To give further consistency, here are the answers given by NRHA
Director of Referees & Officials, Mike Richardson, to some recent
queries;
1) ricochet of ball in the penalty area by a defender: this is not a
penalty offence unless the defender is playing at the ball, an
inadvertent deflection is definitely not
2) Penalty or not: any decision of doubt about being a penalty or
not a rule of thought I was always taught is. If you would not
have given a foul in the open field of play then it is not a foul in
the penalty area.
3) Defenders preventing the ball entering the goal whilst in the
goalkeepers area, this is allowed if played solely by the stick,
any other part of the body is a penalty.
4) Goalkeepers chopping the ball, difficult one really but in the
act of making a save I would not give a fault, passing the ball
with a chop / high ball then I would.
5) Advantage and how long for a card issue if warranted: there is
no time scale on this just the “next Stoppage”
6) Time outs, when do they start if someone is injured; the 1
minute begins once an injury (or card issue for that matter) is
dealt with not immediately and always on the whistle, not the
indication from the time keepers.
