Umpire Abuse

[Legends of 2017]

I’ll start off by saying I didn’t watch the game last night and only saw a couple of the incidents on the news today but I have a couple of questions.
What does the AFL class as “ umpire abuse”? Does “ you’re kidding” or “ wtf” constitute abuse? I saw one incident, and the showed ex-umpire mcinernany try to explain why the 50 was paid. He said the Melbourne player gave away the free, asked the umpire why it was a free, the umpire explained, then the replay came up on the scoreboard and the Melbourne player gestured towards it and that was why the 50 was paid. Seriously?
Reading through the thread on the Petracca incident, people are commenting on he could have said something to the umpire to give away the 50. Nobody knew what was said. Aren’t the umpires miked up? Are they not this season ( or during the practice games) ? If they are then why wasn’t the audio broadcast ( assuming there was no swearing involved) , that would have cleared things up wouldn’t it? Or are the broadcasters under orders not to do that in case it was something innocuous and make the umpires seem over sensitive?

 

[Legends of 2017]

The umpire's mic are very close range. Unless a player is right next to them you don't pick them up.

The mics are an umpiring tool firstly, so they can communicate with each other on the ground, not actually designed for the broadcast.

Thanks tbr
But on that, wasn’t the umpire directly behind petracca when it happened?
I agree regarding it being an umpiring tool primarily, but the past few years the broadcasters have repeatedly and consistently played snippets of interactions on umpire mike. Does the AFL set guidelines about what they can and can’t let viewers listen to( apart from swearing)?

 

[TigerMasochist]

Arms outstretched and having a good crack at someone.

Does this mean that the Moggies players are gunna get reamed every time they start begging for a free?

 

[Legends of 2017]

No, the umpire was a reasonable distance away in the corridor, too far for the mic. I know this because I tried to say hello to my kids a couple of times after goals were kicked but could never get picked up despite being only a few metres away and the mic being live.

I'd say the broadcasters have control of the mic, they seem to try and turn them down when a conversation takes place because of the chance of swearing.

 

[TigerMasochist]

The umpires are clearly cracking down on any sort of dissent and it's a solution looking for a problem.

Wrong way round, there's a problem and it needs a solution.
Gilligan will have instructed the maggots to crack down hard as *smile* during this last round of practice games to shut the players up n pull them into line.
Problem is that the AFL and all minor footy leagues should have been gradually tightening the rules on player demonstrating n abusing umpires for the last twenty years or so.
Gilligan's belatedly gone in swinging the big *smile* stick n making a prick of himself, when all that was ever needed was a strong guiding hand to nudge players into behaving a bit better on field.
Big problem with fans abusing, threatening and at times physically attacking the maggots and players abusing them gives the half full numpties an excuse to join in.

 

[TigerForce]

I’ll start off by saying I didn’t watch the game last night and only saw a couple of the incidents on the news today but I have a couple of questions.
What does the AFL class as “ umpire abuse”? Does “ you’re kidding” or “ wtf” constitute abuse? I saw one incident, and the showed ex-umpire mcinernany try to explain why the 50 was paid. He said the Melbourne player gave away the free, asked the umpire why it was a free, the umpire explained, then the replay came up on the scoreboard and the Melbourne player gestured towards it and that was why the 50 was paid. Seriously?
Reading through the thread on the Petracca incident, people are commenting on he could have said something to the umpire to give away the 50. Nobody knew what was said. Aren’t the umpires miked up? Are they not this season ( or during the practice games) ? If they are then why wasn’t the audio broadcast ( assuming there was no swearing involved) , that would have cleared things up wouldn’t it? Or are the broadcasters under orders not to do that in case it was something innocuous and make the umpires seem over sensitive?

Umpires milked up?.....oh sorry, miked up....OK.....

 

[TigerForce]

See what McStay just did? Wasn't paid the mark, through the ball back but not directly to the umpire, picked it up again, gave it to the boundary ump who threw it back in and we continue on......no pedantic, imbecilic 50 or penalty against him.

It's not hard umps!

 

[Berwick boy]

Does this mean that the Moggies players are gunna get reamed every time they start begging for a free?

Nope.

 

[Tigers of Old]

I’m far from convinced ‘abuse’ is the reason for umpire shortages around the country. I honestly believe the problem is much deeper than that.
May play some part sure but overall It’s probably as simple as there’s not enough money for it & volunteering as a culture is dying off in this country. I wonder how much research the AFL really did with regards to why people have stopped umpiring? Is abuse now from players any worse than it was in the 70s, 80s & 90s? I highly doubt it. This seems like another AFL driven knee jerk reaction which is missing the mark to a bigger picture.

 

[shad]

I’m far from convinced ‘abuse’ is the reason for umpire shortages around the country. I honestly believe the problem is much deeper than that.
May play some part sure but overall It’s probably as simple as there’s not enough money for it & volunteering as a culture is dying off in this country. I wonder how much research the AFL really did with regards to why people have stopped umpiring? Is abuse now from players any worse than it was in the 70s, 80s & 90s? I highly doubt it. This seems like another AFL driven knee jerk reaction which is missing the mark to a bigger picture.

I did a bit of umpiring back in the early 80s. I was an okay runner back then and it was just one of the things some runners liked to do. Full forward 30 years and I'd had four sons who have all played junior footy all the way through-so I have often put my hand up as a volunteeer umpire. I don't do central umpiring any more because i just got sick of the level of aggression from parents and coaches. I don't think it got any worse over the 10 years or so I did it, but I just reached my limit. The lowlight was probably having a runner wanting to fight me in an under 10s game at about 8.30am on a Saturday morning. The highlight was walking off the field at half time chatting to a 13 year old Dusty and explaining to him the folly of sitting other kids on their arse when he had already been awarded a free kick.

It's definitely an issue at local level with a a consequent dire shortage of umpires that know what they are doing. Then you end up having anyone with a pulse doing the job which just makes the situation worse, as the are genuinely hopeless.

 

[Tigers of Old]

I did a bit of umpiring back in the early 80s. I was an okay runner back then and it was just one of the things some runners liked to do. Full forward 30 years and I'd had four sons who have all played junior footy all the way through-so I have often put my hand up as a volunteeer umpire. I don't do central umpiring any more because i just got sick of the level of aggression from parents and coaches. I don't think it got any worse over the 10 years or so I did it, but I just reached my limit.

Cheers shad. Curious do you think you eventually reached you limit just because of the constant abuse or did the fact that the lack of remuneration to put up with it for so long simply wasn't worth it?
Much of the system relies on volunteers & power to you for putting your hand up. Australia's culture used to be built on volunteering. Not so much anymore.
My experience in the past decade in local footy & other sportsclubs was that volunteering (your time for others to enjoy) was dropping off radically year on year. Not just in umpiring either. Tuck-shops, administration, coaching, all aspects. Our society has become very fractured & insular in recent times. Community has dropped off for selfishness & people are time poor.
I could be wrong but my sense is that the AFL is going to have to put it's hand out to umpires at all levels if our game is to continue. From the top down. Do they want to do that? I doubt it hence here we are.

 

[shad]

Cheers shad. Curious do you think you eventually reached you limit just because of the constant abuse or did the fact that the lack of remuneration to put up with it for so long simply wasn't worth it?
Much of the system relies on volunteers & power to you for putting your hand up. Australia's culture used to be built on volunteering. Not so much anymore.
My experience in the past decade in local footy & other sportsclubs was that volunteering (your time for others to enjoy) was dropping off radically year on year. Not just in umpiring either. Tuck-shops, administration, coaching, all aspects. Our society has become very fractured & insular in recent times. Community has dropped off for selfishness & people are time poor.
I could be wrong but my sense is that the AFL is going to have to put it's hand out to umpires at all levels if our game is to continue. From the top down. Do they want to do that? I doubt it hence here we are.

Don't get me wrong-the abuse wasn't constant-and it was extremely rare from the kids playing. It was just enough over time that I just lost my tolerance for it and I knew if I kept umpiring I would start to return fire. It wasn't about the pay as i was a volunteer but there are a lot less paid league umps these days. 15 years ago they had 'proper' league umpires for the firsts, seconds and U17s but now it's usually just the firsts. Nobody wants to do it. These days I just do the easy jobs like time keeping or goal umpiring. I love local footy and I am happy to help out.

Interestingly, one thing that's been said to me a few times is that the worst job in junior footy for getting abused by parents is being the coach. That's a job i have never done and wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

 

[TigerMasochist]

I agree, abuse is just the symptom, it's not the disease. As I said, I think it is all part of changing a horrible culture in the game towards umpires.

For example, the accepted vernacular in the game is to call umpires 'maggots'. When you actually stop and think about it, how *smile* up is that?

What other sport would use a derogatory term like that to describe the officials? I've never been at a game of cricket when the umpires walked out and heard someone say here comes the dog *smile*.

What kid would think I'd love to grow up and be called a maggot?

But at least maggots are useful in many ways. Umpires however won't even listen to sound advice.

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

Didn't watch last night's game how many were paid?
I saw Carlton got 8 and 6 goals from them on thurzdey night

 

[Dont Argue]

I agree, abuse is just the symptom, it's not the disease. As I said, I think it is all part of changing a horrible culture in the game towards umpires.

For example, the accepted vernacular in the game is to call umpires 'maggots'. When you actually stop and think about it, how *smile* up is that?

What other sport would use a derogatory term like that to describe the officials? I've never been at a game of cricket when the umpires walked out and heard someone say here comes the dog *smile*.

What kid would think I'd love to grow up and be called a maggot?

Like being called a pig when you’re a policeman.
Doesn’t seem to affect their recruitment numbers though!

 

[TigerMasochist]

Like being called a pig when you’re a policeman.
Doesn’t seem to affect their recruitment numbers though!

Pride Integrity Guts. Close family friend who careered all the way from rookie to assist comm who never had a problem being called a pig.

 

[Dont Argue]

Pride Integrity Guts. Close family friend who careered all the way from rookie to assist comm who never had a problem being called a pig.

Being a policeman is cool.
Being an umpire not so much.
That’s your problem right there.
Perhaps we should give umpires a gun?

 

[MD Jazz]

Being a policeman is cool.
Being an umpire not so much.

Respect is always earnt, never given.

My sister is a cop, she loves the job. Most people are great to deal with. *smile* will always be *smile* no matter how nice they are treated.

 

[Eddie from Elwood]

Does this mean that the Moggies players are gunna get reamed every time they start begging for a free?

Jack might

 

[CarnTheTiges]

I’m far from convinced ‘abuse’ is the reason for umpire shortages around the country. I honestly believe the problem is much deeper than that.
May play some part sure but overall It’s probably as simple as there’s not enough money for it & volunteering as a culture is dying off in this country. I wonder how much research the AFL really did with regards to why people have stopped umpiring? Is abuse now from players any worse than it was in the 70s, 80s & 90s? I highly doubt it. This seems like another AFL driven knee jerk reaction which is missing the mark to a bigger picture.

I think getting umpires at lower levels is a problem across all sports. My wife and I are involved in softball and we often struggle to get umpires. Kids don’t want to do it, and many of the older ones are either too old or can’t be bothered any more.