{"id":32355,"date":"2026-10-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fieldhockeyzone.com\/?p=32355"},"modified":"2026-10-13T08:31:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T06:31:20","slug":"za-co-sedzia-gwizdze-stopa-wysoki-kij-obstrukcja","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fieldhockeyzone.com\/en\/za-co-sedzia-gwizdze-stopa-wysoki-kij-obstrukcja\/","title":{"rendered":"What the umpire blows for: feet, high sticks, obstruction \u2013 offences that puzzle parents in the stands"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ball bounces off a shoe and the umpire lets play go on. A moment later the whistle goes, even though nobody touched anybody. In hockey, the umpire judges some offences by what the player gained from them, not by the contact itself. Short definitions are in our hockey glossary<\/a>. Here: what the current FIH Rules of Hockey say, what it looks like on the pitch and which signal the umpire uses to show the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advantage first, then the whistle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Under the FIH rules, a penalty is awarded only when a team has been disadvantaged by an opponent breaking the Rules. If the disadvantaged team can keep developing their play, the umpire signals advantage: one arm extended high in the direction they are attacking. Once advantage has been signalled, the umpire does not go back to the original penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feet: when contact with a leg is an offence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field players must not stop, kick, propel, pick up, throw or carry the ball with any part of their body. The rules add a reservation straight away: the ball simply hitting the foot, hand or body is not always an offence. The umpire blows the whistle when the player gained an advantage from it or positioned themselves deliberately to stop the ball with their body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ball bounces off a leg and runs away so that the player gained nothing, so play can go on. If, after bouncing off the foot, the ball stays with the player and they keep possession because of it, that is an offence. The umpire's signal: slightly raising a leg and touching it near the foot or ankle with the hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHigh stick\u201d and dangerous play<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The current FIH rules do not measure the height of the stick from the shoulder. They say that players must hold their stick and not use it in a dangerous way, and that players must not lift their stick over the heads of other players. At the same time, the ball may be played in a controlled manner at any height, including above the shoulder, as long as this does not lead to danger. The height of the stick alone does not make a controlled reception an offence, provided it creates no danger and does not breach the prohibition on lifting the stick over other players\u2019 heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dangerous play is a wider category: players must not play the ball dangerously or in a way which leads to dangerous play. A ball is also considered dangerous when it causes legitimate evasive action by an opponent. The umpire's signal: one forearm placed diagonally across the chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raised ball: what is allowed and what is not<\/h2>\n\n\n\n