What happens if the ball hits an umpire, or a team has too many players on the field?

Ball hits an umpire. Play continues, unless the contact gives one team an advantage. In that case the match is restarted with a bully (Rule 11.8).

Too many players. A team may have a maximum of eleven players on the field at any time (Rule 2.1). If a team has more, time is stopped to correct it.

• If it happened for a very short period and did not materially affect the match, a personal penalty may be awarded against the captain.
• If it materially affected the match, a yellow card must be awarded against the captain.
• Decisions taken before the situation was corrected cannot be changed if time or play has already restarted.
• Time and play restart with a free hit to the opposing team, unless another penalty had been awarded against the offending team immediately before time was stopped, in which case that penalty is taken.

Source: FIH Rules of Hockey 2026.