Urgent umpiring overhaul needed.

[deck]

Gee theres been some massive decisions made late in matches lately.

Yeah but people are good and forgetting what happened in the previous 3 quarters.

 

[Ocker]

I counted 12 blatant throwing/tossing the ball moments today and probably missed a few more.

Those useless umpires just let em go.

It’s a disgrace.

Trelol probably accounted for 10 of those...

 

[Ocker]

The best part is the afls reason for umpires not being full time is that some of them earn 250k in their real jobs and we would lose them if they went full time....

I'm not even joking either.

Maybe they need to stop employing lawyers and merchant bankers as umpires...

 

[Shane Heard]

Trelol probably accounted for 10 of those...

Yes...the lad does likes a good one handed toss. Master of his domain In that area of skill.

 

[Ari]

Why are collingwood allowed to throw the ball 20 times a game?

The answer is in the question.

 

[boltsbabyblues]

The Essendon fans going feral saying the game was rigged is really silly.

However, it’s very disappointing that Collingwood and Essendon had to endure that rubbish today. I’m sure people have watched a lot more football this year than myself, but I’ve been really disappointed with the standard of umpiring from what I’ve seen. Umps have got a tough job and I usually defend them, but today was something else.

it has been horrific all year

 

[Ari]

I love how so many Collingwood supporters are saying "yeah umpiring was bad today, but you know... both ways!"

No, it wasn't both ways. Essendon in Bags got a cheap one and maybe another or two. Essendon were reamed by the umpires to the final siren. The game was dictated and decided by the umpire today. I've been going to the footy for 30 years and I have never seen a more one eyed game than I did today.

Something needs to be done and soon. We have neutrals who hate Essendon posting about what a farce it was. People look forward to this game for months, all year in fact... and then for the umpires to play such a part in it was disgusting.

So people who had watched them team get screwed in to a 4 point loss minutes earlier booed Pendles. Get over it. No Essendon fan has a problem with Pendles, they were just still so damn salty for the loss and display they say from the umpires. Not sure who was worse today, the umpires or Shiel.

 

[Messenger]

How on earth do you figure that? Imagine all the hours they could spend reviewing decisions and understanding the rules properly, they could even improve their fitness so they don't get fatigued and make even more dumb decisions...

These guys don’t have a fitness issue. They are very good endurance athletes in their own right.

The issue is decision making from a rule book full of subjective interpretations. How does going full time assist when they only “perform” weekly?

 

[Sterge]

These guys don’t have a fitness issue. They are very good endurance athletes in their own right.

The issue is decision making from a rule book full of subjective interpretations. How does going full time assist when they only “perform” weekly?

Because as a full time employee you can spend 40 hours a week reviewing decisions, watching videos, discussing the grey areas and understanding how to interpret rules effectively.

And as others have suggested they could go to clubs and talk with players to help players understand grey areas more clearly.

If part time umpires are so effective why are nearly all other professional sports in the world staffed by full time officials?

**** America nearly had a meltdown because the proper NFL officials went on strike for a few weeks and were replaced by part timers.

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

As a matter of urgency the AFL need to do 2 things;

1. Create a pathway for ex players to become umpires. The umpires that have never played the game have absolutely no feel for it.
2. Simplify the rules. Holding the ball, dropping the ball, incorrect disposal, push in the back and high contact. That’s all we need.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

Their performances are hidden as individuals. Stats are only spoken about as a collective as they don't want individual umpires targeted with criticism.

I tried to review matches and do individual stats on Swans games including non decisions but that was proving too difficult regarding non calls and potential swans bias.

If fans as a collective from each team co-ordinated to at least take the stats for which umpire paid how many for/against and what decision in your weekends matches send to one location and post the data weekly. Might show some individual accoutability and if they get wind of it they will look (they are human).

Plenty of people love doing stats on here. I'd do it but had my first baby last year and just don't have the time.

 

[Boston tiger]

It was a great game so in that you’d have to think the umps played some roll in it being such a good spectacle.
Maybe they were so good they were bad. Or they were so bad they were good.
It’s when you play Collingwood and they get 25 to 9 that’s when it’s shit.

 

[doppleganger]

Their performances are hidden as individuals. Stats are only spoken about as a collective as they don't want individual umpires targeted with criticism.

I tried to review matches and do individual stats on Swans games including non decisions but that was proving too difficult regarding non calls and potential swans bias.

If fans as a collective from each team co-ordinated to at least take the stats for which umpire paid how many for/against and what decision in your weekends matches send to one location and post the data weekly. Might show some individual accoutability and if they get wind of it they will look (they are human).

Plenty of people love doing stats on here. I'd do it but had my first baby last year and just don't have the time.

The AFL umpiring coaches already do exactly that.

The difference being they actually do know how to evaluate the decision.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

The AFL umpiring coaches already do exactly that.

The difference being they actually do know how to evaluate the decision.

Yes aware they do but they keep the data to themselves when all it takes is a bit of effort to make it public. Umpire coaches aren't doing a great evaluation as there seems little improvement.

 

[Hank Scorpion]

As a matter of urgency the AFL need to do 2 things;

1. Create a pathway for ex players to become umpires. The umpires that have never played the game have absolutely no feel for it.
2. Simplify the rules. Holding the ball, dropping the ball, incorrect disposal, push in the back and high contact. That’s all we need.

I don't like the conflict of interest that 1 creates. Was annoyed to see Leigh Fisher umpiring a BL v StK game a few years ago.

Would like to see more player input into how we modify/scale back some of the rules though. I'd rather we make decisions based on their passions for the game than the whingeing of some 7 network executives.

 

[FIGJAM]

Give us a spell mate...pies get the rub every week

Hopefully one day you'll get "the rub" from someone outside of yourself.

 

[Messenger]

Because as a full time employee you can spend 40 hours a week reviewing decisions, watching videos, discussing the grey areas and understanding how to interpret rules effectively.

Their issue isn’t that they don’t have time to learn or interpret the rules, or review them for that matter.

Most of the rules are subjective and the three umpires on each match are likely not interpreting them the same way.

What they need is a simplified rule book.

And as others have suggested they could go to clubs and talk with players to help players understand grey areas more clearly.

They do that now in pre-season.

If part time umpires are so effective why are nearly all other professional sports in the world staffed by full time officials?

**** America nearly had a meltdown because the proper NFL officials went on strike for a few weeks and were replaced by part timers.

NBA and Major League Baseball have games almost every day of their regular season. Of course they full time.

NFL refs officiate a multi- billion dollar league.

And each league is rife with complaints about mistakes

 

[Sterge]

Their issue isn’t that they don’t have time to learn or interpret the rules, or review them for that matter.

Most of the rules are subjective and the three umpires on each match are likely not interpreting them the same way.

What they need is a simplified rule book.



They do that now in pre-season.



NBA and Major League Baseball have games almost every day of their regular season. Of course they full time.

NFL refs officiate a multi- billion dollar league.

And each league is rife with complaints about mistakes

So actually sitting down as full time employees and talking about interpretations would go a long way to stopping the issue where each of the 3 thinks a rule means something different. Sure a simplified set of rules would help but how do you even go about simplifying some of our rules?

NBA for example has 65 full time refs on the books that oversee 1260 regular season games so roughly 60 games each over around 7 months given 3 officials per game, they are hardly ran off their feet.

The AFL alone makes around 650mil per year that's nothing to sneeze at and they are on record as saying that the only reason the officials are not full time is because some of them make around 250k in their normal jobs and if we went full time those people would be lost, as far as reasons go that is pretty ****ing dumb.

 

[doppleganger]

Yes aware they do but they keep the data to themselves when all it takes is a bit of effort to make it public. Umpire coaches aren't doing a great evaluation as there seems little improvement.

What value is there in making it public?

What they should do is put up some vision and have an AFL umpire explain some decision.

Run through the last 2 minutes, explain how Stephenson had no prior opportunity, was dragged to ground by one arm and still managed to attempt to kick the ball (he did actually kick it), it was correctly paid PLAY ON.

And they should also critique BTs call, as he clearly has no idea about the rules. What hope do mug punters have when commentators are clueless?

 

[tigernsw]

These guys don’t have a fitness issue. They are very good endurance athletes in their own right.

The issue is decision making from a rule book full of subjective interpretations. How does going full time assist when they only “perform” weekly?

I'm positive certain individual in the AFL - let's call them Steve Hocking apply their influence to the interpretations. i.e go easy on holding the ball, let the game flow, if they try then it's OK.

The result of this is the opposite though. It causes scrums and packs and fans to pull their hair out.

How long before the finger gets pointed at Hocking? He's an absolute shocker.

 

[blue harvest]

What value is there in making it public?

What they should do is put up some vision and have an AFL umpire explain some decision.

Run through the last 2 minutes, explain how Stephenson had no prior opportunity, was dragged to ground by one arm and still managed to attempt to kick the ball (he did actually kick it), it was correctly paid PLAY ON.

And they should also critique BTs call, as he clearly has no idea about the rules. What hope do mug punters have when commentators are clueless?

This.

People need to realise that the umpires know the rules and the average fan and commentator do not.

 

[Former Decathlete]

I dont think it is 'rigged' I just feel the umpires egos are getting in the way and they want to be 'part' of the game.

The 'advantage' rule is a classic example. Sometimes a player with the ball stops but the ump yells advantage. The ump should just follow and observe the play - not try and create it.

 

[teddies]

it's only going to get worse. The AFL will likely introduce new rules in the off season to fix aspects of the game ****ed up by the latest round of rule changes, thus making it even harder to officiate.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

What value is there in making it public?

What they should do is put up some vision and have an AFL umpire explain some decision.

Run through the last 2 minutes, explain how Stephenson had no prior opportunity, was dragged to ground by one arm and still managed to attempt to kick the ball (he did actually kick it), it was correctly paid PLAY ON.

And they should also critique BTs call, as he clearly has no idea about the rules. What hope do mug punters have when commentators are clueless?

Disclosure

You may think everyone is a mug punter but that's not the case.

You brought up the Stephenson decision and the last two minutes not me. I'm talking about overall data over a year for every game not isolated moments that get the focus. Data collecting to see which umpires are going to call particular calls for particular teams. See if their is any trends, perhaps correlation of players that receive a lot of high calls. Heck the data could even assist a club to reduce particular frees they give away (they probably already analyse that) Just thinking that the general public might like to see that kind of data that is surpressed and the general public have the ability to collate it themselves.

 

[adammania9]

I love how so many Collingwood supporters are saying "yeah umpiring was bad today, but you know... both ways!"

No, it wasn't both ways. Essendon in Bags got a cheap one and maybe another or two. Essendon were reamed by the umpires to the final siren. The game was dictated and decided by the umpire today. I've been going to the footy for 30 years and I have never seen a more one eyed game than I did today.

Something needs to be done and soon. We have neutrals who hate Essendon posting about what a farce it was. People look forward to this game for months, all year in fact... and then for the umpires to play such a part in it was disgusting.

So people who had watched them team get screwed in to a 4 point loss minutes earlier booed Pendles. Get over it. No Essendon fan has a problem with Pendles, they were just still so damn salty for the loss and display they say from the umpires. Not sure who was worse today, the umpires or Shiel.

Just because you're annoyed, it doesn't mean you're correct. Both clubs had numerous runs opportunities stalled by umpires, and both had goals kicked as results of poor umpiring decisions. Both of Essendon's final quarter goals came from shady umpiring decisions, as did Guelfi's set shot goal in the second.