Umpire Selection Policy

[mjp]

Has anyone got any idea how the final 27 umpires - and the 'teams' - are worked out each week.

I am 100% exhausted by Umpire Chamberlain and he is genuinely one of the least effective umpires I have ever seen. Yet he continues to be allocated 'key' games (was a finals umpire in 2020) despite continually making himself the focus of the game...One of the commentators (Lewis I think) mentioned this yesterday after the Gardner catastrophe. The fact he changed his mind on his own decision 5-minutes later (as Adam Treloar pointed out - Jeremy McGovern played the Gardner role note-for-note...but was not penalised) just seemed to be more of the theatre to Chamberlain. He loved talking to Treloar and offering a short-sighted explanation about 'diving for the mark'...

I generally couldn't care less about umpires and umpiring decisions - but there is one umpire in the game who always seems to want to make the 'BIG' decision in front of goals...and he is continually rewarded with selection. Why? Umpires should be seen and not heard. Award the free-kicks (playing with a straight bat) and keep your mouth firmly closed.

So - how is this stuff worked out?

On a related/unrelated note, I know a couple of umpires have decided NOT to retire due to the greatly reduced game day running in the last few years...which has me petrified I am going to be watching the same guy perform the same grand-standing act for years to come.

[Hotdog60]

No idea how they work it out but great umpiring is when you don't even notice that they're out there

[Topdog]

It's really the same as the teams.

There is a selection committee of sorts and you are selected based on how you perform each week

[Twodogs]

This doesn't answer any of your questions but it's an interesting article about the problems that AFL umpires face.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/02/25/who-would-want-to-be-an-afl-umpire/







Yesterday morning, the AFL’s footy boss Steven Hocking joined Garry and Tim on SEN Breakfast to discuss the biggest issues confronting the game as we inch closer to the start of the season.

The new rules, in particular the change to the manning of the mark, were a hot topic.


There was much to dissect from that interview, however I was partially taken aback by Hocking’s comment about the challenges facing the AFL umpires.

“It’s a difficult game to officiate. There’s a responsibility on players and coaches to get this right. It’s not all at the umpires’ feet,” Hocking said.

The responsibility doesn’t just rest on the umpires to officiate the game accurately but it also lies at the feet of the coaches and players!

[EasternWest]

Has anyone got any idea how the final 27 umpires - and the 'teams' - are worked out each week.

I am 100% exhausted by Umpire Chamberlain and he is genuinely one of the least effective umpires I have ever seen. Yet he continues to be allocated 'key' games (was a finals umpire in 2020) despite continually making himself the focus of the game...One of the commentators (Lewis I think) mentioned this yesterday after the Gardner catastrophe. The fact he changed his mind on his own decision 5-minutes later (as Adam Treloar pointed out - Jeremy McGovern played the Gardner role note-for-note...but was not penalised) just seemed to be more of the theatre to Chamberlain. He loved talking to Treloar and offering a short-sighted explanation about 'diving for the mark'...

I generally couldn't care less about umpires and umpiring decisions - but there is one umpire in the game who always seems to want to make the 'BIG' decision in front of goals...and he is continually rewarded with selection. Why? Umpires should be seen and not heard. Award the free-kicks (playing with a straight bat) and keep your mouth firmly closed.

So - how is this stuff worked out?

On a related/unrelated note, I know a couple of umpires have decided NOT to retire due to the greatly reduced game day running in the last few years...which has me petrified I am going to be watching the same guy perform the same grand-standing act for years to come.

Whenever the commentary mentions the call was made "not by the umpire nearest to the play" it's always Chamberlain.

He's intolerable. Not because he's a turd, though he is, but because he's actually not very good.

I blame the commentators for creating this stupid cult of celebrity around him.

[jeemak]

Whenever the commentary mentions the call was made "not by the umpire nearest to the play" it's always Chamberlain.

He's intolerable. Not because he's a turd, though he is, but because he's actually not very good.

I blame the commentators for creating this stupid cult of celebrity around him.

Yes, for some reason half-witted commentators like BT think adding colour to the game and personalising or promoting umpires like Ray - who as you say isn't very good - is something you do.

I've seen off Bruce, BT has to be next. Without the likes of BT we don't have this crap in our game.

[Ozza]

I don't think anyone notices Matt Stevic, ever.

[mjp]

I don't think anyone notices Matt Stevic, ever.

I have no idea who that is.

I assume he is an umpire? If so, he must be doing a brilliant job.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I have no idea who that is.

I assume he is an umpire? If so, he must be doing a brilliant job.

Ask a swans fan

[Twodogs]

I have no idea who that is.

I assume he is an umpire? If so, he must be doing a brilliant job.

Believe it or not Matt Stevic has umpired 400+ AFL games and 8 grand finals (including 2016) in 15+ seasons. He is the ultimate professional.

[bornadog]

I would hate to be an umpire with the current AFL rules, it is too hard

[Twodogs]

Ask a swans fan

When they say "free kick Bulldogs" remind them that we kicked the sealer only to have it overturned and still won the game. They never seem to have a response to that.

[Twodogs]

I saw an argument on twitter last week. Someone accused Luke Darcy of calling an AFL umpire "that lady" when he'd accused her of getting a decision wrong. Turns out he'd called her Eleni which happens to be her name.

[EasternWest]

I saw an argument on twitter last week. Someone accused Luke Darcy of calling an AFL umpire "that lady" when he'd accused her of getting a decision wrong. Turns out he'd called her Eleni which happens to be her name.

Can see how that could happen.

Plus Luke is a terrible, terrible caller, so maybe that person was waiting to pounce on him.

[Twodogs]

Can see how that could happen.

Plus Luke is a terrible, terrible caller, so maybe that person was waiting to pounce on him.

Yep the twitterer wasn't Darce's biggest fan. Accused him of favouring us in his commentating which I personally can't see. I think he's just a lousy commentator. Not as bad as some of the others but that's not a huge achievement, being a better commentator than BT or JB is a bit like being the tallest dwarf in the world.

[westdog54]

Of all of Brian Taylor's horrendous contributions to the game during his time as a broadcaster, giving Chamberlain the nickname 'Razor Ray' must surely be the lowest of the low.

It elevated him to a level of celebrity that is totally unwarranted.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

When they say "free kick Bulldogs" remind them that we kicked the sealer only to have it overturned and still won the game. They never seem to have a response to that.

If they actually understood the rules of the game they’d realise it was an accurately umpired game. I actually rewatched the game with the intention to look at all calls and non-calls. Turns out the swans should have had more frees. But so should have we. Like every game.

[Happy Days]

Darcy did favour us. Whatever. As always let the losers be objective.

[westdog54]

When they say "free kick Bulldogs" remind them that we kicked the sealer only to have it overturned and still won the game. They never seem to have a response to that.

And that Josh Kennedy's second goal shouldn't have stood. Easton Wood had a player climb on his back when the ball was nowhere near the pack.

[bornadog]

If they actually understood the rules of the game they’d realise it was an accurately umpired game. I actually rewatched the game with the intention to look at all calls and non-calls. Turns out the swans should have had more frees. But so should have we. Like every game.

On twitter they are still whinging about the umpiring decisions.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

On twitter they are still whinging about the umpiring decisions.

Good. Unfortunately umpiring shouldn't be judged simply from free kick counts. It's misleading.

It wasn't hard to be unbiased looking back at the game knowing we had won. The free kick count disparity should have been even wider. The Wood example is a case in point. The JJ overturn whilst not a free kick adds to a 2 goal turnaround in their favour yet they still lost. I think the Clay Smith goal in the 3rd was fortunate for us. But again, it gets to the point where you're nitpicking.

[Mofra]

Apparently there's a ratio they use to judge performance (this is from a VFL umpire that was close to joining the AFL umpiring system).
Decision making isn't 100% of the scoring - there's positioning during the play and centre bouncing that are also assessed.

I get the criticisms of Ray, but at the same time I wonder if the game is even possible to umpire properly anymore. AFL field umpires make an estimated 800 to 1000 decisions per game and some of the rules mean the umpire has to choose where to look (e.g. man on the mark or the player with the ball stepping off his line?).
The rules committee certainly aren't helping the umpiring department.

[mjp]

I get the criticisms of Ray, but at the same time I wonder if the game is even possible to umpire properly anymore. AFL field umpires make an estimated 800 to 1000 decisions per game and some of the rules mean the umpire has to choose where to look (e.g. man on the mark or the player with the ball stepping off his line?).
The rules committee certainly aren't helping the umpiring department.

1/. They are in charge of one third of the ground at a time. 1000 decisions? Whatever. Given there are 30 free kicks per game, most of those are simple tick/cross events that could be handled by 90% of the footy watching public. What I am hoping for is that of the 40-50 'REAL' decisions each individual umpire makes that they just 'make them' without creating a Hollywood production out of blowing the whistle.
2/. Pay the simple free kicks and don't try to invent stuff - the umpires love the theatre of a deliberate out of bounds/ball held in holding the ball free kick...when you see them rushing to the boundary arm extended downwards (deliberate) or see them stopped over with hands down just 'waiting' to pay the 'ball held in - holding the ball' penalty...for goodness sake. And Umpire Chamberlain takes it to a whole new level. Yet somehow paying in the back/over the shoulder (how did Daniel not receive a high contact free in front of the West Coast goal 20 mins into the last q - simple and obvious to all watching) is 'beyond them'. Those kicks are NOT confusing - and have NOTHING to do with the new rules...

[EasternWest]

If they actually understood the rules of the game they’d realise it was an accurately umpired game. I actually rewatched the game with the intention to look at all calls and non-calls. Turns out the swans should have had more frees. But so should have we. Like every game.

If you're first to the ball you get more frees. More news at 11.

[westdog54]

Good. Unfortunately umpiring shouldn't be judged simply from free kick counts. It's misleading.

It wasn't hard to be unbiased looking back at the game knowing we had won. The free kick count disparity should have been even wider. The Wood example is a case in point. The JJ overturn whilst not a free kick adds to a 2 goal turnaround in their favour yet they still lost. I think the Clay Smith goal in the 3rd was fortunate for us. But again, it gets to the point where you're nitpicking.

The JJ goal was a terrible decision but it was most certainly not a 2 goal turnaround.

Jordan Roughead marked the ensuing kick in and we scored a behind from that entry. About a minute after that Tom Boyd kicked his famous goal.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

The JJ goal was a terrible decision but it was most certainly not a 2 goal turnaround.

Jordan Roughead marked the ensuing kick in and we scored a behind from that entry. About a minute after that Tom Boyd kicked his famous goal.

No I meant the JJ overturn plus the goal to Kennedy that shouldn't have happened equals 1 goal to them that shouldn't have happened and 1 less to us that should have been given. Separate incidents.

[westdog54]

Good. Unfortunately umpiring shouldn't be judged simply from free kick counts. It's misleading.

It wasn't hard to be unbiased looking back at the game knowing we had won. The free kick count disparity should have been even wider. The Wood example is a case in point. The JJ overturn whilst not a free kick adds to a 2 goal turnaround in their favour yet they still lost. I think the Clay Smith goal in the 3rd was fortunate for us. But again, it gets to the point where you're nitpicking.


No I meant the JJ overturn plus the goal to Kennedy that shouldn't have happened equals 1 goal to them that shouldn't have happened and 1 less to us that should have been given. Separate incidents.

That makes far more sense.

[GVGjr]

Footy Classified broke the news last night that there will be 4 umpires on the ground from next season. I think they said the emergency umpire will be used on the ground.
The game is quicker now and this will reduce how fast and far umpires will need to run in a game.
I think they also said that the bounce in the centre square will be gone as well.

[mjp]

Footy Classified broke the news last night that there will be 4 umpires on the ground from next season. I think they said the emergency umpire will be used on the ground.
The game is quicker now and this will reduce how fast and far umpires will need to run in a game.
I think they also said that the bounce in the centre square will be gone as well.

Does this mean the best umpires will be able to umpire > 1 game per weekend?

[Happy Days]

Yeah the game was just crying out for more free kicks and specifically more out of zone free kicks. Good thing Channel 7 have told me that all of the umpires are the Best in the Business.

[GVGjr]

Does this mean the best umpires will be able to umpire > 1 game per weekend?

I didn't hear them say that but it was something like improving the retention of the umpires.

[Bulldog4life]

Footy Classified broke the news last night that there will be 4 umpires on the ground from next season. I think they said the emergency umpire will be used on the ground.
The game is quicker now and this will reduce how fast and far umpires will need to run in a game.
I think they also said that the bounce in the centre square will be gone as well.

The one physical action the umps have to do and it is too hard for them. Pathetic. Another tradition wiped.

[GVGjr]

The one physical action the umps have to do and it is too hard for them. Pathetic. Another tradition wiped.

I think it stays for the first bounce of each quarter but I get your point.

[Bulldog4life]

I think it stays for the first bounce of each quarter but I get your point.

So 4 bounces to muck up. In a year or 2 there will be none.

[Axe Man]

The one physical action the umps have to do and it is too hard for them. Pathetic. Another tradition wiped.

If I had to choose between an umpire that can bounce the ball well and one that can make good decisions I'm going with the latter.

[chef]

The one physical action the umps have to do and it is too hard for them. Pathetic. Another tradition wiped.

Having the best decision makers is more important.

[mjp]

Having the best decision makers is more important.

Maybe they could make the decision to practice their bouncing?

[hujsh]

Maybe they could make the decision to practice their bouncing?

But is that the best decision?

[bornadog]

The best decision is to reverse all the Hocking rules and minimise the number of decisions an umpire has to make.