Umpiring 2026 Umpiring trends

[smasha]

I will be very surprised if Richmond win the free kick count today but an alarming trend on here nonetheless.

 

[BunjiMC]

Free kicks for Victorian teams vs. Non Victorian teams - Running count

Winning the count
Victorian teams: 16
Non Victorian: 1
Draw: 1

Total frees
Victorian teams: 380
Non Victorian teams: 293

 

[PenfoldsFan]

16-1-1 to Vics

+87 frees

 

[PenfoldsFan]

16-1-2 to Vics

+79 frees

 

[smasha]

Told you so.
Richmond,the only Vic team that does not get the red carpet rolled out against interstate teams.

I expect the trend to continue next week against Port on our supposed home ground advantage.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Yeah, and while we're at it we can discuss the 10 in a row Hawks got against Port last year also at AO that kickstarted them from 10 goals down.

Every bit pathetic..Vic

Get over it. Most people watch the football, you watch the umpires.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Free kicks for Victorian teams vs. Non Victorian teams - Running count

Winning the count
Victorian teams: 16
Non Victorian: 1
Draw: 1

Total frees
Victorian teams: 380
Non Victorian teams: 293

It's embarrassing living in Adelaide and listening to this crap, year in, year out.

 

[BunjiMC]

It's embarrassing living in Adelaide and listening to this crap, year in, year out.

Cool.

 

[BunjiMC]

Get over it. Most people watch the football, you watch the umpires.

And yet here you are. On an Umpiring, MRP, Tribunal and Rules thread. And have clicked on '2026 Umpring trends'.....and commented.

Seems you're slightly interested in it too?

 

[PenfoldsFan]

16-2-2 to Vics

+79 frees

 

[PenfoldsFan]

17-2-2 to #viccharity

+92 frees to #viccharity

#victoriaeverybitacharity

 

[PenfoldsFan]

18-2-2

+94

 

[Deliverance]

Why the hell do umpires spend more and more time commentating to the players? Eg, shouting "touched, play on, touched, play on, touched, play on" incessantly. Or "not 15 play on, not 15 play on, not 15 play on"
When a mark is taken, umpires blow the whistle whistle and signal to make it obvious that a mark is taken. Shouldn't umpires shut the hell up and players just assume its not a mark if the whistle doesn't sound? Soccer ref's don't go yelling "offside, offside" before the ball is played. They just blow the whistle after the fact and let the players think through the play for themselves.
Stand rule is the same, why tell a player to stand 5 times? If they are within 5m when a mark is taken, they should stand automatically, as they are not allowed to back out 5. Basketball ref's don't warn players to get out of the key after 2 seconds.
Seems we're the only sport in the world where players don't play till the whistle goes.

 

[aCunningPlan]

Why the hell do umpires spend more and more time commentating to the players? Eg, shouting "touched, play on, touched, play on, touched, play on" incessantly. Or "not 15 play on, not 15 play on, not 15 play on"
When a mark is taken, umpires blow the whistle whistle and signal to make it obvious that a mark is taken. Shouldn't umpires shut the hell up and players just assume its not a mark if the whistle doesn't sound? Soccer ref's don't go yelling "offside, offside" before the ball is played. They just blow the whistle after the fact and let the players think through the play for themselves.
Stand rule is the same, why tell a player to stand 5 times? If they are within 5m when a mark is taken, they should stand automatically, as they are not allowed to back out 5. Basketball ref's don't warn players to get out of the key after 2 seconds.
Seems we're the only sport in the world where players don't play till the whistle goes.

It is a great point you make. Would a players in a pack situation make the same decision if they knew the ball was touched or not? Some might grab the ball, some might punch, but knowing what the call is in the air gives players certainty. If a player takes a extra second or two thinking it was a mark and waiting for a whistle, only to get mown down from behind, does that mean players should just assume all 15m kicks are not marks to be on the safe side?

I think a lot of us need to take a step back and remember that this is a 360 degree, physical sport with a high potential of both violence and accidental injury. With a lot of rules like where the mark is and what constitutes the protected zone, there are no physically marks on the ground so they require the umpire to communicate with the players where possible to remove doubt at times. It's not like NFL with poles setting out each down.

Sometime umpire communication is there to help players know when its play on so they are aware that if they are in posession of the ball they are open to be tackled, sometimes communication helps set up the mark so avoid paying a much bigger penalty. Exactly where the mark is matters. Soccer is a good comparison, while each throw in or free kick has a mark as such it is not always strictly enforced outside of a set piece shot on goal...for example, players will usually gain an extra metre or five when throwing the ball back in play. Just letting footy players read umpires minds about where the mark is would result in 50m pentalties the likes of which we have never seen.

Umpire communication is part safety, part removing doubt. Footballers play much better when they know what the umpires are thinking and are predictable. It is recognition of the nature of our fast paced, free flowing game.

 

[BrodeeKF]

The eight teams in the positive are ALL Victorian...

 

[hawkman]

No free kick update after last night! What happened?

 

[bomberclifford]

 

[PenfoldsFan]

19-2-4

+90

 

[WA ROO]

The AFL should just come clean and post the top 8 before round 1

 

[PenfoldsFan]

19-2-5

+89

VFL finding one for WC in the dying seconds for the upset.

 

[JHF1870]

You can duck or drop the knees and still get a free kick. I've never seen so many crap free kicks.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

20-2-6

+92

#vicsneedfreekicks

 

[Saint12]

View attachment 2577090

The eight teams in the positive are ALL Victorian...

Are we on top yet

 

[PenfoldsFan]

21-2-6 to Vics

+97 frees to Vics

#everybitacharity

 

[PenfoldsFan]

22-2-6 to Vics

+99 free kicks to Vics

#vicsneedfreekicks