Session 2: Game day - the Prematch Talk

Session 2: Game day - the Prematch Talk

Prematch Discussion:   Points to discuss with the other umpire...



  1. Sideline / general areas of assistance - Are there areas where you would like your co-umpire to provide assistance, such as balls exiting the far side of the circle or attacking sideline free hits on the far side of your 23m? 
  2. Positioning - How far down the sideline/infield will you go to assist your co-umpire? 
  3. Timing - Which umpire is going to keep time and blow their whistle to start and finish the match? 
  4. Coat hangers - What happens if both umpires signal a free hit but in the opposite directions? Establish
    a quick and easy way to decide which umpire will keep their decision, such as using the halfway line (i.e. if the breach occurs in my attacking half I will keep my decision and my co-umpire will change theirs). Ensure both teams have time to set up once the direction of the free hit has been communicated to the players. 
  5. Game management - What strategies are you going to use to manage the game? Be proactive in areas such as players being five metres, free hit placement and rolling free hits. Discuss how you can make use of your whistle and cards to control the match. EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF GAME SPEED ENSURES PLAYER SAFETY.
  6. Dangerous play (tackles, raised and lofted balls) - How are you going to manage bad tackles? (look at position, intent and timing)  Would you like assistance with deciding whether overheads are dangerous or not, depending on where they are lifted from or going to land? What will be acceptable in terms of raised/dangerous balls for the level you’re umpiring (PLAYER SAFETY: think danger, not height). 
  7. Assistance signals / communication - How will you communicate to your co-umpire what you give a card for? How will you signal to them if you see an infringement that they miss? Will you only signal if they’re looking at you, or if you’re prepared to blow the infringement? Note: You should NEVER blow in your co-umpires circle. 
  8. Penalty Corners – What are you looking for as the disengaged umpire (break/height/stroke)? What will you do if an attacker breaks and the engaged umpire doesn’t see it? Where will you stand for the penalty corner and when will you move back to your sideline? How will you signal to your co-umpire if you have seen an infringement they’ve missed, or if the first hit at goals is too high? 
  9. 5 metres / knocking the ball away / free hit placement - What standards are you expecting and how are you going to manage it? Will your management be different if something happens in the first five minutes as opposed to the last five minutes of the game? 
  10. Dissent - How are you going to manage players questioning decisions and backchat? 

NEXT SECTION:  How well do you know the rules?