No Oppo Supporters The Umpiring thread.

Aug 16, 2009
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I think the match yesterday showed just how random the umpiring is. There is no doubt we got the rub of the green, although there is probably little, other than the play on call, that was flat out wrong. The subjective nature of the rules means that many, many calls can be "correct" no matter whether paid or not paid.

That Fyfe got a 5-1 free kick count, after an almost equal free kick count for the rest of the year, indicates some focus on his treatment. He has been scragged and held all year, with little paid in his favour. Whether the club spoke to the umpiring department, the Yeo incident triggered some review, or the rule of the week was holding around stoppages who can say.

Listening to Hayden Kennedy each week on Whistleblowers makes me feel there is no desire to strive for consistency and narrow the band of subjective calls. On the whole, this is not to do with rules, but interpretations of what is prior opportunity, what is reasonable to impede and harrass around a stoppage etc.

The umpires department needs to place a value on consistency, and they need to do statistical analysis to improve on this front, because the current approach, where everything in the subjective band can be called either way just doesn't cut it.
 

Tazmania

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I wonder what Michael Walters has to do these days to get a free kick?! The non-call almost in the goal square where he copped two fists in the back of the head in the last quarter was appalling. The umpire was ten metres away with a clear view and called play on. I know he ducks and dives some times but that was as blatant a hit as I've ever seen at the footy.
 

LiZ4RD

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Transperth with the subtle dig :thumbsu:

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Nodgey

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Do out of bounds on the full free kicks appear in the official free kick stats? Because Essendon did FOUR of them in a minute against us!

If they do, this may go some way to explaining the differential the eagles get at Subiaco. Perhaps because we have a long narrow ground instead of the circle MCG and wider Docklands, teams are kicking out on the full at Subi because they think they have more room? Too long a bow to draw?

FWIW I could see we got the rub of the green against Essendon and would be spewing If I were them.
 

Clems Knee

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Do out of bounds on the full free kicks appear in the official free kick stats? Because Essendon did FOUR of them in a minute against us!

If they do, this may go some way to explaining the differential the eagles get at Subiaco. Perhaps because we have a long narrow ground instead of the circle MCG and wider Docklands, teams are kicking out on the full at Subi because they think they have more room? Too long a bow to draw?

FWIW I could see we got the rub of the green against Essendon and would be spewing If I were them.

Interesting theory. But Fremantle don't get the same differential, and we have the same number of games at Subiaco Oval.
Kardinya Park is a narrow oval as well. Geelong doesn't get the same differential either.

There were some howlers on Sunday, but not all were in Fremantle's favour.
 

Bender571

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Do out of bounds on the full free kicks appear in the official free kick stats? Because Essendon did FOUR of them in a minute against us!

If they do, this may go some way to explaining the differential the eagles get at Subiaco. Perhaps because we have a long narrow ground instead of the circle MCG and wider Docklands, teams are kicking out on the full at Subi because they think they have more room? Too long a bow to draw?

FWIW I could see we got the rub of the green against Essendon and would be spewing If I were them.

They don't count

Someone posted this on another board recently
"As stated a week or so ago I requested the AFL to explain why a player who kicks the ball out of bounds on the full is not debited with a "free kick against" and received a reply this morning. What do you think about their wisdom on this?

This is a very good question. Apparently it was determined in the late 90’s that as more of a match event than a decision at the discretion of umpires, it was not put in the free against category."
 

Nightrain

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They don't count
Someone posted this on another board recently
"As stated a week or so ago I requested the AFL to explain why a player who kicks the ball out of bounds on the full is not debited with a "free kick against" and received a reply this morning. What do you think about their wisdom on this?
This is a very good question. Apparently it was determined in the late 90’s that as more of a match event than a decision at the discretion of umpires, it was not put in the free against category."
Would be unlike the AFL for something to be transparent now wouldn't it.

Regardless, the key to good umpiring is consistency. I don't mind if a call is paid against us as long as that interpretation is carried through the entire game. I'll give the umps a bit of leeway and can take one or two calls (or non calls) against us but when they start to build and you leave a game having to feel around the inside of the back of your pants for signs of forced entry, that's when I lose it. Doesn't matter what the free kick count is. It's the accumulation of those 50/50 or WTF decisions that makes me remember the umpiring and feeling bent over.

The problem with the game is it is a multi-umpired game, one of only a few. Unlike games like soccer and the Rugbies, where a single main referee carries only one interpretation throughout the match we have 3. So there is little chance of getting any consistency when you have 3 different opinions in a game. Combine that with rules that put the onus on umpire's interpretation and you have a recipe for disaster.

I think the solution is to simplify the rules to reduce umpire interpretation and go to professional umpiring, with the aim of creating umpire robots. The umpiring panel needs to be more active performing weekly umpiring reviews (I am sure someone is going to say they do this already but I don't buy it) and providing constructive criticism. The reviews would also flush out if any of these umps are on the take, which is a theory I have started giving more thought to, funnily enough, straight after watching Eagles games.
 
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Square Peg

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The solution is none of the above, it's robots. And I am not joking, or drunk. With the rate that technology is developing we will have robot umpires within a decade. Enjoy the thread whilst it lasts boys and girls
 

wayToGo_

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The solution is none of the above, it's robots. And I am not joking, or drunk. With the rate that technology is developing we will have robot umpires within a decade. Enjoy the thread whilst it lasts boys and girls
But by then the players could be robots also. Injury list should have much shorter timeframes.
 

Square Peg

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But by then the players could be robots also. Injury list should have much shorter timeframes.

I assume this is facetious. Of course no one will watch robots play. But they are an almost ideal solution to the imperfections many point out in the current umpiring. And even if robots are imperfect themselves, they won't be biased. Unless they are programmed to be
 
I assume this is facetious. Of course no one will watch robots play. But they are an almost ideal solution to the imperfections many point out in the current umpiring. And even if robots are imperfect themselves, they won't be biased. Unless they are programmed to be
Robot fans will. Meima is an early prototype remember
 

ydraw

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They don't count

Someone posted this on another board recently
"As stated a week or so ago I requested the AFL to explain why a player who kicks the ball out of bounds on the full is not debited with a "free kick against" and received a reply this morning. What do you think about their wisdom on this?

This is a very good question. Apparently it was determined in the late 90’s that as more of a match event than a decision at the discretion of umpires, it was not put in the free against category."

I think it makes sense. It would be no different than crediting a team a free kick for every point kick out too.
 

Proud SJW

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http://www.robocup.org/

It's closer than you think. Programmers the new 'coaches'.
And Drone pilots the players.
Suddenly age is no barrier to playing AFL.... you can still be a drone pilot when you're 50.
Also, no injuries. Bot gets crunched, no worries. Bring on the reserve bot and play on.

You'd have to put a special bobblehead spring neck suspension on the DarlingBot-2077 though.
 

Proud SJW

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And it may be just me, but both the Eagles and Adelaide home games this weekend have shown a marked reversal in umpiring trends - no doubt on my part that Melbourne have had a very nice run tonight at AO. Adelaide fans are furious.

Umpiring dept had something to say about home ground advantage, perhaps?
I'm thinking it may be just as well tomorrow is an away game for us.
 
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