Umpires clarify 5-metre and raised stick rules

The gentlemen at the Surrey Umpires Association have kindly flagged some interpretations regarding two of the more ambiguous rules which should help players understand what they can and cannot do and, more often, why the umpires fail to be convinced by their arguments after they have been penalised.


Umpiring the 5 metres – establishing the 5 metres, influence, and when to whistle (Rule 13.2.b)

The FIH briefing states:
• For free hits (including centre passes, corners and all sideline restarts after the ball has been outside the field) all opponents must be at least 5 metres from the ball.
• For free hits awarded to the attack within their attacking 23 metre area - all players must be at least 5 metres from the ball.

Therefore:
• If a player is within 5 metres and is influencing, blow for the foul and deal with the foul appropriately, before play travels outside of the 5 metres if no clear advantage is likely - this is to avoid confusion. By blowing the foul within the 5 metres, teams understand that the influence/not 5 metres is the foul. If you delay and allow play on, and then try to go back to the 5 metre foul, some teams do not understand that the foul was the influence within the five and not the ‘good’ tackle outside the 5 metres.
• If a player is within 5 metres, but not influencing allow play on.
• If a player is within 5 metres, but not influencing and they then attempt to play the ball outside the 5 metres this is not a foul, allow play on.

Stick above shoulder height (Rule 9.7)

The height of the stick is very important when penalising this action, but it is the potential outcome that determines the appropriate penalty i.e. free hit, green card or yellow card.

1. a stick level with the player’s shoulder is allowed – help players to understand this by signalling play on and indicating with your voice.
2. a stick above the shoulder is not allowed (perhaps nearing head height or periscope) – this is an offence and should come with the appropriate penalty.

Apply common sense when interpreting this regulation. In order to determine the appropriate penalty think about the event that has occurred and the context of the game and what the outcome of this action caused on the passage of play.

Other changes

There are other changes being experimented with in the National League and certain specified other events, for example two yellow cards being an automatic red card.

These changes are not being trialled in hockey run under the auspices of Surrey HA or Southern Counties HA. It is only the above two interpretation changes that are to be applied to hockey at these levels.