New umpire trial from Saturday's Tiser

[TroyGFC]

Extra boundary umps for trials
By ZAC MILBANK
18feb06

BOUNDARY umpires will be empowered to make decisions on the play under a radical new umpiring format to be tested in next month's SANFL trial matches.

In a move which could change the face of umpiring, the system is designed to prevent field umpires – who may be blind-sighted – from missing obvious infringements.
"My concern is the free kick we miss because the player has his back to the (field) umpire," SANFL umpires director Shane Harris said.

"So if we allow boundary umpires to pay free kicks, then they can pay the obvious frees when a player throws it or is bumped in the head because they have a good view of it. If we can introduce a system which is going to provide us with more accurate decision making then we should be doing it."

Under the changes, four boundary umpires – each responsible for a quarter of the ground – will be added to the three field umpires able to pay free kicks. Harris said the extra umpires would also reduce the presence of taggers scragging their opposition while dealing with the increasing pace of the game. "It will provide a smaller workload for the boundary umpires," Harris said.









"Therefore their accuracy will increase as well and especially if they get caught behind play, with four of them it will assist in that area too."

To be tested in two SANFL trials, Sturt v North and West v North, the new format will include reducing the quota of field umpires to two for certain periods of the match.

"If it's successful then the recommendation would proceed," Harris said.

"But it's only in its infancy stage and from an umpiring point of view the clubs have been fantastic to allow us to have a trial with it.

"Long term, hopefully one day it will come in because it will take load and a lot of pressure off umpiring if we were to up the accuracy of our decision making."

Regularly in contact with the AFL's umpiring manager, Jeff Gieschen, Harris said he would notify the AFL how the trial goes. "We'll provide them with some feedback on how it works and how successful it is – from a boundary umpiring point of view and field umpiring – and he's very supportive of that," Harris said.

[doggies4eva]

And if this works we can add in the goal umpires......

and then the trainers, why not be fair and give the crowd the power to call frees too

There'd be untold frees for holding the ball at crows games

[giffo]

I have thought for a long time that the boundary umpires should be increased purely because of the the pace of the game, even more so with kickins straight after a behind is scored without having to wait for the goal umpire. Having them call frees as well is not a silly idea. Linesmen ( or referee's assistant these days) in soccer quite often make a call if the ref is unsighted. However, if we go to 4 boundary umps, then I think the number of field umpires should be reduced to two.

[Wedgie]

My "vision" has always been to have 2 field umpires BUT have 4 boundary umpires and also giving them more power to pick up on infringements that the field umpire can't see (usually on the other side of a pack) similarly to the way Linesman in soccer and Rugby/League operate.

Boundary umpiring is a bloody hard job, I did it once and ran more Ks than I ever did when rucking all day. Never did it again, too bloody hard, those guys are freakishly fit.

[JK]

Gotta agree with you both on this one Giffo and Wedgie ...