BFNL - Round 15 – Season 2014
FROM THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGERS DESK – Justin Abrams
Treating our Umpires with Respect
The age-old debate about the standard of umpires seems to be an ongoing agenda item. Our umpires are continually blamed for close loses, injuries, lack of control and generally no idea about our great game of AFL. No wonder it is hard for umpires to recruit and increase participation, given all of the harassment they receive from coaches, players, parents, and spectators.
I cringe when there is conflict between coaches and umpires. For young players, this is a bad example for a coach to be setting. Youngsters follow by example, and if they see their own coach confronting an umpire, they think it’s ok for them to do the same.
Trust me, as a former player and coach; I too, have been frustrated at times with an umpire’s decision in the heat of battle. One thing I know that has not changed over my 30-year involvement in football is that umpires will never change their decision after coping a mouthful of abuse from a coach or player.
The role of umpire’s must be recognized and respected by the coaches, the players, the timekeepers, spectators and the parents. The umpire in an AFL match has complete authority over players and coaches from the moment that he or she walks onto the field until the game is over. It is an umpire’s job to officiate the match within the rules and keep our players safe. We need to remind everyone involved in our game of the consequences if you abuse an umpire. The actions can have a much greater impact than what you think. We need to reiterate the need to treat umpires with respect both as a coach, player and a spectator.
I absolutely agree that our paid umpires need to be accountable, just as players and coaches are on match day. They need to present themselves in peak fitness condition, know and understand the rules, position themselves on field in the best position to make good decisions and are to also show respect to the players and coachesinvolved in the match they are officiating. There is an expectation that our paid umpires perform, just as our paid players are. One thing to remember is that umpires, like players will make mistakes during a game. We should not hold the umpires to account for the result of a match because of one bad decision!
Many leagueshave instituted a zero tolerance policy for spectators and parents, which result’s in ejection from the game if umpires are taunted or verbally jeered. Junior umpires and volunteer club umpires must be given the same respect as the paid umpires. I have attended many games as a spectator / parent and observed other spectators and parents dishing out excessive abuse to the younger umpires. What these spectators didn’t realize was that they were only hurting the young umpires concentration on the game and possibly discouraging him / her from continuing to work as an umpire in the future.
Parents can help ensure the health and safety of umpires in the future by starting to educate their kids on showing and treating umpires with respect. Coaches, players, parents, and spectators should never argue or dispute the decision of an umpire, make negative or derogatory remarks or gestures towards an umpire, or otherwise behave inappropriately to disturb the normal course of play in a game. Not only is this behaviour setting a bad example for players, it distracts the umpire, makes the coach’s job harder, and takes away from the enjoyment of the game. Remember, it’s only a game, and it’s important to set a good example of respecting the umpire for our young players.
See you at the footy!
Justin Abrams
Regional Operations Manager
Last Modified on 30/07/2014 16:20