AFL Umpiring - deep breath and perspective, everyone

[Wallaby]

Umpiring in all sports around the world is rubbish - or at least that's what you'd believe if you read everything in the media these days.

The NBA reffing is a total joke - they have obvious 'superstar' rules to allow Kobe and LeBron to make their dunks.

The EPL is reffed by idiots who get abused weekly by the losing manager. They have been running 'Respect the Referee' campaigns for the last couple of years in an effort to reverse the perception. Not working so far.

In the Ice Hockey, all US fans believe the Canadian umps gang up against US teams. Read some forums.

Cricket - well, we've all seen it. NRL - we've all heard it.

In Europe, soccer refs get smuggled in and out of games. Just last week, the ref in the Chelsea/Barca game received death threats - from the Chelsea supporters.

In the US there is currently a bit of a storm about an MLB Umpire touching a player - the player is being defended by his fans because 'The Ump was calling strikes that missed all day!'.

So is it co-incidence that umpiring all around the world is at an all-time low in terms of respect, or are there some other factors at work?

I reckon it's the media/internet explosion. A - we can all see the particular 'incident' in glorious HD slow-mo a million times, and B - get on the internet and post our opinions about it - and read the opinions of millions of other people around the world. In the old days, we might have grizzled about it at the pub with our mates, and maybe watched one replay that night - now we grizzle about it on the internet for days while watching 300 replays - all with 'expert' commentators trying to get noticed for being 'hard-hitting' and controversial.

Journos have to compete with internet bloggers and forums like BigFooty - they need to create exciting stories - bad umpiring is always news.

Yes, corrupt umpiring has been proven - NBA, European soccer and a few others. But the rest of it I believe is the same standard it always was - it's just easier to bring the mistakes to light.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I agree with you except for the last bit and one sport in particular, Cricket. Since the neutral umpires were brought in and they set up the international panel with umpires representing each test playing nation the standard of umpiring has fallen away markedly in particular the standard of umpires forced upon us from the sub-continent.

As for umpiring in Aussie Rules I've said it on a few other threads and I'll say it here I firmly believe that any 'perceived' dropping in standard of umpiring can be laid squarely at the feet of coaches and players. In a nutshell they cheat by playing/staging for frees, they make it that tough on umpires that they only have themselves to blame.

Umpires themselves can be their own worst enemies sometimes, you'll hear them miked up say 'I was unsighted' when a player obviously disposes of the ball incorrectly but the umpire is caught out of position and can't see but then on other occassions they will pay one where there is no way known they could see, they just assume from their experience of certain situation and therefore they make an educated guess which we all know isn't always right.

IMHO there should be 4 boundary umpires and they should be able to make decisions as the touch judges/line judges do in every other code of football.

 

[Hoops]

As for umpiring in Aussie Rules I've said it on a few other threads and I'll say it here I firmly believe that any 'perceived' dropping in standard of umpiring can be laid squarely at the feet of coaches and players. In a nutshell they cheat by playing/staging for frees, they make it that tough on umpires that they only have themselves to blame.

could it be that the interpertations are so soft that you can generally draw a free kick from staging

 

[Cap]

I blame any reduction in umpiring standards on the AFL itself. It can't tell 12 months go by without changing something.

 

[JimDocker]

[quote=Herne Hill Hammer;14538793]I agree with you except for the last bit and one sport in particular, Cricket. Since the neutral umpires were brought in and they set up the international panel with umpires representing each test playing nation the standard of umpiring has fallen away markedly in particular the standard of umpires forced upon us from the sub-continent.

I agree with that to a large extent, but there was always a hint of bias with home umpires and that has now gone.

As for umpiring in Aussie Rules I've said it on a few other threads and I'll say it here I firmly believe that any 'perceived' dropping in standard of umpiring can be laid squarely at the feet of coaches and players. In a nutshell they cheat by playing/staging for frees, they make it that tough on umpires that they only have themselves to blame.

Dickie Bird said years ago that as players stopped walking, umpiring would suffer. I agree, same goes for footy.

Umpires themselves can be their own worst enemies sometimes, you'll hear them miked up say 'I was unsighted' when a player obviously disposes of the ball incorrectly but the umpire is caught out of position and can't see but then on other occassions they will pay one where there is no way known they could see, they just assume from their experience of certain situation and therefore they make an educated guess which we all know isn't always right.

Umpires should not have to explain every decision. Just give a ruling, holding the ball, push in the back etc... The umpires are slightly ridiculous because of all of the prancing about that they do. No other sport forces the officials to all walk the same, run the same etc..... They are made to look like fools.

IMHO there should be 4 boundary umpires and they should be able to make decisions as the touch judges/line judges do in every other code of football.[/quote]

Agree, in part. I believe that they should be able to advise the umpire of what they have seen and recommend what action should be taken. It would then be up to the umpire to have the final word.

I have always said that footy would be the hardest sport in the world to officiate on because of all the grey ares. It seems to get harder each year as more grey areas are invented. I get angry at the umps all the time and shout and scream ta them, but in reality, I reckon they have a pretty tough job.

 

[jpdixon]

]I agree with you except for the last bit and one sport in particular, Cricket. Since the neutral umpires were brought in and they set up the international panel with umpires representing each test playing nation the standard of umpiring has fallen away markedly in particular the standard of umpires forced upon us from the sub-continent.[/b]

I agree with that to a large extent, but there was always a hint of bias with home umpires and that has now gone.

The accusations of bias haven't dropped away that much. I think a big part of the standard falling away (and it probably hasn't fallen quite as much as it seems), is that international umpiring has been restricted to a small panel of overworked umpires who are always travelling.