SAAFL Umpires - Are They Just A Bit Too Precious

[Wazz]

Can umpires actually give free kicks against for crowd abuse in the saafl? is it actually a rule or just dreamt up by umpires who have had enough?

21 TWENTY FIVE METRE PENALTY (from the SAAFL handbook)
21.1 A 25-metre penalty may be enforced by a field umpire(s) where an umpire deems it to be applicable as per Law 18.1 of the Laws of Australian Football.

The following is from The Laws of Australian Football 2012 (nothing about spectators)

Law 18.1 When Imposed

Where a field Umpire has awarded a Free Kick or a Mark to a Player,
the field Umpire shall also award a Fifty-Metre Penalty in favour of that
Player if the field Umpire is of the opinion that any Player or Official
from the opposing side:
(a) has encroached the mark;
(b) engages in Time Wasting;
(c) uses abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language
towards an Umpire;
(d) behaves in an abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene manner
towards an Umpire or disputes the decision of an Umpire;
(e) enters the Protected Area, except when the Player is
accompanying or following within 5 metres of their opponent;
(f) has not returned the football directly and on the full to the
Player awarded the Free Kick or Mark;
(g) engages in any other conduct for which a Free Kick would
ordinarily be awarded, in accordance with 16.7 (b);
(h) when not in the immediate contest, holds a Player after that
Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded a
Free Kick; or
(i) a Player in the contest who unreasonably holds a Player after
that Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded
a Free Kick.

[zedman]

Can umpires actually give free kicks against for crowd abuse in the saafl? is it actually a rule or just dreamt up by umpires who have had enough?

21 TWENTY FIVE METRE PENALTY (from the SAAFL handbook)
21.1 A 25-metre penalty may be enforced by a field umpire(s) where an umpire deems it to be applicable as per Law 18.1 of the Laws of Australian Football.

The following is from The Laws of Australian Football 2012 (nothing about spectators)

Law 18.1 When Imposed

Where a field Umpire has awarded a Free Kick or a Mark to a Player,
the field Umpire shall also award a Fifty-Metre Penalty in favour of that
Player if the field Umpire is of the opinion that any Player or Official
from the opposing side:
(a) has encroached the mark;
(b) engages in Time Wasting;
(c) uses abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language
towards an Umpire;
(d) behaves in an abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene manner
towards an Umpire or disputes the decision of an Umpire;
(e) enters the Protected Area, except when the Player is
accompanying or following within 5 metres of their opponent;
(f) has not returned the football directly and on the full to the
Player awarded the Free Kick or Mark;
(g) engages in any other conduct for which a Free Kick would
ordinarily be awarded, in accordance with 16.7 (b);
(h) when not in the immediate contest, holds a Player after that
Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded a
Free Kick; or
(i) a Player in the contest who unreasonably holds a Player after
that Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded
a Free Kick.

i dont see spectators on there..so are they making this rule up as they go along?

i said this a few weeks ago and it was not countered by anyone because there is no rule..its crept into the game but where is its jurisdiction and law? prepared to be wrong if someone can show me..

[Wazz]

Can umpires actually give free kicks against for crowd abuse in the saafl? is it actually a rule or just dreamt up by umpires who have had enough?

21 TWENTY FIVE METRE PENALTY (from the SAAFL handbook)
21.1 A 25-metre penalty may be enforced by a field umpire(s) where an umpire deems it to be applicable as per Law 18.1 of the Laws of Australian Football.

The following is from The Laws of Australian Football 2012 (nothing about spectators)

Law 18.1 When Imposed

Where a field Umpire has awarded a Free Kick or a Mark to a Player,
the field Umpire shall also award a Fifty-Metre Penalty in favour of that
Player if the field Umpire is of the opinion that any Player or Official
from the opposing side:
(a) has encroached the mark;
(b) engages in Time Wasting;
(c) uses abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language
towards an Umpire;
(d) behaves in an abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene manner
towards an Umpire or disputes the decision of an Umpire;
(e) enters the Protected Area, except when the Player is
accompanying or following within 5 metres of their opponent;
(f) has not returned the football directly and on the full to the
Player awarded the Free Kick or Mark;
(g) engages in any other conduct for which a Free Kick would
ordinarily be awarded, in accordance with 16.7 (b);
(h) when not in the immediate contest, holds a Player after that
Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded a
Free Kick; or
(i) a Player in the contest who unreasonably holds a Player after
that Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded
a Free Kick.

i dont see spectators on there..so are they making this rule up as they go along?

i said this a few weeks ago and it was not countered by anyone because there is no rule..its crept into the game but where is its jurisdiction and law? prepared to be wrong if someone can show me..

Maybe EM can throw some light on this?

[LaughingKookaburra]

I think the crowd using offensive language to abuse an umpire can warrant a 25 metre penalty personally. But if they argue and don't agree then cop it on the chin.
On this what's stopping you as an opposition supporter abusing an umpire when your own team gets a dubious decision in your favour? Umpires always pay frees from "what they see". They can't see who abused them from the crowd and if they did there is s fair chance they ain't concentrating on what they should be......

[mickey]

Can umpires actually give free kicks against for crowd abuse in the saafl? is it actually a rule or just dreamt up by umpires who have had enough?

21 TWENTY FIVE METRE PENALTY (from the SAAFL handbook)
21.1 A 25-metre penalty may be enforced by a field umpire(s) where an umpire deems it to be applicable as per Law 18.1 of the Laws of Australian Football.

The following is from The Laws of Australian Football 2012 (nothing about spectators)

Law 18.1 When Imposed

Where a field Umpire has awarded a Free Kick or a Mark to a Player,
the field Umpire shall also award a Fifty-Metre Penalty in favour of that
Player if the field Umpire is of the opinion that any Player or Official
from the opposing side:
(a) has encroached the mark;
(b) engages in Time Wasting;
(c) uses abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language
towards an Umpire;
(d) behaves in an abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene manner
towards an Umpire or disputes the decision of an Umpire;
(e) enters the Protected Area, except when the Player is
accompanying or following within 5 metres of their opponent;
(f) has not returned the football directly and on the full to the
Player awarded the Free Kick or Mark;
(g) engages in any other conduct for which a Free Kick would
ordinarily be awarded, in accordance with 16.7 (b);
(h) when not in the immediate contest, holds a Player after that
Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded a
Free Kick; or
(i) a Player in the contest who unreasonably holds a Player after
that Player has Marked the football or who has been awarded
a Free Kick.

i dont see spectators on there..so are they making this rule up as they go along?

i said this a few weeks ago and it was not countered by anyone because there is no rule..its crept into the game but where is its jurisdiction and law? prepared to be wrong if someone can show me..

Maybe EM can throw some light on this?

Official includes runner, trainer, coach or anyone within the vacinity of the bench from personal experience... or even the club secretary not giving the ball back on the full to an opposition player after it went out on the full

[bird of prey]

well i have heard some pretty disgusting comments coming from the EP supporter group in the past where no free kick or 25m penalty has been paid. so for an umpire to give free kicks for abuse, it must be pretty bad.
for all the abuse i've heard umpires cop this year during my games, I haven't seen any give away free's or 25m penalties for crowd abuse.
most of the umps i've come across seem to have pretty thick skin (maybe it's different in the lower grades) and do well to put up with what they cop.

[Pag]

No free kick should ever be given against a spectator, they have no impact on the game and it should stay that way.

Players and the bench only.

[TEX07]

No free kick should ever be given against a spectator, they have no impact on the game and it should stay that way.

Players and the bench only.

Agreed, we had a 25 mtr given against us from the SMOSH umpire in Div8 for a supporter disagreeing with the umpires decision. Not a massive fan of the SMOSH umpire personally but, in this case the supporter was sitting about 10 mtrs from our bench so it could have been confused to have come from an official etc so probably a fair decision. I think if it comes from the bench of the club then its fair but opposition supporters definite no.

[locky801]

Trouble is with the spectator thing, who actually knows which sides spectator had yelled out a comment.

Witnessed first hand at a Juniors game a couple of weeks ago a supporter from the opposition yell out something to the umpire which resulted in his side get a 25 metre penalty and a goal.

Umpire obviously thought it was the other sides spectator that yelled out. There needs to be a lid put on it because if a similar incident occurs again and it costs a side a win or even more a premiership

all hell would break loose

[Wazz]

Can umpires actually give free kicks against for crowd abuse in the saafl? is it actually a rule or just dreamt up by umpires who have had enough?

As a club umpire I have requested clarification from the SAAFL Umpiring Manager (amongst a couple of other queries which has helped me greatly) on this. His reply was quite clear, if unaccepatble language comes from the bench by players or officials pay a free against the offending club, let everyone know why and if they persist then also pay a 25. He then clearly stated that cannot pay 25's for spectator abuse but notify the match day official when possible (best time is at the end of the quarter) who will then be required to speak to the offenders. As an umpire you do not have to restart the game until you are satisfied this hase been done.

Perhaps this needs to be relayed onto both SAAFL umpires and Club umpires to ensure the situation doesn't get any further out of hand with finals approaching.

[Jimmy_041]

Exactly what I said
I will raise the issue tonight

[CoverKing]

Wazz i see your point and i agree with it. If it came from the bench, fair enough, if it comes from the crowd well then the umpire needs to harden up and move on.