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Rules and Briefings
The following is a collection of Rumor Rules. What's a Rumor Rule? These are imaginary rules, typically with unknown origins. The list is being published to help drive these Rumors Rules from the game. If you know of a Rumor Rule not included, there is a form at the end of the article allowing you to tell us about the Rumor Rule we missed.
1. A player who is aerial dribbling must lower the ball to the ground when an opponent is within playing distance of the ball.
No. There is no such rule. The defender has the same tackling options available to them as they do when the ball is on the ground. "But, it's dangerous." Anything is possible, right? And is is possible for dangerous play to occur, for example, the defender might swing at the ball in a wild fashion or the attacker might dribble in an uncontrolled manner – these behaviors can also happen when the ball is on the ground. Umpires don't call obstruction because it might happen. Umpires must penalize dangerous play but only if dangerous play actually happens.
2. As long as a player takes a free hit further from the goal they're attacking than where the foul was committed, starting anywhere is okay.
No. The free hit must always be taking from within playing distance of the foul. Umpires insist the players become MORE precise as the attacking team is awarded a free hit closer and closer to the goal-line the opponents are defending.
3. If an audible tap is heard during a penalty stroke, it is illegal because you just hit the ball.
No. The sound of a tap is not the definition of a hit. In almost all contacts between the stick and ball, there will be a sound – unless it is drowned out but other noise in the vicinity. If an umpire uses sound as a determining factor, he or she better hope for a silent venue. Even deaf umpires can determine whether or not an action is a hit. Sound is simply NOT a factor.
4. Coaches don't really need to stay 5 yards away from the side-line. That is more of a guideline than an actual rule.
No. Only umpires and players in the game are allowed in the space next to the side-line. The space next to the field is often called "officiating space" to help reinforce the exclusionary nature of this space. Umpires need to be able to use the space outside the side-line to gain the best possible angle of play that is near the side-line. And, of course, players don't have to stay inside the lines, just the ball.
5. Umpires have to make the players move the ball off the side-line when there was a foul close to the side-line, the ball goes out-of-bounds, and the player brings the ball back and puts it on the side-line.
No. The side-line is "inside" the field. Umpires who stall play to have a team move the ball a foot or so are not officiating to a proper standard.
6. In high school, a player who scores a goal has to carry it up to mid-field for the other team.
No. There is no such rule. When players do this there is a potential to foster "lazy umpiring" at the most critical time in the game – when a goal is scored! The umpire's "lights go out" as they wait to see who runs into the goal to pick up the ball. The most important thing to remember is that umpires should NOT be instructing teams to do this action. This is not a rule and umpires are not allowed to invent rules.
7. For a goal to be scored on a penalty corner, the ball has to hit the backboard.
No. There is no such requirement. It is true that if a hitting action is used to take the first shot during a penalty corner that the ball, if not deflected (by the ground, a defender or an attacker), must be on a path to cross the goal-line no higher than 18 inches. It is also true that the backboards are 18" tall but, the ball does NOT have to hit the backboard and there are many times when the ball might legal cross the goal-line and hit the netting above the boards and when the ball might illegally cross the goal-line and fall enough so that it hits the back-boards.
8. If the first shot on a PC is a hit and it is on a path to cross the goal-line too high but the goalkeeper stops it, the umpire shouldn't don't blow their whistle because the ball did not cross the goal-line too high.
No. If the first shot on a penalty corner is a hit and the ball, without being deflected, is on a path to cross the goal-line higher than 18 inches, it's time to blow the whistle.
9. The ball must be absolutely and completely still before a free hit is taken.
No. While even a small amount of ball movement is a violation, it is not the intent of this rule to measure ball movement with an electron microscope. It is not a foul if there is no advantage gained. What must be clear is that athlete is, in fact, starting the free hit. Don't "what if" this – a small amount of movement is acceptable.
10. Any foot/body contact with the ball is a foul.
No. Only contacting the ball intentionally with the foot/body is an absolute foul. Accidental ball contact with the foot/body is only a foul if the player or his team gains an advantage from the contact.
11. It is okay for the coach to come onto the field to talk to one or more of the umpires during time outs, half time, and at the end of the game.
No. Only captains may approach umpires during time-outs and half-time. The team captains from both teams are not required to be present but both umpires should be together. Only players and umpires are allowed on the field. A coach's on-field resource is the team's captain. If both umpires are in agreement, the umpires can invite a coach onto the field but the coaches of both teams have to be present.
12. A breakdown foul by the defense inside the attacking 23 meter area should be upgraded to a penalty corner.
No. A breakdown foul by the defense inside the attacking 23 meter area is NOT upgraded to a penalty corner. By rule a breakdown foul inside the attacking 23 meter area is a penalty corner – it is NOT an upgrade. The same foul outside the attacking 23 meter area must be carded.
13. On a penalty corner, when the striker swings to hit the ball, misses and has a big follow through, it's a foul against the attack.
No. It is not a foul to swing and miss. Further, even when a defender is in close proximity, if defender is to the right of the attacker, the "big follow through" is often into open space – away from the defender – and is not dangerous.
14. In NCAA games, the goalkeepers can substitute from the back-line like in high school.
No. All players must substitute from within 3 meters of the center-line. Umpires are to call a time-out at an appropriate stoppage of play to allow for the goalkeeper substitution.
15. Deliberately raised hits in field play (not shots) have to be dangerous to be a foul.
No. It is foul for the players to hit the ball into the air unless taking a shot.
16. When a player plays the ball to the other side of a defender, for example, using a "Y-dodge" to push the ball to right side of the defender while to attacker pursues repossession by running to the left side of the defender, or by pushing the ball behind the defender by putting the ball between the defender's legs, the defender is obstructing the attacker.
No. It is not a foul for the defender to be dodged. Often times the attacker using one of these "dispossession dodges" sends the ball out of their immediate reach and well beyond the defender. If the attacker dispossess themselves and puts the ball out of immediate reach, the conditions for obstruction are not present. In order for there to be obstruction the attacker must be able to reach the ball from where they are (not from where they can eventually run to), they have to be actively trying to get the ball, and the defender must be actively using their body or their stick to prevent the attacker from reaching the ball. Just because a player crosses between an opponent and the ball does not constitute obstruction. In all situations, regardless of the ball's relative position, players are not allowed to impede an opponent. It is only when the ball is reachable and the player or the player's stick is being impeded, that obstruction can occur.
17. A player is not allowed to play the ball while they are on the ground.
True in Indoor Hockey but NOT true outside! Players in NFHS games, NCAA games, and games at all other levels are ALLOWED to play the ball while they are on the ground.
18. The ball cannot be lifted into the circle.
No. Subject only to danger, the ball can lifted into the circle from near and far.
19. Deliberately playing the ball with the stick above shoulder height is an automatic yellow card.
No. Playing the ball above shoulder height is legal.
20. It is a foul when a player tries to play a ball with the stick above shoulder height but misses the ball.
No. It is not a violation of any rule to miss the ball.
21. On a hit in (typically called a "16" in the USA) the ball MUST be placed at the 16.
No. The ball can be placed anywhere from the back-line up to 16 yards away from the back-line.
22. On a penalty corner, the inserter/injector is not allowed to have both feet out-of-bounds.
No. That player must have at least one foot out-of-bounds but they can have two.
23. As long as I keep moving the ball, I can't obstruct.
No. A player can be stationary with a stationary ball and not be obstructing and a player can be moving the ball and obstruct their opponent. Movement, or the lack thereof, is not a consideration in obstruction.
24. The umpire can't card a player or a coach for dissent unless he/she actually says something to the umpire.
No. It is not acceptable for players to abuse opponents, umpires or other technical officials verbally or through body language or any other form of disrespect. Umpires must deal firmly with abuse of this sort and in appropriate circumstances issue a caution, warning (green card), temporary (yellow card), or permanent (red card) suspension.
25. You can't tackle from behind.
No. It is not a foul to tackle from behind.
26. A big swing and a miss is an example of intimidating use of the stick.
No. Intimidating use of the stick does not apply to how an opponent might judge a player's use of their stick to be. It is up to the umpire to penalize a player for using the stick in a threaten manner. For example, when one player literally pretends that they're going to strike another player with their stick.
27. Umpires should take corner flags off the corners so the corner flag doesn't interfere with the ball.
No. The corner flags, by rule, must be on the corners. The corner flags are on the corners to help the umpires and players know whether a ball that crosses out-of-bounds near the corner has crossed the side-line or the back-line. An umpire who moves the corner flags off the corners is breaking a rule.
28. Umpires have to give a verbal caution before giving a card.
Not true. The rules require that all participants know the rules and, therefore, the rules are the caution.
29. Umpires can't give a red card for a five yard proximity violation.
Not true. Umpires can give a red card for any form of misconduct. Certainly, we would like to reserve the use of red cards for the most serious of misconducts but, after an umpire has progressed through the lesser cards available to them (green, 5 minute yellow, 10 minute yellow) the only card left is a red card.
30. If a ball driven by the red team player is rising fast and it endangers an opponent some 10 to 15 yards away from the hit, the danger happened where the opponent was because that is where he/she was nearly hit.
Not true. The danger happened at the point where the red team player hit the ball into the air.
31. Two defenders cannot tackle or otherwise confront a single attacker who is in possession of the ball.
Not true. The first time this reporter every heard this it was while I was umpiring an indoor game in the 1990's. It wasn't true then and it isn't now (not indoors and not the outdoor game either). I wouldn't have even included it in this list accept that I recently heard this "foul" described again in a video which was meant to help people understand the game.
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