. At a recent L1 course I ended up in quite a debate over the above matter. A combination of horror stories came to the fore (player not allowed to take a drink or a warm top / player allowed back onto the field as their team were attacking and thus, unmarked, play a vital role in scoring a goal etc.) Apart from the rules that the temporarily suspended player must remain in a designated place etc, it has never really been satisfactorily concluded where this is. Please find an aide memoir for ALL umpires, which should be brought to the attention of all teams. Please try to find a neutral time to bring the suspended player back on, even if this means stopping time for a few short moments!
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Q2. Last week an umpire blew me up for tackling from the wrong side. Okay I was behind the player but thought it was alright as I didn’t touch him. A2. Strictly speaking there is no offence of tackling from the back or the wrong side and it up to the umpire to make a judgment using rules: 9.12 – Players obstruct if they … - physically interfere with the stick or body of an opponent – i.e. stickle tackling - making contact with the stick first / bodily contact 9.13 - ‘Players must not tackle unless in a position to play the ball without body contact.’ Obviously the onus is upon the tackler to be the correct Position, to show Intent to tackle and Time the tackle correctly (know as PIT). If the tackler gets any of these wrong obstruction is very likely to occur For umpires I would suggest that we avoid the phrase ‘the wrong side’ and describe what we saw (Stickle tackle, obstruction, contact) On the other side of the coin the possessor may shield the ball with the stick or body UNTIL a tackler attempts to get the ball. If the timing of the tackle is right and the possessor of the ball is still shielding the obstruction will occur giving the tackler a free hit. The usual example I use for this is those one armed players to end up pulling the ball behind them just at the point where they meet the first tackler……
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Q1. Penalty corner, the defending team player had feet behind the line but stick clearly over the line and on the floor in field of play. I blew twice for the same offence by the same player, only to be told by the other umpire that in fact I was wrong to penalise this player, also no advantage can be played to the attacking team if a player from the defending team breaks the line prior to the ball coming into play. I have looked at EHA rules and find no directive on this. Could you advise. A1. Ummm that scenario is a thought provoker. First bit - You are talking about rule 13.3 F/H (page 30) where no one except the injector may have contact point inside the circle including the lines. (Again not stated but can include holding onto the goal posts to extra leverage out as front face of post is contact with line and therefore is ‘in field’). My thoughts are probably the same as yours - tell them first, warn them on the second occasion that it’s the same as 12.4c and that they could face a Penalty Stroke, and if they don’t react to that green then on 4th occasion yellow with the PS (as I am sure that would constitute persistently. Hopefully it wouldn’t get to that but no where in the rules does it say that they have to be shown to be getting an advantage nor the other team a disadvantage but that’s left with the umpire to manage.
Second part of the answer is (1) - I refer you to the answer above if persistent and (2) – I think this is where someone has heard about the decision made at National League and higher regional leagues Umpiring circles. Coaches told us that PC routines are so precise that they wanted a reset rather than advantage. I would ask that umpires use there own experience and judgment dependent on the standard of the game. Reset or allow the advantage can depend on different factors like the amount of disruption caused by the defender. It’s important therefore that umpires agree before the game as to what their tolerance level is and tell the captains before the game starts. In the same area it could be an attacker breaking into the circle, what could you do and how should you deal with it as an umpiring team?
Margaret 07712779295
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