"Help! I've..."
Use the information below to get quick answers to common match-day emergencies.
Given a Red Card? Use this button to get to the key information quickly.
My Colleague Is Missing
First, try to contact them directly. If you still can’t reach them, call your appointer (if applicable). Then, if your appointer recommends it, speak to the home team and check whether a suitable replacement umpire is available.
There are specific requirements around who can replace an appointed umpire and when captains need to agree, so check the League Regulations before deciding how to proceed. If no suitable replacement can be found, the match may need to be postponed.
I Can't Get There In Time
If an accident, breakdown, sudden illness or other genuine emergency means you cannot reach the match, tell people immediately.
Contact your colleague and the relevant appointing contact as soon as you safely can. If possible, also make sure the home team knows so they are not waiting for you unnecessarily.
Your priority in an emergency is your own safety — the appointment can be dealt with afterwards.
Unusual Match Day Event
Rat on the pitch? Dog on the loose? Floodlights failed? Goal collapsed? Something else nobody had on their pre-match checklist?
Stop play if necessary and deal with the immediate safety issue first. Give the home team an opportunity to resolve the problem and only restart once you are satisfied it is safe to do so.
If the problem cannot be resolved, you may need to abandon the match. Record what happened and leave any decision about the fixture itself to the League.
Unsafe Pitch or Conditions
Player and umpire safety comes first. If conditions immediately before or during the match make the pitch unsafe, the umpires may need to delay, postpone or abandon the game.
Discuss the situation with your colleague and the captains, but do not allow yourself to be pressured into continuing if you believe it is unsafe.
See the League Regulations for the full requirements around pitch playability, postponement and abandonment.
Serious Medical Emergency
Stop the match and concentrate on the emergency.
Call for appropriate medical help and give those dealing with the casualty the space and time they need. Whether the match can eventually restart is secondary to the welfare of the person involved.
If it is a potential concussion issue, ask the relevant Captain or person responsible (if it's the Captain with the potential issue) to have the person assessed. If you are uncomfortable with them continuing, say so, but ultimately it is the Home Team's responsibility for this situation. Talk to the Captains and your colleague to agree the best outcome.
If the situation means the match cannot safely continue, it may need to be abandoned. Record the circumstances afterwards and allow the League to decide what happens to the fixture.
Oppo is Late or Short On Numbers
If players are late, the League Regulations say that where a team has at least seven players available, the match should start if waiting any longer would mean a normal-length match could not be completed in the available pitch slot.
If a team cannot play because of a shortage of players, this is treated as a failure to honour the fixture. Record the circumstances and leave the decision about the fixture/result to the League.
One important point: seven is not stated as a minimum number for continuing a match. If numbers fall during the game because of injuries or cards, don't automatically abandon because a team drops below seven. The FIH Rules allow suspensions to reduce the number of players on the pitch, and neither the current Rules nor the Area Regulations specify a seven-player minimum for continuing.
Unsafe or Unruly Spectators
Umpires are not responsible for managing spectators. Ask the relevant club representatives to deal with any behaviour that is causing a problem.
However, if the behaviour creates a genuine safety concern, do not restart or continue the match while it remains unsafe.
If the club cannot resolve the situation sufficiently for the game to continue safely, the match may need to be abandoned. Record what happened and leave any further action to the League.
However, be mindful that Home teams will often advise they are happy to assume responsibility (which is theirs anyway) and will monitor the concern. If an incident occurs, stop time as you would for a player injury, allow the situation to be dealt with and restart the match as soon as it is safe to do so. Record what happened and leave any further action to the League.
DO NOT issue cards to match participants for the behaviour of Spectators!