- Mar 1, 2014
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Did I hear it right? The AFL will use a fourth field umpire in the NAB Cup? How many frees do these clowns want to deliver in a game?
A fourth field Umpire- You cannot be serious?
- Thread starter raptalia
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Doctor Feel
Shitposter In Chief
inb4 general afl talk thread
Cost to be recouped via increased fines for negligent umpire contacts
- Mar 1, 2014
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- #4
I think it is so preposterous it deserves a thread of it's own.
- Feb 6, 2014
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Didn't they reduce the number of team runners to keep the number of non players on the field down
It's only for NAB, doubtful we would see it in season proper for a year or two at least
Maybe it was in anticipation of more officials?
- Mar 17, 2014
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Can't they just strap an umpire to spidercam and fly him around the ground instead?
proman_x
Premium Platinum
Wait for the ump interchange rule 
I would expect a cap on interchanges though
I would expect a cap on interchanges though 
Dalphonso
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- Oct 10, 2009
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The game is much faster these days.They probably need 4 to keep up but I still think they only have 2 boundary umpires?
proman_x
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Canoogs
Club Legend
They went to three a few years ago, and now are at four. Each boundary takes one quarter of the ground.
As for variations in interpretations... these days they're pretty small given the massive amount of review that all the AFL fieldies have to do every single week. Mistakes will always happen, but there is very little difference in interpretation. Will be interested in how they implement positioning.
NAB Challenge is always a bit funny. Warmer temperatures, tougher running conditions, and a lot of umpires trialling for a position with the AFL. There's going to be some interesting decisions, but I don't see that as being anything to do with the number of the umpires.
cj_09
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chiwigi
I’ll make tears from your Wines.
If you think there is a problem with umpiring in general, then just see it as an attempt to rectify. At least they are trying something.
Personally I think the umpiring is excellent overall.
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They do not need an extra umpire they need the three they have to get into the right position. Three umps keep up with the play OK but they are often not in position to see what is happening. This is a point made by Kennedy. We already have too many stoppages and an extra ump is only going to add to the stop start aspect of the game and open the door for more confusion.
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More people with slightly different interpretations I not what we need. More umpires cannot, by definition, lead to consistency which is the most important part of umpiring. And what is going to happen when not one, but two umpires wants to overrule a decision that has been made by the officiating umpire. We have seen an umpire twice as far away overrule a decision.
How does that work, anyway? Umpire A makes one decision and umpire B comes in and says something else. How long until we see umpires arguing on the field to have their decision stand?
And with four umpires I can just see this scenario; the ball is in one teams forward line, back in defence an opposing forward bumps a defender, is bumped back, collapses in a screaming heap in front of the fourth umpire and draws a free. Players are manipulating the umpires already, it will just get worse with four.
How does that work, anyway? Umpire A makes one decision and umpire B comes in and says something else. How long until we see umpires arguing on the field to have their decision stand?
And with four umpires I can just see this scenario; the ball is in one teams forward line, back in defence an opposing forward bumps a defender, is bumped back, collapses in a screaming heap in front of the fourth umpire and draws a free. Players are manipulating the umpires already, it will just get worse with four.
chiwigi
I’ll make tears from your Wines.
But if they aren't or aren't able (as you seem to believe) then an attempt to rectify this is surely a good thing.
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Boundary umpires don't do quarters, they run together with about a 35m to 50m gap in between.
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It is isn't me, that is what the AFL Umpires Coach Hayden Kennedy had to say on NINE News last night. He wasn't on about the game being too fast for three umps, he was on about the umpires not being in position to catch infractions. What concerns me is the AFL introduces 'ticky touchwood' rules then want more umpires to police them. I would settle for the blatant frees to be picked up and the 50/50 ones to be let go so the game flows and I do not think the extra umpire will help achieve that. In fact I think the reverse will happen but I guess we will have to wait and see what happens in the NAB Cup.
Maybe the umpires can carry little sandbags with flags attached to them. As soon as they see a free they throw the bag to the ground. The other ump/s then has an opportunity to throw another flag that will overrule the previous decision. The umps can then fight it out cage style until there is only one man standing.
- Feb 29, 2012
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The thing with most 'rule experiments' in the NAB cup is that it seems you know that no matter what most of them will be implemented sooner or later, the one they have been really pushing and getting the media to push is the 9 pointer but they haven't been able to get any traction to implement it in the normal game. No doubt this means the AFL has already planned for 4 umpires from season 2016 or so and now it'll just spend the next couple of pre-seasons softening the public up for it.
philreich
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- Mar 2, 2014
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I believe the AFL wants a 4th different interpretation of each contentious decision.
Doctor Feel
Shitposter In Chief
Field umpires convening on whether to review a goal:
