RULES & PENALTIES
What was that whistle for?
1) Q. The referees blow their whistles a lot. Why do they blow their whistles for some items and not others?
A. The referees watch for the advantage.
Let's say there are two teams: a Green team and a White team. If White fouls Green and Green maintains possession of the ball and advances it up the playing field, then the referee will NOT blow their whistle and keep watching for the next foul to occur. If White fouls Green and White gains possession of the ball, the referee will blow their whistle, make a motion for what foul occurred, and point towards the goal which Green is advancing towards.
If you watch carefully, sometimes, referees will hold up their arms but NOT blow their whistle. That is because the team who caused the foul did not gain possession of the ball, thus creating a need to stop play.
2) Q. What does it mean when the referee blows the whistle and points to his/her feet or ankle?
A. This is a foot penalty.
The ball is not allowed to hit the feet or the shinguards of any player on the field. The referee will blow his/her whistle, motion to their feet, and point to whichever team gains the advantage from this foul.
3) Q. What does it mean when the referee blows his/her whistle and lifts both hands (palms up) towards the chest?
A. This is a lifted ball penalty.
The ball is not allowed to come above the shinguards of any player. Any ball that goes into a player, or into a crowd of players is considered a lifted/raised ball. This will result in a penalty for the last player to touch the ball. The ball will be rewarded to the other team.
However, if there is no one around where the ball is lifted, this is considered a legal move. All players must wait until the ball is settled back on the field before playing the ball.
Also, if a player lifts or touches the ball up into the goal, this is also a legal move.
4) Q. What does it mean when the referee blows his/her whistle and crosses their arms in front of their chest?
A. This is called an obstruction penalty (or third-party foul). Essentially, it is when one team prevents the other team from having access to the ball.
Okay, let's go back to our Green and White teams. This time, White will have the ball. A Green defender is approaching to challenge White for the ball. However, another White player runs in front of Green while going for the pass, preventing Green from continuing to move towards the ball. This is a third-party obstruction.
Another situation when obstruction could occur is as follows:
White has the ball. She turns her back on Green placing her body between the Green player and the ball. If the ball stops moving while she looks around for a pass, this is an obstruction foul.
However, if the White player continues to move the ball towards the goal she is attacking, this is NOT an obstruction, rather a spin dodge.
5) Q. What does it mean when the referee blows the whistle and raises one arm up in the air (palm up)?
A. This is a high stick foul.
The players are not allowed to raise their sticks above their waist when another player is within a yard of them. However, if there is no other player within the vicinity, no foul will be called, despite a raised stick.
6) Q. What does it mean when the referee blows the whistle and bangs two times on the left forearm/wrist with the right forearm/wrist?
A. This is a hacking foul.
This foul occurs when one player repeatedly hits another player's stick while trying to get the ball. It makes a really nasty banging sound (one that often hurts coaches' ears and makes them cringe).
Penalty Card Procedures
Penalty Cards
1st Offense
2nd Offense
3rd Offense
Flagrant Foul
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Player
A green card shall be issued to the offender and the head coach. The warning shall be recorded in the scorebook.
A yellow card shall be issued to the offender and the head coach. The warning shall be recorded in the scorebook. The head coach of the offending team shall remove one field player from the game for 5 or 10 minutes of elapsed playing time. The designated field player may properly substitute with another field player provided that the team plays short.
A red card shall be issued to the offender and the head coach. The cards shall be recorded in the scorebook. The head coach and the offender are removed from the field. The offending team shall remove one field player from the game and the team will play short for the remainder of the game.
For any flagrant foul, the offender(s) and the head coach shall be removed from the field, and a penalty stroke shall be awarded the opponent and the team shall play short.
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Coach
A green card shall be issued to the head coach. The warning shall be recorded in the scorebook.
A yellow card shall be issued to the head coach. The warning shall be recorded in the scorebook. The head coach of the offending team shall remove one field player from the game for 5 or 10 minutes of elapsed playing time. The designated field player may properly substitute with another field player provided that the team plays short.
A red card shall be issued to the head coach. The cards shall be recorded in the scorebook. The head coach is removed from the field. The offending team shall remove one field player from the game and the team will play short for the remainder of the game.
For any flagrant foul, the head coach shall be removed from the field, and a penalty stroke shall be awarded the opponent and the team shall play short.
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Spectator
Stop game and notify game manager to resolve situation
Request game manager to remove spectator
Suspend game
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