Umpire Resources

Cris Maloney's Season Reminders

Cris is a USA Field Hockey Umpire, prolific author and photographer who can be found at field hockey events all over the country.  He is also the administrator of UmpireHockey.com and admin for Facebook's "Field Hockey Discussion Forum".  Go to UmpireHockey.com/enroll if you are interested in accessing his online course.

Cris's tips and reminders are presented below.  While not everything is directly applicable to our league, the philosophy and concepts he discusses are a very good framework for a successful season.

NOTE: The NJPA has made minor modifications where confusion with our league's rules may have arisen.  The original transcripts of Cris's full posts to Facebook's "Field Hockey Discussion Forum" can be found HERE.

UMPIRES

Arrive to the field together (wait in the parking lot for your umpiring buddy before going to the field), walk from the lot to the field shoulder to shoulder — you are one of the teams arriving for the game, look like it.

Put your excess gear at the table and walk/jog the field together. Start with the perimeter, check/clear the officiating space just outside the field. NOTHING (except for the goals and corner flags) should be within 5 yards of the sidelines AND end-lines -- especially the half of the end-line where you might need to be when play is in "your" circle. As you pass the team benches, remind any team personnel to clear away (put behind the bench) any water bottles, extra sticks, balls, etc. As you go around the field, note line colors; step off stroke mark (if “weird”, get it measured/measure it); make sure corner flags are present and just touching the corners (at the corner — not on it, not away from it); check that goals are present and just touching the goal-line (at the goal-line — not on it, not away from it); check the netting; and check that the penalty corner insertion and proximity marks are present and proper. Continue your inspection by walking/jogging with your partner in decreasing widths and lengths (concentric ovals). Check other field markings — circles, broken line circles, etc., noting colors; and look to see if there is any damage to the field (pot holes -- or mud holes -- on grass fields and broken seams on synthetic surfaces, making note of anything that might be a hazard). Finish at the table and ask the scorer and timekeeper if they have been properly trained by their teams (give pointers if needed).

Remain at the table and call the captains and head coaches over for the pre-game meeting.

The Pre-Game Meeting

A driving force for a meeting with the captains and coaches is that from greetings to coin toss, the whole thing should not take longer than 90 seconds. Under no normal circumstances should the meeting extend to the 2-minute mark. If it gets to be that long, you should be shaking from discomfort.

Meet at the scorer's table. There is no reason to take the captains out to the middle of the field like this is a made for TV moment...unless, of course, the game is being broadcast and/or you've got a couple of Olympians doing a ceremonial coin toss!

To consistently meet the goal of honoring the time the meeting is taking away from each team's final preparations and to demonstrate that neither umpire is "in charge" or has a high authority than the other, stand shoulder to shoulder and share the execution of the NIC protocol (V-NIC for high schools).

V = Umpire 1: Ask the head coaches to Verify that their athletes are legally equipped (they have to say, "Yes," not things like, "To the best of my knowledge," or, "They were when we got here." This is a high school only requirement. If there is a local requirement to do so, read the sportsmanship message. In some areas, I've seen coaches depart as soon as their verification responsibility is completed (at other levels, coaches seldom attend).

N = Umpire 2: Get the Names of the captains [NJPA: coaches], write them down, and begin using the captain's [NJPA: coaches'] names during the meeting so you're ready to use them during play. 

I = Umpire 1: Deliver the umpiring team's Inspection report of the field (typically line colors). This is a good opportunity to remind the captains [NJPA: coaches], to remind their teammates [NJPA: players] to not leave sticks and water bottles between the sideline and bench, "Because that's officiating space and, I need that space to run in."

C = Umpire 2: Always end with the Coin toss. Before tossing the coin, ask the captains [NJPA: yes, the captains this time], if they know the decision they'll make if they win the toss. Show them what side of your coin is heads and which side is tails. Tell the visiting team's captain, "Okay, Sam, call it in the air." Flip the coin into the air and let the coin fall to the ground. While the coin is on the ground, determine and announce its landing. "Sam, it looks like Sal has [won/lost] the toss. So, [Sal/Sam], what do you want to do? Defend a particular goal first or start with possession?"

After the coin is tossed and the start-of-game decisions are made, wish the athletes good luck and depart.

[NJPA Note: Cris recommends not finishing this meeting by asking "So, are there any questions?"  While a proper recommendation at other levels of play, in our league this is exactly the time to discuss and confirm between the coaches (captains need not be present) any modifications or concessions to league rules - for example, halves vs. quarters, 40 or 50 minute games (5th/6th division only), etc.  As our coaches and umpires are in many cases still learning the basics of their craft, we encourage both to use this opportunity to clarify issues of concern.  This conversation should be kept very brief, however.  It should be used to clarify understanding, not to rewrite the rulebook.]

CARDING

Once in a rare while, extending the carding procedure can be used as a means of allowing tempers to cool off. However, in 99% of the situations, we are looking to achieve the tiniest delay in the game as possible. The entire procedure can be completed in a few breaths (which is why in NCAA and other games the clock doesn't have to be stopped). Here's the process I recommend...

• Blow Long Loud Whistle (everyone should know that THIS whistle is different than every other whistle they've heard)

• Show Time Out (required only in NFHS games)

• Point at the player you're suspending

• Swipe the player using the internationally recognized sign that says, "Go to the table"

• Pull Card from Pocket and Show Card Overhead as the suspended player departs (and give time if yellow)

• Show appropriate misconduct signal

• Return Card to Pocket

• Whistle

Do NOT, "Beckon the offending player towards you (player walks two-thirds of the distance and the official walks one-third)," which is -- word for word -- the guidance given in the Officials Guide in the back of NFHS rule book. What are you going to do, give the player a lecture? Just send them off using either of the procedures outlines above.

IMPORTANT: You should never wait for the player to leave the field -- we want people watching the athletes play, not the player who was just suspended saunter off the field or become a side show. If they interfere with play while leaving the game, "upgrade" the card (extend the suspension time or if in NFHS game, give an additional, more severe card)