I would say that a free kick count which has a 10 to 1 ratio needs to be seriously looked at and the game reviewed for consistency. The free kick count is not definitive, but it is an indicator. As you say, a 10 to 1 ratio on free kicks is unlikely, but it was the case when I looked while at the game (second quarter from memory), and an unlikely event such as that surely would suggest that we take a look? It may well be justified when you look at the whole game and not just individual incidents, but such a ratio justifies a second look.
So a free kick ratio of 10 to 1 tells you nothing? I suppose the free kick ratio of 116% favouring West Coast over a 35 year period at home tells us nothing too?
Now, this game in particular, and where this discussion started, was the other way around. I observed that I thought the umpiring was inconsistent, the observation also included an observation that Collingwood were getting free kicks when Richmond weren't, so I looked at the stats. The stats backed up what I observed. If I observed that I thought one team were getting free kicks more easily than the other and then looked at the stats and saw that the free kick count was maybe 7-4, I would have figured my observations were not thorough enough, but when I saw 10-1 it reinforced my observations.
DS
So a free kick ratio of 10 to 1 tells you nothing? I suppose the free kick ratio of 116% favouring West Coast over a 35 year period at home tells us nothing too?
Now, this game in particular, and where this discussion started, was the other way around. I observed that I thought the umpiring was inconsistent, the observation also included an observation that Collingwood were getting free kicks when Richmond weren't, so I looked at the stats. The stats backed up what I observed. If I observed that I thought one team were getting free kicks more easily than the other and then looked at the stats and saw that the free kick count was maybe 7-4, I would have figured my observations were not thorough enough, but when I saw 10-1 it reinforced my observations.
DS