It’s a tough gig, there’s no mistaking that. The umpires in our great game are never going to get everything right, and often they’re going to give a few dodgy decisions here and there.
Yes, it’s just part of the game, but there are ways of helping the situation.
The AFL could start by employing the umpires full-time.
Currently, there are 110 people that make up the entire umpiring crew. Without these guys, there wouldn’t be a game. But they also have are jobs outside of umpiring. They umpire on the weekends, train two nights a week and undertake rigorous coaching, but by trade the umpires vary from school teachers to solicitors.
It’s understandable that the umpires need a life away from football, but if the AFL wants to get serious it must employ them full-time.
Currently, field umpires can earn as much as $80,000 a year while the top-earning goal and boundary umpires can earn up to $40,000. For a part-time gig, it’s not a bad coin.
But why not make the umpires full-time and pay them more? This is a radical plan that the AFL has looked into for the future, but this needs to start sooner rather than later.
It would mean these guys become genuine professionals at what they do. They would have their whole focus on their umpiring, and in turn can improve themselves to become better umpires. Just what us fans are always asking for.
And it’s not as though the AFL isn’t financially capable of providing this; Big Andrew is running a sporting giant here.
The AFL players are full-time professionals, so why not make the umpires full-time too? Give the umpires a clear career path, giving them the same opportunity the players get. The men in the lime green work hard, and like the players, they are dedicated, high-performance athletes.
In the modern game, we are seeing it become a more professional sport, and this is the next step for the AFL. You never know, it might encourage younger people to undertake the challenging task.
And who knows, maybe the AFL embarking on such a change could mean less centre-bounce re-calls, holding the ball decisions that are inconsistent, and also means that marking contests are less confusing to understand.
ray bullock
Guest
Give the umpires their lunch money and that's all. I have never seen so much hogwash in my life. the umpires are ponceing about as if their an attraction at each game. give them their tea or lunch money and maybe their busfare home. that's all their worth
joseph
Guest
AFL umpires do as good a job as they possibly can given limited tools the AFL give them (a whistle) now given them goal line technology and fans want to take it away?.. i say give them more, better, quicker technology, third umpire, etc... it will develop and grt better (just like the game itself is still evolving) remember, it is a very young game in time and evolution terms..... not been around that long really in 50 years time it will be very different game to today. more developed., clearer, simpler rules, etc the biggest changes will happen when the game has low points..... they wont change or improve things when everyone still making alot of money.... the rules are cureently a mess, worst they ever been but the game itself is in good shape. doesnt matter that no one person you talk to totally understands with all the rules.... or not know which rules are umpired and which rules are ignored... (like holding the man without the ball --- rule still there, still in the rule book but not umpired on.. why?) so now, you can drag a player who doesnt actually have the ball yet, fling them out the way and you run onto the ball and that ok? yet you cant place a finger on someones back (even with no pressure) that doesnt effect that player?
kath
Guest
They deserve every cent PLUS more. to have the crowd loving you then hating you. their personal sacrafices of training etc.while still trying to have a normal life of work and family or study committments. i imagine its not an easy job, and it is only part time. It may look like a easy job, but thats why they are the best, they make a hard job look easy. not a lot can do that. Go Goalies
joseph
Guest
i agree, so what that there wpuld be goals given that should be points and vise versa.. as long as the game keeps flowing... how many games are decided by 5 points or less.? keep the game flowing and let the crowd roar when the umps get it wrong... dont give them the tools to get it right... whats the fun in that?
joseph
Guest
fantastic game tonight at Geelong. umpires put whistle away so we got to see fold fashion flow on football. Crows will argue they got pushed in the back, without getting free kicks but Geelong just kept playing the ball(and the man) while Crows eventually gave up once they understood the whistle was not coming! i love how the rules change every week in the AFL you never know what you get like a box of chocolates. keep it that way... keep us guessing and arguing ... thats what AFL umpiring is all about
Jacob France, Brighton South Aus
Guest
Good call jaqcues not sure if your a male or female though
Graham
Guest
I don't believe the problem lies so much with the umpires, as it is with the rules themselves. The rules are complex and will always require interpretation. That interpretation will, in a large part, depend on the umpire's view of the incident. The "view" problem could be resolved, in part, by adding to the role of boundary umpires. The thing that frustrates me is the "blitz" days, where they decide to crack down on certain infringements in one round, or even one match. An infringement is an infringement in every game, every week, and should be paid. My father, god rest his soul, used to proclaim for years that if the umpires went out in round one and paid EVERY free kick, by round three the players, and the coaches, would get the message. The most important thing that the AFL could do, is have a serious look at the most contentious rules, (and talk to the players) and see if there is a way to resolve them in any way. My pet hate, and it absolutely infuriates me to the point that I will turn off, is the "holding the ball" decision against a guy at the bottom of a pack. I call it "the raffle". There are others almost as bad.
Andy_Roo
Roar Guru
There is one problem with making umpiring a full-time profession. It takes many years of training an experience at lower levels before an umpire makes it to the AFL. Most field umpires would be debuting at age 25 or older. After finishing school they must work to earn a living for those year before they make the grade as an AFL umpire and by that time they have started alternative careers. Most of the AFL umpires are, as the article points out, well educated and have good careers which the would not want to give up. It's much easier for an 18 year old to go straight from school into an AFL club.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Less changes to interpretations from year to year and week to week would help too. If "interpretation" is required then something is wrong.
Bob
Guest
Lets get some umpires that aren't bald and skinny but ones that look like they've played the game, like the NRL refs! (joke) My theory over MANY years is the AFL do not use their umpiring structure to the best level, what I mean is we have 4 boundary umpires, lets use them as back-up umpires, to make and or assist in decision making - they operate at different angles to the field umpires, so they see what the field umps can't and mostly all they do nowdays is point to the ground, stretch their arms out wide & throw a ball in
Stye
Guest
Yeah, but how much would they need to be paid? If they are things like crime examiners and call centre managers and accountants, they would be giving a lot of money up to go full time unless the wages were huge.
Jaqcues
Guest
The actual sport is actually hard to umpire
langou
Roar Guru
The umpires are going at about 85% according to those reviewing the games. Would being full-time lift that rate? Maybe but let's face it, the umps could get every decision correct and fans would still complain.
Ash of Geelong
Guest
Get rid of video review its a waste of time and just go with the umpires decision as we always have.
Seano
Guest
I fully agree with this, look at the standard in Major League Baseball, basically perfect! -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.