Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

[BulldogBelle]

What next? .....

Umpires to crack down on hand gestures
The Herald Sun
Mark Stevens | April 09, 2009

POINT to your eyes at your peril. That is the message from the AFL umpiring department after Sunday's 50m penalty against Western Bulldog Brad Johnson for dissent.

Johnson pointed at both eyes after Stefan Grun declined to pay a mark in the Dogs match against North Melbourne and copped a heavy penalty.

Although the AFL has accepted Johnson's story that he was suggesting his opponent had taken his eyes off the ball, umpires' boss Jeff Gieschen said it was dangerous to be so demonstrative.

"The umpire who was 10 or 15m away could not hear what Brad was saying, but saw his demonstrative hands and fingers towards the eye," Gieschen said.

"Normally that constitutes 'open your eyes' to the ump. I'm not saying Brad was indicating that, but Stefan Grun said he interpreted it that way."

Another Bulldog Will Minson was penalised for the same hand signal last year.

"People will say its sensitive and an over-reaction, but we are really committed to maintaining a good environment," Gieschen said.

He said the AFL had to set the standard, given problems with recruitment and retention of umpires at lower levels.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

...
"People will say its sensitive and an over-reaction ...

Perhaps because it is!

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

God these wankers are precious.

Come on Aker39, defend this one.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

Why do we have to hear them telecasts? Its like they are stars of the show.

[The Underdog]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

Why do we have to hear them telecasts? Its like they are stars of the show.

I have this ongoing fear that Stephen McBurney will become the voice of my internal dialogue...

[AndrewP6]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

I like hearing the umps' commentary. Helps to reinforce my view that they are morons. They ought to have the word "PRECIOUS" stamped on their backs. To call pointing at your eyes "dangerous to be so demonstrative"...please... these idiots spoil the game... and it all starts with Gieschen.

[alwaysadog]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

Another case of hind sight justification by those who are insecure but who use their authority to justify the incomprehensible.

[GVGjr]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

Another case of hind sight justification by those who are insecure but who use their authority to justify the incomprehensible.

Yes, this is getting way too silly. Changes are being made for the sake of it rather than the change adding any real value to the game.

[Rocket Science]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

How about the free kick paid against Heath Shaw, plus a 50 metre penalty resulting in a point-blank Geelong goal, plus a farking report for 'touching' the umpire during this evening's game?

I always thought the term 'aerial ping pong' being thrown around by neckless, north of the border types when having a dig at Aussie Rules was lame in the extreme...I never for one second contemplated that our game would evolve in such fashion as to actually deserve the term.

These days I find I routinely become as enraged when watching a game of AFL footy, not necessarily involving the Dogs either, as I do when I hear politicians speak. That's not right.

[Happy Days]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

What next? .....

Umpires to crack down on hand gestures
The Herald Sun
Mark Stevens | April 09, 2009

POINT to your eyes at your peril. That is the message from the AFL umpiring department after Sunday's 50m penalty against Western Bulldog Brad Johnson for dissent.

Johnson pointed at both eyes after Stefan Grun declined to pay a mark in the Dogs match against North Melbourne and copped a heavy penalty.

Although the AFL has accepted Johnson's story that he was suggesting his opponent had taken his eyes off the ball, umpires' boss Jeff Gieschen said it was dangerous to be so demonstrative.

"The umpire who was 10 or 15m away could not hear what Brad was saying, but saw his demonstrative hands and fingers towards the eye," Gieschen said.

"Normally that constitutes 'open your eyes' to the ump. I'm not saying Brad was indicating that, but Stefan Grun said he interpreted it that way."

Another Bulldog Will Minson was penalised for the same hand signal last year.

"People will say its sensitive and an over-reaction, but we are really committed to maintaining a good environment," Gieschen said.

He said the AFL had to set the standard, given problems with recruitment and retention of umpires at lower levels.

Sounds like a glass of cement job.

Compared to other sports, i.e soccer (as much as it pains me to call it a sport), our umps have it easy.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

How about the free kick paid against Heath Shaw, plus a 50 metre penalty resulting in a point-blank Geelong goal, plus a farking report for 'touching' the umpire during this evening's game?
.

No problem for me on the Shaw incident... he's an idiot. Hope he gets a week. Knowing the match review panel/tribunal, he might get a month!

[Rocket Science]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

Why? Because a suspension's genuinely deserved for his heinous crime?...or because he's a Pies player? What if it was Boyd, or Johnno?...Give 'em a week and cop it sweet you reckon?

Give me a freakin break.

The heavy-handed and hyper-sensitive manner in which the 'contact with umpires rules' is administered is enough to make the uninitiated think umpires had previously been subject to regular, deliberate and grievous man-handling on the part of players, and that consequently some sort of iron-fist crackdown was in order to arrest a serious blight on the game.

It's completely and utterly over the top, and I might add also at practical odds with efforts to improve the general public perception of umpires as a whole.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

Why? Because a suspension's genuinely deserved for his heinous crime?...or because he's a Pies player? What if it was Boyd, or Johnno?...Give 'em a week and cop it sweet you reckon?

Give me a freakin break.

The heavy-handed and hyper-sensitive manner in which the 'contact with umpires rules' is administered is enough to make the uninitiated think umpires had previously been subject to regular, deliberate and grievous man-handling on the part of players, and that consequently some sort of iron-fist crackdown was in order to arrest a serious blight on the game.

It's completely and utterly over the top, and I might add also at practical odds with efforts to improve the general public perception of umpires as a whole.

What were there, something like 4 or 5 incidents already this year? Perhaps more. I don't think rubbing players out is the answer, and if the contact is very minimal, it shouldn't even be an issue, but they need to keep watching it as its seeming to become more and more common.

I guess what the AFL is saying is that the players have to show a duty of care towards the umpires, and they'll be pretty strict about enforcing it.

[Rocket Science]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

As regards in-play contact: It barely requires repeating but it's a high-tempo, high-paced contact sport in which play can unfold in any direction, and there's going to be occasional accidental contact with umpires. Nobody's out there actually looking to collect an umpire, who incidentally have their own knack of getting in the way of play, and players, from time to time.

As regards other incidental contact between player and umpire: It's obviously best not to tempt fate, particularly in the current environment, but again where's the common sense? If there's clearly no aggression involved, no demonstrative force, and the player isn't being derogatory or threatening, where's the problem?

What Shaw did may have been silly given the umpire's/AFL's propensity for hyper-sensitivity, but it was none of those things, yet it cost his team a goal and he's now on report.

As with all matters of officiating, the AFL only seems to know the sledgehammer and walnut approach, without ever deigning to consider it might be guilty of overkill or even misguided in some areas, and both the spectacle and spirit of football at the highest level is more the poorer as a consequence.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Umpires to crack down on hand gestures

Except the contact seems to be happening at stoppages.

Well it would, that's where there's the most players in a small area.