Football Department Contact with Umpires

[Umpire Please 120]

Having been to all games except the Adelaide one, I am fast believing that there are two sets of interpretation for rules in this years games.

The one for the big clubs with the AA grade players then a second set for the lower clubs.

I am aware that we were outplayed by a very good team being Freo on Sunday but that first half, the amount of time they allowed Freo's A Grades to get rid of the ball when tackled with out being pinged or that ANY contact with anything close to being above the shoulders of a Freo player was a free kick. Then look at our players and how quick the whisle went against them, or how Hogan was twice belted in the head during marking contests with just a "play on" out come.

The football department needs to contact the Umpires Boss and get someone down to the club and tell them what the players are doing wrong and get some clarity around it.

Silly free kicks by our players are costing us BUT shockingly bad decisions from the umpires week in week out is sole detroying!

[Clintosaurus 7,911]

Sounds like the NRL, where the same teams (Souths, Melbourne, Brisbane, North Queensland and a few others) get kissed on the dick by the referees every week and the Parramattas and Cronullas get kicked in the head every week.

For 10 years I have had the belief that the NRL decide the top 8 before the season and the referees make it happen. Some of the decisions are basically cheating, and often you will see a fair try sent upstairs to the video ref in the hope it can be overturned.

[Demon Disciple 12,315]

It might just be that in the first half we had a very lenient umpire at our end, whereas at Freo's they got a strict one (that would pay 'near enough good enough' frees).

I remember against the Suns in round 1, Umpire #10 (i think) was pretty harsh on us for most of the day, yet another umpire was more than willing to give us a fair few frees.

The problem with the umpiring (and it has been an issue for quite a while) is the inconsistency during games. Greater umpire numbers will only further enhance it.

[jnrmac 20,206]

Natural bias x 3. 3 umpires 3 different interpretations

Every umpire has a natural bias towards reknowned 'ball players' such as Ablett, Fyffe, Judd etc. They are also told to watch for holding, blocking etc - anythingthat will stop the gun players entertaining the fans...

There is also much more scrutiny on decisions involving key players. Melbourne players just don't cut it.

We have been killed by tyhe umps against Rich and Freo with some unbelievable decisions. Yes we got one back to Jesse Hogan but it is cruelling the game for me. Even watching two non melbourne sides I can't believe how bad the umps are.

[daisycutter 29,797]

wrt to the garland manhandling that resulted directly in a mark and goal to fyfe

,,,,,why didn't any of the other 2 umpires intervene
i was further away than all 3 and i could see it

i've yet to see one umpire disagree or override another. you see it in other codes

a disagreement should end up in either a ball-up or after a consult a reversal or non-reversal

[Umpire Please 120]

Why don't umpires stay together for the whole session. If a team of umpires were allocated at the start of each season and umpired together for each match then they would get to understand each other and the way that they each interpret the rules.

It would not stop the shockers BUT it would even out the inconsistency during games. If one has a bed day the whole group is sent to the bush the following week.

[daisycutter 29,797]

Why don't umpires stay together for the whole session. If a team of umpires were allocated at the start of each season and umpired together for each match then they would get to understand each other and the way that they each interpret the rules.

It would not stop the shockers BUT it would even out the inconsistency during games. If one has a bed day the whole group is sent to the bush the following week.

part of the problem is that umpires are part timers. the job is too difficult and stakes too high to continue with part timers

[Moonshadow 17,678]

part of the problem is that umpires are part timers. the job is too difficult and stakes too high to continue with part timers

Agree dc. Billion dollar industry being officiated by part time umpires. Defies logic IMO

[Demon Disciple 12,315]

Plus many want to be a part of the game and have ego's bigger than most of the players'.

They are meanty to officiate, not influence. Something that they more often than not feel they have to do.

[Nasher 33,617]

What would the full time umpires spend their other 30 or so hours a week doing?

[Melbournepotter 383]

I just don't understand the umpiring at times....at one end we get Hogan having arms wrapped around him and no free in a marking contest....while down the other end Sandilands (or one of their other talls) gets touched in a one on one marking contest and gets a free kick ?

[Moonshadow 17,678]

What would the full time umpires spend their other 30 or so hours a week doing?

Practice prancing backwards, bouncing the ball straight up occasionally and getting their eyes checked daily at OPSM

[Nasher 33,617]

Practice prancing backwards, bouncing the ball straight up occasionally and getting their eyes checked daily at OPSM

It was a serious question - since you're one of those proposing full time umpires, I thought you might be able to explain.

I just don't think there is enough to the job to justify paying umpires for 40 hours a week. It would double (or more) the cost of officiating the game for only a minor benefit for mine.

And presumably we're only talking field umps. Full time goal umpire would be a good lark!

[daisycutter 29,797]

What would the full time umpires spend their other 30 or so hours a week doing?

maybe you could explain how they could do their job professionally in only 7 1/2 hours a week

[angrydee 842]

[quote name="Umpire Please"

BUT shockingly bad decisions from the umpires week in week out is sole detroying!

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

Anyone know what umpires get paid?

[The Gunslinger 41]

What would the full time umpires spend their other 30 or so hours a week doing?

Maybe learning the proper interpretation of the rules and how they should be applied assiduously.

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

What would the full time umpires spend their other 30 or so hours a week doing?

Watching videos of all their mistakes?

[What 18,810]

What would the full time umpires spend their other 30 or so hours a week doing?

Theyd have to do a fair but of fitness work wouldn't they?

Plus if they umpired 2 games each weekend with interstate trips that'd take up a fair bit of time

[The Gunslinger 41]

Anyone know what umpires get paid?

Field umpires in the vicinity of $150,000 if they do all finals, boundary and goalies, about $60,000.

[Redleg 41,737]

FWIW, I went down to the umpires race at half time as they left the field.

I was in my Dees hat and was within a few feet of all 3.

I said that they had not given the same decisions to the young Dees, that they gave to the name players of the Dockers. I said holding the ball is holding the ball no matter what jumper.

I didn't swear or abuse them. They looked at me and grinned. I haven't done that in 30 years.

Funny thing though, we got 8 frees to none in the next quarter.

[daisycutter 29,797]

FWIW, I went down to the umpires race at half time as they left the field.

I was in my Dees hat and was within a few feet of all 3.

I said that they had not given the same decisions to the young Dees, that they gave to the name players of the Dockers. I said holding the ball is holding the ball no matter what jumper.

I didn't swear or abuse them. They looked at me and grinned. I haven't done that in 30 years.

Funny thing though, we got 8 frees to none in the next quarter.

well done red

can we get you to repeat this at all breaks for the rest of the season?

[Umpire Please 120]

Costing us a fortune in boots

It was a reference back to my old dad who was in the shoe industry for all of his working life. He was the one who when he arrived in Melbourne in 1949 got told he had to pick a team and he chose Melbourne. So none of us 6 children had any say in it we were all brought up as Dee's supporters.

[praha 11,240]

The team that has the ball more always tends to get more free kicks.

A lot of the calls yesterday for both teams were very soft, but a lot of the obvious ones weren't called for both sides.

We got a ride yesterday. Everyone around me was carrying on about obvious frees that weren't called, but we got some absolute pearlers, Hogan's in front of goal included.

At the end of the day, if you're second to the ball all day, you're going to get calls against you.

Melbourne seems to get the tough end of the stick because it's rarely the first with the ball.

Richmond last week had more of the ball for three quarters and got some shocking calls in their favour. But we worked hard, controlled the game and won comfortably. In the last we were first to the ball and got some silly but certainly "there" free kicks.

Edited May 4, 2015 by praha

[Redleg 41,737]

well done red

can we get you to repeat this at all breaks for the rest of the season?

I would need to be on the ground at 1/4 and 3/4 breaks to get near them.