Hockey Rules and Regulations

Penalties

• A wide range of penalties is available to deal with bad or persistent offences
• Two penalties can be used together to deal with more serious offences

Umpiring Skills

• The main umpiring skill areas are: match preparation, co-operation, mobility and positioning, whistling, and signalling
• Umpires must prepare thoroughly for each match by arriving at the field in good time
• Before the match commences, both umpires must check the field markings, the goals and the nets, and check for any dangerous playing equipment or field equipment
• Umpires must wear similar colours to one another, but different from those of both teams
• Clothing must be appropriate to the conditions and footwear must suit field conditions and assist mobility
• Umpiring equipment includes a copy of the current Rules book, a loud and distinctive whistle, a stopwatch, coloured cards to indicate personal penalties, and materials to record match details

Co-operation

• Good team-work and co-operation between umpires is essential
• Prior to a match, umpires must discuss and agree how they are going to work together to assist each other
• Eye contact between umpires must be practised and maintained
• Umpires must take responsibility and be prepared to assist when their colleague is unsighted or has difficulty seeing certain parts of the field

Match Rules

• No persons other than field players, goalkeepers, and umpires are permitted on the field during the match without the permission of an umpire
• Players on or off the field are under the jurisdiction of the umpires throughout the match, including the half-time interval
• A player who is injured or bleeding must leave the field unless medical reasons prevent this and must not return until wounds have been covered
• Players must not wear blood-stained clothing

Captains

• One player of each team must be appointed as captain
• A replacement captain must be appointed when a captain is suspended
• Captains must wear a distinctive arm-band or similar distinguishing article on an upper arm or shoulder or over the upper part of a sock
• Captains are responsible for the behaviour of all players on their team and for ensuring that substitutions of players on their team are carried out correctly
• A personal penalty is awarded if a captain does not exercise these responsibilities

Players' Clothing and Equipment

• Field players of the same team must wear uniform clothing
• Players must not intentionally enter the goal their opponents are defending or run behind either goal
• Players must not change their stick between the award and completion of a penalty corner or penalty stroke unless it no longer meets the stick specification
• Players must not throw any object or piece of equipment onto the field, at the ball, or at another player, umpire, or person
• If a player delays play to gain benefit by timewasting, a penalty will be awarded

Goalkeepers

• A goalkeeper must not take part in the match outside the 23 metres area they are defending, except when taking a penalty stroke