• Official warning to a player
• Suspend a player
• Order a player off

Normally an umpire will work through these strategies in roughly the order indicated unless an offence is serious enough to require a higher level of discipline.

Informal advice

The umpire may, without holding play, informally advise player/s to adjust their play.

• This would usually apply to an isolated incident or low-level incidents that do not require a caution.
• This is considered to be ‘effective game management’ not coaching.

Use of voice

Umpires should have a range of expressions they can use to indicate to players they need to change their behaviour.  The important thing is to ensure there are further levels that can be used if players do not respond!

• Use short, clear instructions; useful phrases are
  • ‘tidy up your Contact’,
  • ‘get your distance right’,
  • ‘wait for the whistle’ (in reference to Breaking).
• Do not say ‘tidy up’ as this is unclear and does not state what needs to be tidied up.
• Do not use phrases such as ‘no more Contact’, ‘stop breaking’ – these could be misinterpreted as a caution and what will you do if they do not stop?
• Varying the tone used and uses of pauses all ads ‘a difference’ that players will note.