Look at the umpire!

Recognize the following situation?

After the umpire blows the whistle, the game stops or slows down, and players are looking at each other and trying to figure out what went wrong, what decision was made, and where to take the free pass or the penalty pass. Some are talking loudly to each other, some are turned to the umpire trying to listen and some are just standing silently with big question marks over their heads.

Clearly, the communication between the umpire and the players has faulted... But the interesting question is – who is to blame?

Helpful notes on speeding up the restart of play (centre passes)!

It is the responsibility of all players in a team to take the centre passes! Sure, it is the centre that steps into the circle with the ball, but she/he can only do this when everyone else in her/his team is on the right side of the transverse lines. Otherwise the team may be penalised.

When a goal is scored, immediately sprint back to your starting position. You only have to be behind your transverse line. A foot on the line is ok since the line is considered to be part of your playing area. For tactical reasons there are some positions that are better than other and which you would seek depending on the opponents and your own team, but for now focus on speeding up the game.

Check the umpire’s arm to see the direction of the centre pass. It is common that the umpires during a high level game put down their arms when reaching the centre third.