What happens if the ball hits the umpire in hockey?
A · Advanced · Who decides, and what is unfair play? · 8 of 10Play goes on, unless hitting the umpire gave one team an advantage. Then play restarts with a bully. The same applies if the ball hits anyone else who should not be on the field. This rule changed in 2026 so that an accidental touch off an umpire cannot decide a match.
How it works
- The ball hits an umpire, or an unauthorised person on the field: play continues.
- If that contact gave one team an advantage, the umpire stops play and restarts with a bully.
- The ball hits a loose object on the field that was not thrown: play continues, except for discarded penalty corner kit, which has its own rule.
Tricky cases
The ball deflected off the umpire straight to an attacker in the circle. What happens?
It depends on whether that gave the attack an advantage. If it did, play restarts with a bully. The bully cannot be within 5 metres of the circle.
The ball hit a defender's discarded mask after a corner. What happens?
It depends on where. Outside the circle, a free hit to the attack; inside it a penalty corner (a penalty stroke if it stopped a probable goal).
Why the rule exists
Umpires cannot always avoid the ball, and before 2026 a deflection off one could swing a match with no remedy.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIH rules from 1 March 2026 | Bully if the contact gives an advantage | H11.8 |
| Earlier rules | Play always continued | H Introduction, Rules changes |
From the rule book
FIH Rules of Hockey, Rules 6.5, 9.16, 11.8 and 13.3 n, in force from 1 March 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: FIH Rules of Hockey (PDF).