Rules and Umpiring

This is the Wests Hockey Umpire and Rules page where you can find the latest information and rule interpretations for the season.
Umpires are a vital component of our sport, without them the game cannot be played!
Whether you are a seasoned umpire or are looking at getting into running our game for the first time, Wests have a place for you.

Wests Senior Umpiring Commitments Roster

The latest club umpiring roster can be found here.

Please add your name to any commitments you can do and shade it green to confirm the appointment spot.
The club pays $40 per game.
Please do not change any names on the spreadsheet unless you have confirmed with the person listed. Thank you

Latest News

ACT Hockey 2026 Rules interpretation night - the Umpiring and Technical Committee (UTC) will be hosting an Umpire and Coach Information Session on Wednesday 18 March at 6:00pm in the Lakers/Strikers Room.

The session is open to everyone, however we strongly encourage all UTC umpires and CL1–SL1 coaches to attend.
The session will cover:

Rule interpretations
Common match scenarios
An opportunity to ask questions about rulings and game situations

This session is a great opportunity for officials and coaches to align ahead of the season and help ensure games run as smoothly as possible. If you have any issues or questions, please reach out to umpiring@hockeyact.org.au

Wests Senior Umpiring Commitments Roster

The latest club umpiring roster can be found here.

Please add your name to any commitments you can do and shade it green to confirm the appointment.
The club pays $40 per game.
Please do not change any names on the spreadsheet unless you have confirmed with the person listed. Thank you

2026 Rules & Interpretations

The FIH have released a new version of the rules - FIH Rules of Hockey are dated 1 March 2026. There's also a FIH Rules of Hockey App you can download from the apple app store or google play store TheFIH websitealso has links to indoor hockey rules and other formats such as Hockey 5's

This season Hockey ACT require all players in a defensive short corner to wear a protective face mask.
The interpretation to the lifted ball will change slightly in 2025, to allow players to approach a player receiving the ball as soon as they have touched it. The player not receiving the ball will still need to be 5 meters away. However, rather than wait for the receiving player to play the ball down to the ground or have it 'under control', the opposition player can approach as soon as the receiving player makes contact with the ball.

More info on the Hockey ACT website