Umpiring... not just Fremantle games.

[anchor man]

I watch a lot of football.Most games in fact.It makes my blood boil watching the games and seeing the umpiring week in and week out.It seems the rules of the game rest on the individual umpires, nothing set in stone, not even in sand.The resultant free kick, or non free kick relies on the lone umpires feelings at that time.One times the same umpire, will penealise for incorrect disposal, yet ten seconds later call play on.
So if one umpire can't get the same result from the same same event, what chance do three have of making the same decisions?
I shudder when I hear those running the game thinking of running with four umpires.It is mind boggling.To me it is just another chance to make more errors.More chance to make the fans of our once great game, even more irate.It woud also add to the number of people to clutter up the game.
I would prefer to see them go back to two umpires.I know that it will be taxing on them, but I also believe that it will make them concentrate more on the game and the decisions they make every game, every week.
To me having three, there are long periods where one umpire is sitting back having a bludge with nothing to do.He loses concentration.When the game comes to him/her, they are not ready for the pressure.
I have never umpired a game,so please don't come at me with that thought.As supporters, spectators, members, of our once great game, we deserve much better than what is dished up every week.I don't think that there is a follower of our game that doesn not think the umpiring had gone way way backwards over the years.
I am not sure if this is the place to air my views, but will be interested to know others feeling.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

There used to be the argument that umpires don't effect football games.

I can clearly name 4 games off the top of my head where an incorrect decision has cost a game from this season alone.

It's at an all time low.


At the end of the day though - the subjective nature of the rules is what's causing the issues. The rule book needs some serious work.

 

[Scham]

I watch a lot of football.Most games in fact.It makes my blood boil watching the games and seeing the umpiring week in and week out.It seems the rules of the game rest on the individual umpires, nothing set in stone, not even in sand.The resultant free kick, or non free kick relies on the lone umpires feelings at that time.One times the same umpire, will penealise for incorrect disposal, yet ten seconds later call play on.
So if one umpire can't get the same result from the same same event, what chance do three have of making the same decisions?
I shudder when I hear those running the game thinking of running with four umpires.It is mind boggling.To me it is just another chance to make more errors.More chance to make the fans of our once great game, even more irate.It woud also add to the number of people to clutter up the game.
I would prefer to see them go back to two umpires.I know that it will be taxing on them, but I also believe that it will make them concentrate more on the game and the decisions they make every game, every week.
To me having three, there are long periods where one umpire is sitting back having a bludge with nothing to do.He loses concentration.When the game comes to him/her, they are not ready for the pressure.
I have never umpired a game,so please don't come at me with that thought.As supporters, spectators, members, of our once great game, we deserve much better than what is dished up every week.I don't think that there is a follower of our game that doesn not think the umpiring had gone way way backwards over the years.
I am not sure if this is the place to air my views, but will be interested to know others feeling.

Its the sole reason why I watch much less AFL than I used to, and less every year as it gets worse.

 

[MadMundy]

The umpires take all of the fun out of the games. Over-umpiring is a serious issue right now and the further it goes on the worse it gets. It's why I can't watch more than Fremantle games anymore.

 

[Kram]

I swear people have been saying this for every year of the 31 that I have been watching the game.

It's frustrating no doubt their performances a lot of the time but it's also got to be one of the most difficult sports to officiate in the world.

 

[Square Peg]

Yeah it's ridiculous and sucking my joy out of watching the game. The difference in umpiring in two games 24 hours apart at the same venue this weekend, just mind boggling. I don't think there is deliberate manipulation of results as in overt cheating, but there's definitely cognitive biases mixed with incompetence that's turning it into a s**t show.

 

[MadMundy]

I swear people have been saying this for every year of the 31 that I have been watching the game.

It's frustrating no doubt their performances a lot of the time but it's also got to be one of the most difficult sports to officiate in the world.

It's definitely frustrating but I'd never be an umpire in a million years, it's the most thankless job in the AFL, people always telling you you've gotten it wrong, the amount of abuse that is hurled at them. We forget they're humans sometimes.

 

[Power Raid]

The biggest issue I have at the moment is throwing the ball. The umpires should call a throw, if a clear handball can't be seen with the naked eye.

In previous years the dropping of the knees and or driving the head into the opposition, to extract a head high contact free was a blight on the game.


Perhaps if the umpires and the AFL enforced the rules of the game consistently, we would not have a problem.

 

[Square Peg]

The umpires take all of the fun out of the games. Over-umpiring is a serious issue right now and the further it goes on the worse it gets. It's why I can't watch more than Fremantle games anymore.

You couldn't be more wrong IMO. The issue 100% gets down to under-umpiring, not over-umpiring. Apart from rare instances like the Treacy one on the weekend, most frees that are paid are legitimate frees. The problem arises because the umpire will pay a free and yet ten times earlier in the game, the exact same incident was called play on. They umpire differently depending on what part of the ground the balli is in FFS. It's the inconsistency that arises from repetitively letting frees go and then plucking one out of nowhere that is galling.

 

[Square Peg]

Perhaps if the umpires and the AFL enforced the rules of the game consistently, we would not have a problem.

Exactly

 

[Mr Cheese]

Rules need to be black and white, way too much interpretation. Secondly make it a full time, attractive position. I don't think 3-500k per year is too much for an Umpire, especially given the s**t they get. It would also help increase the talent pool, allowing for actual ramifications for poor performance as you have in soccer and rugby union.



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[wayToGo_]

It does seem one of the hardest games to officiate but if the AFL are serious about improving it they need to commit...

(a) Need to stop being so reactive with rule changes. Nothing wrong with change but most of the changes each year are attempts to rectify problems caused by the previous year's rule changes. Less band aid rules - step back and design rules holistically (should hopefully simplify everything by doing so).

(b) I think they need some short term pain for long term gain with 'over' umpiring (as others have said above). It's like being lenient with petty crimes. If people get away with something then they are more likely to reoffend - and what they try will get worse not better. Same goes for players who get away with off the ball hits, throwing the ball, holding, acting etc. Every fan complains about consistency -> be consistent and the whining about umpires will fade a lot - unless it is consistently s**t like our GC game was a bit.

(c) Invest in full time umpires and professionalise it. It seems ridiculous you have a bunch of millionaire players being officiated by part timers. Making it an attractive job role will attract more people and make it much easier to weed out the dead wood.

Unlikely any of the above happen because they won't want the short term pain. Covid was the ideal opportunity to do something (because fans wouldn't have cared) and instead they sat on their hands.

 

[SPEEDWAGON]

what i have noticed is under longmuir, our players are appealing for frees and remonstrating with the umpires

i dont like this

under ross this didnt happen. we need to accept the decision and focus 100% on the game and the contest.

remonstrate and they are more likely to call more against you.

 

[mightymouse75]

These rules & training need to come about & be enforced.
Not allowing players to coerce a decision, no fraternising with clubs players or employees outside of work, not umpiring games where there has been a life long support of that club, not umpiring at home where there is an interstate team in that game, game reviews after game with ex players from nuteral clubs.

THey should also be paid well to be able to get and keep professionals & the AFL needs to stop changing rules every 6 months.

 

[Wilksyy]

It seems the rules of the game rest on the individual umpires, nothing set in stone, not even in sand.The resultant free kick, or non free kick relies on the lone umpires feelings at that time.

Ive always gone with the notion that the umpiring has to be consistent throughout the game. There’s too much grey area in the interpretation for it to be black and white.

It’s frustrating when it is inconsistent during a game. Last week, Aish gets called for HTB with no prior, Treacy tackles a player with prior and gets called for holding the man. It was just random.

 

[Bring back Drum]

what i have noticed is under longmuir, our players are appealing for frees and remonstrating with the umpires

i dont like this

under ross this didnt happen. we need to accept the decision and focus 100% on the game and the contest.

remonstrate and they are more likely to call more against you.

Maybe the players are more invested under Longmuir.
In saying that players across all teams are questioning decisions because of the inconsistency of the adjudications by the individual. That is the issue because you can have 2 umpires seeing the same incident & giving opposite judgements.
There is virtually no hope of consistency.

 

[Demons09]

Professional sport being umpired by part timers.

 

[masai]

what i have noticed is under longmuir, our players are appealing for frees and remonstrating with the umpires

i dont like this

under ross this didnt happen. we need to accept the decision and focus 100% on the game and the contest.

remonstrate and they are more likely to call more against you.

I hate players who appeal !!!!.

To me, if you’ve got time to appeal, your mind is not on extracting the ball from the contest.

All appealers deserve an electric cattle prod, up you know where.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

No we need to appeal more.

All the teams that get a good look from the umps do it.

 

[Demons09]

How many posters on here enjoy going to the footy? I can’t because i know there’s a bewildering umpiring decision around every corner me and my wife are giving up our membership after this year we love the club but the farce that is the AFL is taking our enjoyment out if it.

 

[anchor man]

I hate players who appeal !!!!.

To me, if you’ve got time to appeal, your mind is not on extracting the ball from the contest.

All appealers deserve an electric cattle prod, up you know where.

If the players don't do it, then the club needs to make noise about how we get treated.
I look at Walters, he gets the Toby Green treatement.Yes he ducks and plays for frees, but so do many other like Selwood, Shuey,Gaff and many more.The difference is that Toby and Sonny don't get frees where as the others do.

 

[Polly]

In the back decisions are giving me the irates! If someone is carried forward in a tackle they’re calling in the back, if some clown has been tackled and is laying over the ball and a player is trying to retrieve the ball from them and makes contact, in the back! Just pay the free for how the rule was intended, when a player pushes deliberately or tackles and lands on the back of the tackled player, blow your whistle. Everything else, play on!

 

[westy1]

The umpires take all of the fun out of the games. Over-umpiring is a serious issue right now and the further it goes on the worse it gets. It's why I can't watch more than Fremantle games anymore.

This
nothing ruins a game more tham a whistle happy umpire, its not about the umpires its about the players, this is why the thought of having an umpire with a nickname "Razor" drives me up the wall

I've waded into the world of umpiring this year, umpiring the local footy, so far only the colts so far, its great fun and exercise for the body and the mind
You really have to concentrate %100 for %100 of the time, its great being involved
I tell the young fellas, It's not that easy doing this boys but but I'm paying the obvious and looking after the head, simple as that

Put the whistle away and let the game flow umpire is not about you

 

[ilikepotatoes]

This
nothing ruins a game more tham a whistle happy umpire, its not about the umpires its about the players, this is why the thought of having an umpire with a nickname "Razor" drives me up the wall

I've waded into the world of umpiring this year, umpiring the local footy, so far only the colts so far, its great fun and exercise for the body and the mind
You really have to concentrate %100 for %100 of the time, its great being involved
I tell the young fellas, It's not that easy doing this boys but but I'm paying the obvious and looking after the head, simple as that

Put the whistle away and let the game flow umpire is not about you

Fair play giving it a crack - but I believe you've touched on what the main issue is here.

What is defined as obvious? And where do you draw the line between obvious and not? Are you saying you will let minor infringements go?

Add another umpire into the mix and confusion ensues.

 

[westy1]

Fair play giving it a crack - but I believe you've touched on what the main issue is here.

What is defined as obvious? And where do you draw the line between obvious and not? Are you saying you will let minor infringements go?

Add another umpire into the mix and confusion ensues.

Yes

obviously it a different level with less scrutiny but my objective is to let the game flow as much as possible and look after the head
Correct disposal is probably what I let slide the most, but consistancy is the key as is paying the obvious

A throw is obvious
A head high tackle is obvious
A push in the back is obvious
Taking on the tackler is obvous

Unless you look to hard, if your looking too hard your trying to impose yourself on the game instead of just letting the players play

The most difficult thing is the speed at which you have to make a decision, blink and the balls 50 m away, and thats and country colts level, AFL would be a tad quicker I reckon