Female Boundary Umpires?

[Big Kitty]

If they can do the job I don't see any reason why there shouldn't be any.

 

[the good maggot]

Most of you out there clearly don't understand the intricacies of umpiring. If a female can run 10km in 35mins and knock out 5x1km reps at a lazy 3.00min per rep, then they wouldn't be running around a footy field getting abused by 100,000 people...they instead would be in Canberra at the AIS training for Beijing.
I don't think anyone actually has as issue with female umpires being involved at the top level...IF THEY ARE PHYSICALLY CAPABLE OF PASSING THE REQUIREMENTS.

 

[Catstar]

Theres not too many females that can make the benchmark times for umpires in state footy
eg. 14mins for 4km run for AFL field and VFL field umps and I think it is 13min for the Boundaries....

Having said that there are a lot of very good boundary umpires and field umpires who are female running around in local leagues.

I agree with borgsta2006 ....... the benchmarks are quite demanding physically - our current lone female AFL goal umpire who has transferred to Vic from Qld this season remarked to me only recently (I used to coach her in Qld) how the standards have changed and become more stringent to meet - there's no "nearly being there" either you can meet the standard or you don't umpire till you can. Having said that - hopefully at some future time we'll have some more females officiating.

 

[PaintItRedAndBlack]

If they're strong enough and ugly enough (can't have the boys distracted), I'm all for it.

 

[jim boy]

I doubt we'll ever see a female boundary umpire at AFL level, field umpire is a possibility though especially if they go to four field umpires. If the AFL go to four, then the need to see consistency will push down the physcial requirements a bit in favour of the ability to adjudicate.

 

[joeyjimjams]

Well with the Female umpiring academy afl Vic has started, hopefully more will push for vfl selection as a start.

 

[pacemaker]

There have been goal umpires who were female in the WAFL, and i think some boundary in the colts and resys or maybe it was just colts

 

[borgsta2006]

Well with the Female umpiring academy afl Vic has started, hopefully more will push for vfl selection as a start.

No disrespect to women, but they do not have the physical attributes to be able to do it at that level.

It is not like being an assistant referee in soccer where you just run up and down a line in line with the last defender. These boundary umpires cover at least 12 - 18 km per match in VFL, and at pace. A lot of the boundaries now on state and national panels run state qualifying times for 800m, 1500m etc, so the women are behind the 8-ball as it is. Then they have to make decisions (probably will do that well) and throw it in for a required distance (in my experience of umpiring in several different comps over 15 years I am yet to see a female boundary umpire who can do it to a required level).

It is great to see an initiative by AFL Vic, but possibly the initiative needs to be tailored even further. Or even incorporate four boundary umpires to VFL. Only other way I can see females keeping up.

 

[dylza]

Well with the Female umpiring academy afl Vic has started, hopefully more will push for vfl selection as a start.

Won't happen, especially female boundaries. They simply aren't fit enough and if went to a session at Vic Park, you would understand.

IMHO, you will never see a female make the AFL list for either field or boundary. Not because they are not good enough, but simply because they can't make the physical requirements (And this includes bouncing or throwing)

 

[junior Burger]

Well if the AFL's history of political correctness is anything to go by i'm sure we'll see one sooner rather than later. I'm sure there are some women who are capable of running the boundary at AFL level physically (probably not that many), I just don't think it will look right. I'd rather them just leave things as they are. Just my opinion.

 

[ManInWhite]

It's hard to avoid making it sound sexist - and the intention is that it shouldn't be - so I'm just being clinical and factual when I agree that physical attributes mean that I'd be surprised to see any females in the field or boundary in near future. I reckon it would be awesome to see but statistically think it's a bit far off.

Years ago when I was on the AFL's Development Squad we had Sharon Alger join for the summer one year as the AFL's first introduction to a female fieldie. She was an excellent decision maker and really fitted in well with the guys but unfortunately for her, fitness prevented her from staying for a second year.

 

[Blommy]

I reckon that Madeline Pape could have gone all the way to the AFL as a boundary umpire. However, she decided to concentrate on her running and thus made the 2008 Olympic team in the 800m.

 

[telsor]

I used to run the boundary for the seniors for a local league (SESFL). I was *very* fit and ran around 70k/week, every week all season and most of that at a solid pace.

OK, that was probably 2 steps down from the (then) VFL ( well, 1.5..VFA wasn't so hot ), but I could run 10k in ~40mins at the drop of a hat, and there were several better than me.

Could a woman do that? I'm sure some could, especially at lower levels, but the higher you got, the less likely they'd keep up...At the top level, maybe 1 or 2 would make it onto on the AFL panel.

Certainly worth having the option open, especially because if there are 1 or 2 there, that means there would be hundreds of 'new' umpires at lower levels, but don't delude yourself we'd see anything like parity.

 

[runner4life]

Does anyone else find it unusual that there have not been any female boundary umpires in the AFL to date? There have been female goal umpires in the AFL, and girls running the boundary at VFL, WAFL & SANFL level, but not in the AFL.

I used to boundary umpire in suburban leagues, and saw some very effective women boundary umpires in that time. Do you think we will ever have female boundary umpires in the AFL?

I have been umpiring SANFL league footy since 2007. I know personally how challenging it is just to even break into the league squad. let alone get appointed to consistent games. The physical demand boundary umpiring a league game with 3 umpires is unmatched by anything most people experience in their life time.

There is no leniency for throwing in, more than 2 or 3 offline or even remotely short of 15-20 meters and you are in reserves the following week.

Running long runs back to the center...more than 2 or 3 slow and your in reserves. When your on the outer by yourself for the 8-10 minutes before change over is tough. Let alone being out there for 20 odd minutes sometimes which can happen quite often.

There are several girls in the Academy squad at the moment who physically are putting up a real challenge to some of the guys out there. But unless they are of national running quality (athletics) then the chance of cracking the higher levels i honestly dont see possible, even in the next 5-10 years.

I would love to umpire a league game with a female because their passion for the game is unrivaled, but the physical demand of 2 official solid training sessions and then an 18km game on a saturday i think is just too hard.

Even with the AFL bringing in 4 umpires and the SANFL also doing so in their finals campaign. It is brutal out there, the competition is fierce and the room for error is non existant. Also with 4 umpires they expect nothing less than a sprint when needed and it is incredibly difficult.

At the moment i would love to see some of them getting a go in the under 18's and honestly seeing how they go to the others. But until then i just do not see it happening.

Also to be selected in the AFL boundary squad you have to have umpired the SANFL League grand final that year, then pass 5 x 1km with 3 minute recovery in an average of 3 25, a mean task. Also the 5km time trial in under 18 15 which is also very demanding.

To do AFL you have to be the best, and the best every week, give anything less than 110% and don't expect to be around for long. That is what is required and that is why it is so difficult to crack.

All the best to every female everywhere as i know they just love what their doing. If they keep at it...who knows. As for now and in the future i honestly don't ever see an AFL female boundary umpire.

 

[pazza]

I think back to my first year in the VAFA - 2 female field umpires (umpired with both in the years since) and at least 1 female goal umpire.

Now I look at the list, and there's a growing number of all 3.

 

[jake_tha_peg]

I can definitely see a female field umpire being a reality within ten years. Whenever the prospect of four field umpires is brought up (and yes it will happen) I think is the typical backdoor way the AFL does things (to test the public's acceptance).

I don't think that females would have any problem umpiring in a four umpire system where the amount of running would be drastically reduced HOWEVER we will never see a female boundary merely for the fact that it is physiologically beyond their reach. They would have to be olympic level elite runners to reach the standard of AFL boundaries who run just as much if not more than a player in a game.

 

[runner4life]

I can definitely see a female field umpire being a reality within ten years. Whenever the prospect of four field umpires is brought up (and yes it will happen) I think is the typical backdoor way the AFL does things (to test the public's acceptance).

I don't think that females would have any problem umpiring in a four umpire system where the amount of running would be drastically reduced HOWEVER we will never see a female boundary merely for the fact that it is physiologically beyond their reach. They would have to be olympic level elite runners to reach the standard of AFL boundaries who run just as much if not more than a player in a game.

People can talk all they want about 4 umpires but considering the costs involved for each field umpire. In the long run it would be 2 expensive. Each fieldy is worth 60k+ so financially it is not viable for years. And if it did happen then current fieldies i dont think would appreciate a salary cut.

Same reason they dont have 2 extra goalies.

I agree 100% with you on the Boundary side of things. And if any girl was at that level she wouldnt be wasting her time umpiring AFL rather than running for her country.

 

[guruisatiger]

It's hard to avoid making it sound sexist - and the intention is that it shouldn't be - so I'm just being clinical and factual when I agree that physical attributes mean that I'd be surprised to see any females in the field or boundary in near future. I reckon it would be awesome to see but statistically think it's a bit far off.

Years ago when I was on the AFL's Development Squad we had Sharon Alger join for the summer one year as the AFL's first introduction to a female fieldie. She was an excellent decision maker and really fitted in well with the guys but unfortunately for her, fitness prevented her from staying for a second year.

Had the pleasure of working with sharon about that Time think it was 1989 or 1990
She was great to work with a football nuffy had a awesome sense of humour as well.
We worked together in a Mexican restaurant in moonee ponds