It’s so frustrating watching the umpiring in football today.
It’s a hard job. Okay. Let’s get that out of the way. Umpiring’s tough. So’s brain surgery. But we’d never excuse the surgeon who made multiple errors during a surgery. We do it with umpiring though.
There’s another reality we also have to deal with.
Umpiring is broken.
I can’t entirely blame the umpires, though.
The problem stems from higher up.
How do I know?
Why is it that interpretations can change from game to game? We’ll have a match where not enough holding-the-ball decisions are paid.
What is then guaranteed to happen the very next match? We’ll get lots of them.
This sort of course correction has happened constantly for the last 20 years.
Or, inexplicably, one rule – to the surprise of all and sundry – will be hot that week. But should there be an adverse reaction, suddenly it’ll cool down, as if the umpires were told to change their interpretation.
These directives are coming from somewhere.
If rules were concrete, neither of these schisms would happen. There’d never be a need for course correction because the rules would be fixed from quarter to quarter, game to game, round to round, season to season.
But they’re not.
And it becomes this oddity that we no longer question. Or which we’re not allowed to question.
AFL umpire Shane McInerney (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Ruck infringements typify what’s wrong with the state of umpiring today.
How many times do rucks tangle up, the umpire blows their whistle, and then we all – from the spectators to the commentators to the players themselves – pause without any idea which way the free kick will go?
We’re talking tens of thousands of people who will be clueless.
How is that possible? How can only one person know?
Doesn’t that suggest there is communication issue? We don’t understand what the umpire’s seeing.
Yet instead of seeking clarity, this idiocy has continued. And we accept it. Because if we question it, we’re told umpiring’s a tough job. And given it’s a tough job, let’s never, ever hold anybody accountable.
Haha. Let’s have a rueful chuckle instead at the novelty of it all.
So many rules are broken. The holding-the-ball rule would seem easy to fix. If a player does not dispose of the ball legally by hand or foot, it’s holding the ball or illegal disposal. Nope. We have insane qualifications, like prior opportunity.
If you haven’t had prior opportunity, it’s okay to drop it or throw it.
Lately, we’ve also seen ridiculous holding-the-ball decisions paid where a player is tackled immediately, is physically incapable of disposing the ball, and pinged.
We now even require theatricality. Luke Hodge and Brian Taylor discussed it during the Collingwood versus Carlton game. Hodge said the player needed to be seen trying to get rid of the ball … even when he couldn’t. Brian Taylor questioned the futility of it all.
But here’s the giddy course correction. Alastair Clarkson complained holding-the-ball wasn’t being paid often enough. And then it was. Wow. What a coincidence, hey?
The only problem is the interpretation was muck.
But at least we had holding the ball.
For like four weeks.
When the AFL attempt to enforce a rule, they work in absolutes that malign the spirit of the game.
We had a push-in-the-back rule, but that wasn’t enough. Let’s make it easier. It was decided a player could not place a hand on an opponent’s back, even when it had no bearing on the contest. How did that work? It didn’t. The rule has been flung – an admission of stupidity second only to the introduction of the rule.
Look at the deliberate interpretation: anything that goes out of bounds when a teammate isn’t in the vicinity is a deliberate now.
Forget that the player might’ve kicked it fifty metres, and the ball took an improbable off-break. Somehow, the player deliberately meant that.
How about taking out a player’s legs? Remember when that was a thing, even when it penalised the player attempting to make the play? Like the ruck infringements, nobody knew which way the determination would go – was it too high, or taking an opponent’s legs out?
But where’s it gone? Now they’ll pay the odd one … and overlook five others.
Talking about overlooking, what happened to the kicking-in-danger rule? I see at least ten instances per game where a player has the ball kicked away from their hands just as they’re about to scoop it up. And then, as if the umpire was signalling us to the Loch for Nessie’s cameo, he’ll pay one.
There you go. You’re not going to see that again in your lifetime.
Officiating is lost in the mire of what’s fashionable at any given moment, inconsistency, interpretations contrary to the spirit of the game, and a total loss of context and common sense.
Compounding the madness, we also get absurd qualifications which idiot commentary lauds, e.g. “It’d take a brave umpire to pay that”, and “They’ve put the whistle away”, and, “They would’ve paid that if it was up the ground [instead of in front of goal]”, and, “You could/couldn’t pay that for the theatricality of it”.
How good is the standard of umpiring in the AFL? (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
How does that work? Why are the rules in the first ninety minutes of a game different to the rules in the last ten minutes of the game? Why does location matter? At what point does the law stop? You mean because something offers theatre, that affects the interpretation?
Then we also get some in the media complaining that there are too many free kicks paid. Really? Can we cap it?
AFL, umpiring is so broken, and I’m so tired of the equally tired defences to absolve it of any responsibility.
Rules aren’t suggestions. They aren’t malleable. They aren’t flavours of the moment. They aren’t qualifiable. And they aren’t to be capped.
They are a framework that governs how a game unfolds, and offer the teams – regardless of who they are, where they’re positioned on the ladder, or what they’re playing for – parity.
If your club is first or if your club is 18th, you are equally entitled to a free kick.
If you tackle correctly and enforce an illegal disposal, you are to be rewarded, whether you’re the best player in the league or the worst player in the league, whether you’re team is five points behind or 120 points up, whether you’re playing for a finals’ berth or you’re just seeing out time.
The problem begins at the top.
That means the solution needs to come from the top.
Too hard? Well, the AFL had no problem working out the hubs, navigating a global pandemic, state governments, and a rolling fixture so they could ensure that their 2020 season went ahead.
Work out what your rules are. Make sure those interpretations are honoured game in, game out, round in, round out, season in, season out.
Remove this farcical belief that stoppages are bad for the game, or that they’re unsightly, or that they’ll make the game too stop-start.
And let’s apply some freaking common-sense.
If the old chestnut of it being such a fast and difficult game to officiate is tossed out as a counter, start thinking of lateral solutions.
What would I do to fix things?
Here are some suggestions.
Allow goal and boundary umpires to call infringements if they’re in a better position.
Grab archival examples as our standards so we understand what is legal and what is not.
Think about how the umpires are positioned in relation to the play to compensate the speed of the game.
Make umpiring full time and lucrative so that it can be entirely professional, and individuals can dedicate themselves to it as a craft.
Understand and respect that a rule is a rule.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s grown sick of it.
Blitz
Guest
You do, indirectly at the very least!
Craig Bounds
Roar Rookie
Excellent article, Les. The AFL needs to understand umpiring is critical to the game and ensure the rules are simple, understandable to players and officials alike with minimal grey areas, and easily enforceable. Therefore, they need to spend time to review and implement solutions over the off-season. Holding the ball, holding the man, striking, head high tackles, kicking in danger, ruck infringements, and ‘intentional’ out of bounds are all problem areas, many of which can adversely impact the flow, and potentially, result of the game. They’ve got some work to do...
CloudRunner
Roar Rookie
Apologies for the delay. I don't have a solution in mind other than rules committee perhaps showing greater foresight into how things could go pear-shaped. It's unfair of me to accuse, as they probably do consider the ramifications, but year after year of perplexing decision making, it's not the vibe I get. And simply doing one trial behind closed doors that don't replicate match day conditions is grossly inefficient. Perhaps in the State Leagues over the course of a few rounds for a greater subset of results? A simpler rule set will always be easier for the officiator though. However, I can't remember the last time I saw a Kicking in Danger payed, so perhaps they've surreptitiously removed it to balance it out as you've rightly mentioned: it would make the interpretation 50/50 with my example. Ultimately it would help if they included rules to make the game fairer, the only reason to include them, as opposed to seeking a desired look for the game that is ultimately about making more money (more goals, more ads, more revenue etc), but the AFL seems to have a personalised definition of the word "fair" not privy to any dictionary.
Greg Bligh
Guest
And what about the out of bounce, there has been that many obvious OOB with the boundary umpires 4-5 mtrs away from the action and they don't see it,play on WTF. it is far too common lately
Zim
Guest
Who cares - this is one thing that sport needs to accept is that referees, umpires whatever you call them, get it wrong - players and fans need to accept the decision and move on. I know there is money involved through gambling, results and all that but geez it gets old. Respect and acceptance has been eroded due video referees, captains challenge and all the other bs and money being the single biggest factor a result can influence. Any team or coach at any level worth their salt will always accept what has happened and get past it and try and win. Don’t get me wrong officials need to be subject to form by a selection panel no different to players. League, union and AFL were all fine we just accepted what happened and that needs to return.
Cavey 57
Guest
So much worse it’s a joke Too many rule changes have had exactly the opposite of the publicised rationale Remember how kick out after a point would increase coast to coast goals by letting full back come out of the square a further 10 to 15 metres? What happened was 3 zones compress in to area previously occupied by 2 and congestion increased and coast to coast decreased Third man up used to clear congestion GONE Nominating ruckman delays ball up while umpire chats and guess what . Defenders zone up and in the 5 second delay players cover another 25 metres toward the contest and congestion goes up Many many more but Whiskas should be GONE !
Robbie148
Guest
The problem with umpiring in the AFL is it's not being run by umpires. Administrators, coaches and players have more say in the rules and their interpretation than umpires do. I'm not suggesting they not be involved, but the umpires need to be there too, but they're not. Rules are brought in, untried and untested, and umpires are expected to get them right. All the time. Let the umpires run umpiring and the game will be better off
Simoc
Guest
Gotta say this an article for copy and paste. Surely this has been happening for plus 20 years and every year the same articles happen only this year a couple of months later. I think it is obvious to most that when the player drags the ball back in after being tackled he's likely to get pinged. We do see ridiculous interpretations from challenged umpires on a weekly basis but they need to be trained after the event so that the mistake isn't a regular occurrence. I see them as an error, not a fault in the game. It does cost teams the game occasionally but the world is never likely to be perfect.
Parkside Darren
Roar Rookie
With your example of the possible frees in one play would you suggest one or two of the rules are removed so it is a simpler decision? And really whether the umpire pays high contract or kicking in danger doesn’t matter same player gets the free. I think it is a good example of umpiring instinct (or you could say interpretation of what they have seen) coming into play.
2dogs
Roar Rookie
Blues fans thank you, we kicked the tigers out. The plan worked
Parkside Darren
Roar Rookie
A couple of points Forwards had it way easier 20-30 years ago as there was no zone defence and they could lead into space much easier. TV footage was not that great and there were less camera angles and replays. Umpires could get away with a lot more errors. In the 1970s and 1980s there were less umpires paying double the free kicks. If you go back and watch you’ll see a lot of them were guesses. Also players were part time so they made a lot more mistakes.
Graeme
Roar Rookie
I think I’m getting soft, the umps actually do a pretty good job considering the minefield the AFL have created with ambiguous rules. Deliberate out of bounds for starters and holding the ball. The original holding the ball rule was simple when a good tackle that forced an incorrect disposal was a free...never mind prior opportunity. What the umpires can control but are losing the plot with is throwing the ball. This is becoming a plague and Richmond play on it. Lightening it up a bit I was at an East Perth vs East Freo game in the 80’s. My team East Perth were getting absolutely flogged by over 100 points by 3/4 time. Despite the score line the umpires were pulling frees in favour of East Freo out of nowhere. At the 3/4 time break police were on horseback surrounding and protecting the umps. A more disgruntled Royals supporter than even me yelled out at the top of his voice, looking at the cops and pointing to the umps “arrest those bastards for impersonating umpires”. The cops actually laughed and even the umpires had sheepish but guilty grins on their faces, still the funniest sledge I have heard at the footy.
Parkside Darren
Roar Rookie
Thought the same and the article was published and has over 70 responses.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
They are Yowie pharts
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
They are Yowie farts
Ben Pobjie
Expert
"Why can't we talk about it?" is a weird question. AFL fans never stop talking about it.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Yes, it’s an education for us all. If we see week after week why dubious decisions are called right or wrong we can begin to recognise these ourselves and reduce frustration. We will also see when umpire “x” has a bad game he gets demoted and has to earn his stripes to get back. Conversely, the best reserves umpire is rewarded with a chance. The management of this would need to be 100% honest though, not what happens at the moment where they hardly every admit clear mistakes. Get rid of the bounce of the ball too. How much time is wasted training on this and potentially losing good umpires for this archaic tradition?
RT
Roar Rookie
I think the point of it is that it humanises umpires and if it is done properly people will understand the difficulties and respond positively when they admit mistakes.
RT
Roar Rookie
I'll have to look out for the signal. Obviously I only mean grab the jumper when the player has the ball, much like you only mean push him in the back when he had the ball.
2dogs
Roar Rookie
Can’t we just have Netball rules already!?!? 3 zones and players have to stay 3 feet away from the player with the ball. The umpires have had it way to hard for to long