General thoughts on Umpiring and New Rules after Round 1

[Tiger Couple]

I was at the Norwood v Glenelg Game Friday Night.

I thought the umpiring was very soft in regards to 25 metre penalities Friday Night. There was too many paid for too little happening in incidents they were paid for.
In my opinion they let the play go for too long and be packs generated around the ball and if it came out that was good but when it didn't it made for a lot of players around the ball. If the balls not coming out blow thw whistle ball it up and the game goes on again and it cuts out a bit of the niggle at the bottom of packs.

The New Rule of kicking in straight away from points was pointless as unlike the AFL there was no spare balls behind the goals. If the ball went into the crowd you had to wait for it to be returned which took the rule out of the game.
They either need to have spare balls or take the rule out of the SANFL to make it an even playing field.

[am Bays]

Having gone to my first umpirining lecture last Thursday night to explain the new rules/interpretations on existing rules. My thoughts were the punters aren't going to like/ understand these. Soft interpretations are going to be the norm now, umpires are going to be seen more rather than letting the game flow. In the past we were told let the game umpire itself only pay the obvious ones. After going through several of these lectures over the past few years my thoughts at the end of this lecture was, "Well that is it they've turned the game into netball finally". Everything now is designed to keep the ball moving so players get more tired and the game slows down.

Now we have to pay the tiggy touchwoods. For example any player coming into the contest after the act of play is going to be pinged. Either for holding up the play or for "uneccessary contact. Hence the plethora of 25 m paid on Fri night.

Going to be lots of holding the balls this year if players dive on it and don't keep it in motion (acting as if to keep it moving won't help) and if a team mates stops you from moving it on you will be pinged !!!

Umpires have been told here in Victoria once a player is paid a free kick or takes a mark, you are to count to 6 and then tell him to hurry up after 8-9 seconds it is play on! WTF how the hell am I going to be able to count when I'm policing the looking tosee where my partner is for a potential handover and castigating myself for another **** up (most probably!!). the I have to count on top of that, lucily it is under ten so I don't have to take my shoes and socks off!!

better get an extra thick skin this year as we will be coppingf plenty, so all you blokes out there don't blame us blame the rules committee (Russell Ebert) and Andrew (I'd rather watch soccer world cup than my game) Demetrieou

[Punk Rooster]

The rules are the rules, the Umpires need to apply them to both sides though. WWT recieved every soft 25/50 they could get, North players got mauled post marks, yet recieved nothing. It was glaringly obvious too. This is a genuine complaint too, as I say this even though we won.

[MightyEagles]

Let's face it, everyone knows that the Umpires are idiots and are told one thing and they all do different things on the day.

[am Bays]

Let's face it, everyone knows that the Umpires are idiots and are told one thing and they all do different things on the day.

Ta, for that ME I'm feeling the love....

[JK]

Not too long ago there was fair outcry in footballing circles with regard to players "diving" or "milking" free kicks, with some people going as far as calling for Card systems to be initiated to stamp it out of the game ... It has, and always will/should be part of the game, and should be irrelevant if umpires perform their duties correctly ... However the powers that be don't do themselves any favours by instituting such soft rules which in theory should increase the instances of such actions!

The SANFL IS a tough and physical competition and has been promoted that way this season, however to my mind it would seem somewhat hypocritical that we say this and then on the other hand award a 25 metre penalty for a sub 1-second shirt grab!

[giffo]

I thought the umpiring on Saturday night was fairly good (not just because we won ). A couple of soft/dubious frees paid to both sides and some obvious ones missed (mainly hanging on to leading forwards).

[Wedgie]

We had Peter Williams and he was as awful as usual.
Wish we could swap Peter for Richard any week and I feel sorry for Richard that some people get him confused with "Pubes".

[bayman]

i saw three games on the w/end, (norwood,richmond & elizabeth) & i thought the umpiring was fine in all games obviously some were missed some were soft but overall good

[Wedgie]

i saw three games on the w/end, (norwood,richmond & elizabeth) & i thought the umpiring was fine in all games obviously some were missed some were soft but overall good

No coincidences there, the 3 games Peter Williams wasn't involved with.

[Ian]

We had Peter Williams and he was as awful as usual.
Wish we could swap Peter for Richard any week and I feel sorry for Richard that some people get him confused with "Pubes".

I thought Mead was worse than P Williams this week

[Pseudo]

Far be it from me to give Pubes a wrap, but I thought the performance of the umps in last years' ressies GF (which included Pubes IIRC) was exemplary.

[redandblack]

I thought the umpiring for West v Port was very good.

The new kick-in rule worked well and quickened things up. There didn't seem to be too many 25 metre penalties, either.

Promising start.

[Blue Boy]

The rules are the rules, the Umpires need to apply them to both sides though. WWT recieved every soft 25/50 they could get, North players got mauled post marks, yet recieved nothing. It was glaringly obvious too. This is a genuine complaint too, as I say this even though we won.

Have some one to back you up here

You guys should have a crack at it ( the umpiring ) cause you won ( roosters ) and you got the rough end of the deal big time. Its amazing what you see when you dont care about the other teams playin.

[Wedgie]

Far be it from me to give Pubes a wrap, but I thought the performance of the umps in last years' ressies GF (which included Pubes IIRC) was exemplary.

Bays supporters would, he hates us more than he hates you. I thought he was terrible.

[topsywaldron]

It probably says something that every SANFL follower hates Dicky Williams.

My personal vendetta goes back to the 1996 Preliminary Final where, in a game decided by less than a goal, the free kick count was something like 30 to 11 in Port's favour.

Never forget, never forgive.

[Wedgie]

It probably says something that every SANFL follower hates Dicky Williams.

My personal vendetta goes back to the 1996 Preliminary Final where, in a game decided by less than a goal, the free kick count was something like 30 to 11 in Port's favour.

Never forget, never forgive.

Richard Williams is a very good umpire, Peter Williams is the dud.