Technical Officer's Guide to Hockey Australia Outdoor Championships 2026

Under the 2026 Tournament Regulations a team may use a maximum of 18 players in a match, of whom no more than 16 can play as field players. If the Tournament Director has suspended players for a match, the number the team can use is reduced by the number suspended.

Team Managers deliver, at the time and place the Tournament Director sets at the Event Briefing: the 11 players on the field at the start; up to 7 players starting on the bench (suspended players are included but marked with S); the captain and goalkeeper(s); the Team Manager, coach, medical support person and doctor (if any).

Your jobs, from Attachment H:

• Get the daily team lists from both teams 30 minutes before the match, check them for completeness (including goalkeepers and captain) and obvious errors, then pass them to the ground announcer.
• If a player nominated to start becomes incapacitated during warm-up or practice, the Team Manager must notify the Technical Officer on duty, who tells the opposing Team Manager (and the media, if applicable).

From Attachment H (Technical Responsibilities):

• About 15 minutes before the start, the judges check that preparations are on track: umpires, timekeepers and other officials are present, enough balls are available, and any ground or equipment repairs are finished.
• At the agreed time (the warm-up is five minutes) the judges ask teams to leave the warm-up area and return to their benches.
• The umpires call the captains together to toss for choice of ball or direction of play.
• Teams then line up so the technical bench can check starting line ups. The Technical Officer or judges may need to urge team managers to finish within the allowed time.
• One minute before the scheduled start, the Technical Officer asks the ball attendants to take their positions, followed by the two umpires, who go to the centre of the ground and summon the teams by whistle. From then the match is under the umpires' control.
• The Technical Officer makes sure ball persons, umpires and teams go on in an orderly way, ready to start on time.
• During the match, make sure each player entering the field has the correct shirt number and each team is uniformly and neatly attired.

Timekeeping is controlled by the Technical Officials on duty, who signal the end of each period. The umpires start, stop and restart the match and signal the technical bench for every stoppage and restart, so confirm with the umpires before the game that they will do this. If a period is prolonged for a penalty corner, the umpires signal its end.

Match periods in the 2026 regulations:

• U21 and Country: four 15 minute quarters; 2 minutes after quarters 1 and 3; 10 minutes at half time (or 5 to 10 minutes as advised at the Event Briefing). Time stops for up to 40 seconds for an initial penalty corner, and time and play stop after a goal.
• U18 and U16: four 15 minute quarters; same intervals; time is not stopped for a penalty corner or a goal unless needed for another reason.
• U14: four 10 minute quarters; 2 minutes after quarters 1 and 3; 5 minutes at half time (or 5 to 10 as advised); time is not stopped for a penalty corner or goal unless needed for another reason.

If a scoreboard clock breaks down, the judge makes sure the team benches are advised of the remaining playing time every five minutes. Give teams a warning at least two minutes before the scheduled restart at half time.

Under Appendix 1 of the 2026 Tournament Regulations, timing of a suspension is controlled by a Technical Official on duty.

• Green card: two minutes of playing time. The clock starts when the player is seated in the designated area. If the player gets a further temporary suspension while seated, the time is added and served immediately after the first.
• Yellow card: a minimum of five minutes of playing time. The umpire who issues the card indicates the duration to the Technical Officials. It starts when the player is seated in the designated area, and any further suspension served while seated is added to the original duration.
• The player may resume play only when the Technical Official on duty indicates the suspension has been completed.
• If the player is a goalkeeper, the Technical Official notifies the umpires when the suspension is over, and the umpires stop the match at the next stoppage so the goalkeeper can return.
• A suspended player should have a seat alongside the technical bench and may be given additional clothing or a drink. A permanently suspended (red card) player stays on the team bench where their behaviour can continue to be monitored.

• Substitutions take place as specified in the Rules of Hockey and the Tournament Regulations, from the players named in the match report, under the supervision of the Technical Officer on duty. A substituted player must go straight to the team bench.
• The Team Manager and nominated substitutes must stay near or within the team bench during playing time, including stoppages, except when implementing substitutions. The nominated coach stays in an area designated by the Technical Officer. Substitutes may leave their seats to warm up in an area the Technical Officer designates.
• Vocal communication from the bench must not be directed at any match official or at the opposing players.
• Coaching and loud verbal communication to players are allowed only from the team bench areas, not from video towers, seating areas or behind the goals.
• A Technical Officer or judge should closely monitor the behaviour of managers, coaches and players on the benches and bring any undesirable or improper behaviour to the manager's notice.
• If misconduct continues after the Team Manager has been warned, the Technical Officer on duty may order the people involved to leave the bench and stay in the team changing room for the rest of the match, then report it to the Tournament Director after the match.
• Teams and players may leave the Technical Facility Area only at half time.

• No incapacity treatment is allowed on the field unless the Medical Support Person or Team Doctor reasonably believes a player needs urgent medical attention, in which case they may enter without permission. Otherwise inform medical or first aid attendants when they can enter, as indicated by the on-field umpire.
• In the case of injuries, only one person from the team may enter the field, such as the manager, physiotherapist or doctor. The coach is never permitted to enter the field during playing time.
• If anyone from the team bench or the on-duty Medical Officer enters the field and attends a player, that player must leave the field and return to the team bench area for a minimum of two minutes of playing time. The Technical Officials on duty manage that two minute period, and the player may be substituted.
• Exception: a goalkeeper treated on the pitch for an injury does not have to leave for two minutes.
• If blood staining occurs on the field, play is stopped while it is cleaned with a non-acid disinfectant surface cleaner effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria or, if none is available, an 80% alcohol solution.

• The Technical Officer and judges should record the minute in which goals and cards occur.
• A match report is produced at the technical table at the end of the match. It summarises the match, showing the names of all players, team officials and match officials nominated and the key statistics, including the result. It can be completed electronically through the tournament management system.
• Within 10 minutes of the end of the match, each Team Manager must sign the match report, even if a protest is contemplated.
• The match officials sign once both team managers have signed.
• The report is not complete until it is signed by the umpires, team managers and the Technical Officer and judges. It is then handed to the Tournament Director with the daily team lists and card record sheet.

Under the 2026 Tournament Regulations (Appendix 4):

• The Tournament Director specifies the method of timing shoot-outs and the goal to be used.
• An official at the technical table starts the clock either when the umpire blows the whistle to start time, or, where the venue has the set-up, when the umpire indicates the players are ready and an automatic whistle sounds over the PA as the clock starts.
• Each shoot-out ends after 8 seconds, when a goal is scored, when the attacker commits an offence, or when the ball goes over the back-line or side-line.
• If a technical error occurs (for example the 8 second clock does not start or work correctly, or the PA system fails), the shoot-out must be retaken regardless of the outcome of the original shoot-out.
• No one other than the players and match officials may enter the field of play during a shoot-out, except as authorised by the Technical Officer on duty or Tournament Director. A coach may enter the field during a shoot-out competition.
• If additional play or penalties are needed at the end of normal time, the Tournament Director or judges should immediately make sure both team managers know the relevant rules.

After each match, the Technical Officer and judges must make sure teams leave the bench in a timely manner so the next game can start. The completed match report, together with the daily team lists and the card record sheet, is handed to the Tournament Director.

The Tournament Director then obtains the signed match report, makes a copy for the competing team managers, any media in attendance and Hockey Australia, and makes sure results go into the Progressive Scoresheet.

On the final day, after the final match, the judges meet with the Tournament Director to review the conduct of the championship and consider recommendations for future improvement. The Tournament Director reports to the HA Competitions Manager within 14 days of the end of the tournament.