Has the Umpriring Standard slipped?

[blackhead&boil]

While I tend to agree with the sentiments expressed in this thread, I'm
sure the Geisch will easily explain it all away as correct 'technical' interpretation.
Some decisions and when and where they are made make me suspect corruption sometimes.

in a sporting administration? NEVERRRRRR!

I call 'conspiracy theory loony' on you. every sporting organisation has always been run with the utmost honesty and integrity, I promise...

 

[Plugger35]

Gieschen is a deadset clown who has taken umpiring standards backwards and is ruining the game.

He needs to be run out of the AFL HQ with a burning pitchfork along with Demetriou, Anderson, Hamish's brother, Mifspud and all the rest of the overpaid, self important clueless w***ers that inhabit that joint.

The time for revolt is approaching if the AFL don't sort their shit out.

 

[RearNaked]

off the top of my head jetta kicked the ball they called it throwing betts sling tackle and holding the ball kruzer play on then holding the ball another holding the ball against thooy ?? in the first quarter and wc and hawks game to players fighting for the ball another bloke comes in all have their hands on the ball no1 has possession they call holding the ball that was in the last 5 mins i think

 

[asanque]

Gieschen is a deadset clown who has taken umpiring standards backwards and is ruining the game.

He needs to be run out of the AFL HQ with a burning pitchfork along with Demetriou, Anderson, Hamish's brother, Mifspud and all the rest of the overpaid, self important clueless w***ers that inhabit that joint.

The time for revolt is approaching if the AFL don't sort their shit out.

This

 

[Keys]

Need to look beyond the umpires themselves and put the spotlight on those that are instructing them. They are umpiring the game the way they are told to and more often than not gieschen supports the decisions made

 

[PieBeast]

I know many will see this as a veiled whinge (no veils here....) but after watching the deplorable effort Friday night where the difference in interpretations between sides was enormous.... and tonight watching some weird umpriring late in the game of Hawks V Eagles........Im starting to think umpiring in general is just going backwards.

It's strange, we have more umpires than ever, who are supposedly more professional and paid way better........yet IMO the gap between a well umpired game and a shocker is wider than ever......and no one discusses it??

You can't help but wonder what Jeff Gieschen does - was he or has he ever umpired at this level?? if so how long ago?? cause if not.....shouldn't he be moving on and the AFL looking to replace him with perhaps an ex senior AFL Umpire who knows what the role demands??

Thoughts?

No, it always evens out itself during the season and has been at the same level for many a year now.
Putting yourself into position of needing luck with umpiring to win the game means you aren't good enough to get the 4 points.

Nothing 'veiled' about your whinge by the way.

 

[KingNothing]

No, I think we just don't know the rules any more, cause they've changed too often!

Pretty fair comment. If they made the annual DVD that explains interpretations, rules, rule changes, etc available for everyone to see, it would probably clear up a lot of grey-area for fans.

 

[Hump 17]

The problem is you have knobs that defend their incompetence by saying thst players miss targets or miss goals. Yes they do we all understand that and accept that. But when a umpire under no pressure with a clear view of a incident comes up with a different call to one he made one minute ago there's no excuse. They have to be more accountable for poor performances but like the MRP when a team is effected which isn't ours we don't care. People where saying that in Friday nights game that it was great because only 24 frees were paid. Ok fair enough for the neutrals but when Leigh Mathews makes a comment that one player should have pinned six times but wasn't it makes the game a farce.

 

[deluge99]

The problem is you have knobs that defend their incompetence by saying thst players miss targets or miss goals. Yes they do we all understand that and accept that. But when a umpire under no pressure with a clear view of a incident comes up with a different call to one he made one minute ago there's no excuse. They have to be more accountable for poor performances but like the MRP when a team is effected which isn't ours we don't care. People where saying that in Friday nights game that it was great because only 24 frees were paid. Ok fair enough for the neutrals but when Leigh Mathews makes a comment that one player should have pinned six times but wasn't it makes the game a farce.

It doesnt make it a farce if the lenient interpretation becomes the standard, common sense dictates that the average neutral viewer is not not going to want to see every minor hand on the shoulder or in the back free paid as it slows the game down and when every 2nd goal is a result of an umpiring decision it becomes like Basketball with free throws deciding games.

Hopefully the AFL studies the umpiring in Fridays night game where the free count was in the 20's compared to last night when the tally was in the 50's. As a neutral viewer of both games I thought Fridays game was much more enjoyable.

Plus more importantly if the AFL is trying to expand the game in the Northern states which is where any future growth for the code lies the fewer technical frees the better.

 

[glenn_ox]

Fans are just bitching more.

 

[snitzel]

I agree.

The way I see it is the coaches players and everyone involved should be able to have their say on how the umpiring was performed.

But instead we get our umpires from North Korea and we must keep our mouths shut or be fined and penalized.

You cannot talk back to umpires, and put your hands in the air too high when you don't agree with a decision and you will get further penalized for being aggressive.

They are acting and probably are the police of the AFL.... if I had been wrongly accused by police ie: speeding fine, assault and many other things, well I would I would want to clear it up the people in charge NOT GET PENALIZED MORE!

Umpires boss wants his men treated like police? well then get the ****ing decisions right, and don't give me this crap about everyone makes mistakes, they are the law of the game and if they cannot do their job properly then GTFO!

There is no doubt their decisions are influenced by the crowd (because they shit themselves) and it is clear as a day a soft free kick wide up the ground will get paid but them the same things will not be paid if it happens 20 seconds later very close to goal.

These men who are vital to a games result are just going with the flow and really don't give a shit.

 

[greyhound bob]

If you think umpiring hasn,t gone backwards have a look at the last qtr of the st kilda fremantle game last friday night blatant frees missed to st kilda looked to be bordering on cheating ...im not a st.kilda supporter it was just very poor umpiring

 

[ciaobella]

If you think umpiring hasn,t gone backwards have a look at the last qtr of the st kilda fremantle game last friday night blatant frees missed to st kilda looked to be bordering on cheating ...im not a st.kilda supporter it was just very poor umpiring

The umpiring is really shocking this season. Another example of this was in the WCE Hawthorn last night in the last quarter. Somehow the 'umpire' awarded a free against the hawks even though three players had their mits on it! But the geish will continue to support his inept hermits.

 

[Gak Attack]

Fans are just bitching more.

They are and because its been shit.

We always have fans claiming their team was robbed, this year we seem to have a lot more neutral fans commenting on poor umpiring than I remember last year. I mean St Kilda and the Hawks are not exactly the most liked teams by neutrals but most people were saying they got screwed and both games were close enough it could be easily argued it was the difference in the game.

 

[iDon]

Its quite simple, the AFL are adding in more rules. Players, umpires and fans are all interpreting these rules and the old rules in different ways due to the inconsistency that is being applied. Its frustrating to say the least.

 

[sainter35]

No, it always evens out itself during the season and has been at the same level for many a year now.
Putting yourself into position of needing luck with umpiring to win the game means you aren't good enough to get the 4 points.

Nothing 'veiled' about your whinge by the way.

To say it "always evens out" suggests you look at the frees count and as long as it's say 10 each....then thats ok?? Thats odd. Most fans know that tells you little about an umpires influence on a game.

Regardless, I agree you dont rely on umps to win you games - what you rely on from umpires is some form of consistency in intepreting the rules so both sides get a fair go. To much to ask atm IMO.

It starts at the top and for me Gieschen ought to go. Umpires are just having way to much influence on game outcomes....and the ridiculous situation where the nearest ump doesnt pay a free.....but the one 150 meters away does is bizarre and contributes to the confusion.

Hand me that veil..

 

[RearNaked]

deduct money from their pay check for every wrong call they make then they will only pay the obvious ones and let the 50-50 touchy bullshit ones go

 

[Furuncle]

I know many will see this as a veiled whinge (no veils here....) but after watching the deplorable effort Friday night where the difference in interpretations between sides was enormous.... and tonight watching some weird umpriring late in the game of Hawks V Eagles........Im starting to think umpiring in general is just going backwards.

It's strange, we have more umpires than ever, who are supposedly more professional and paid way better........yet IMO the gap between a well umpired game and a shocker is wider than ever......and no one discusses it??

You can't help but wonder what Jeff Gieschen does - was he or has he ever umpired at this level?? if so how long ago?? cause if not.....shouldn't he be moving on and the AFL looking to replace him with perhaps an ex senior AFL Umpire who knows what the role demands??

Thoughts?

First of all, I thought Saints fans were clutching at straws last Friday night. Some of the stuff they were booing was just absurd. I was there as a neutral. I saw it all. Obvious free kicks which were paid, but the play moved on and Saints fans were unaware and got excited about a scoring opportunity. And when they realised the umpire was calling it back, they did their block.

Footy fans can be funny sometimes. So passionate. So blinkered and one-eyed.

As for your main point, I think the football clubs are light years ahead of umpires when it comes to spotting trends within the game and exploiting certain tendencies. It's a running battle from week to week and year to year. Jeff Gieschen and his umpires try their best, but they simply can't cope. They are overwhelmed. Coaches and players are constantly devising new ways to get around rules, push the edges of rules, milk the grey areas or just flat-out con the umps with blatant staging.

Umpiring AFL footy would be a tough gig. Such a congested game with fast breaks and so much is open to interpretation. Nobody can really agree on what the rules are. But until umpires become fully professional and are given better intensive coaching about their weekly decision-making, then they can't hope to keep up with the clubs.

 

[Plugger35]

Adrian Anderson, Gieschen and the rest of the clowns on the rules committee have created these grey areas and confusion with their ridiculous rule changes and interpretations.

Like the hands in the back rule, there used to be free kicks for only a push in the back which is the way it should be. Now soft as butter free kicks are given if someone brushes a players back with their hand which doesn't affect the marking contest. Some of these are paid and some aren't though which is why supporters get up in arms about the inconsistency.

They have also changed the rules about head high contact so players now deliberately dive head first at other players or duck into tackles to win free kicks. Players get penalised for just standing their ground while another player charges head first at them. This never used to happen.

The less said about the inconsistencies with the holding the ball the better, interpretations are all over the shop at the moment. It never used to be this bad.

deduct money from their pay check for every wrong call they make then they will only pay the obvious ones and let the 50-50 touchy bullshit ones go

Nice idea in theory but it will never happen, most umpires would be paying to umpire games if this was the case.

 

[Hoffy95]

I've no doubt the standard is worse than last year. Generally you magnify it far more in games where your team is involved but I've seen quite a few games this year with neutral teams involved where I've though the umpiring was terrible and/or bias so for me personally to pick up on this is unusual and a pretty clear indication it has gone backwards to some degree.

 

[sainter35]

First of all, I thought Saints fans were clutching at straws last Friday night. Some of the stuff they were booing was just absurd. I was there as a neutral. I saw it all. Obvious free kicks which were paid, but the play moved on and Saints fans were unaware and got excited about a scoring opportunity. And when they realised the umpire was calling it back, they did their block.

Footy fans can be funny sometimes. So passionate. So blinkered and one-eyed.

I can not believe you could say Saints fans were ALL one eyed and blinkered when many neutral supporters have also said it like it was - the game was poorly umpired. Not for free kicks paid....but spectacularly obvious ones missed.I can name numerous examples but the clear one is Riewoldts head being ripped off and an umpire calls play on?

Anyway, the game is gone but the main point stands - umpiring has gone backwards at a time where more money, time and resources are poured into it by the AFL and we are all told now (with 3 umpires..) just how pofessional it has become??? Any fw!t with half a brain knows that deliberate out of bounds paid in the Hawks /Eagles game where it traveled 50 meters, bounced at right angles to go out is not a free kick...FFS.....how many excuses do we really need??

Lets face it - the game is worth billions with billions bet on it with liveliehoods made off it......the only area shrouded in secrecy, without question and totally unaccountable for weekly poor efforts are the umpires.

I dont advocate witch hunts but what Id like to see is umpires reviewed publicly after games - the poor performers (like players) take a spell in the two's......the best performers are recognised and rewarded accordingly with GF's et al....its not hard. I also believe they should be better paid and the result of this will mean we get not only the best to officiate over games...but those that want to and are prepared to accept the responsibility that comes with being an umpire out there.

I actually believe the shroud of secrecy and "dont publicly criticise umpires" has hurt the umpiring profession - instead of having really good umpires put up as examples of what can be achieved in the role.....we have some weird clandestine group of men in multi colors that appear out of a hole in the ground like oompa loompas on the weekend......and never heard from during the week....

Gieschen ought to go - he's never been an umpire and is in the job as mates rates. We need to get better in this area and change has to occur.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Hopefully the AFL studies the umpiring in Fridays night game where the free count was in the 20's compared to last night when the tally was in the 50's. As a neutral viewer of both games I thought Fridays game was much more enjoyable.

Plus more importantly if the AFL is trying to expand the game in the Northern states which is where any future growth for the code lies the fewer technical frees the better.

Quoted and then partially bolded for truth. Must stop creating these grey areas that can be exploited or lead to more free kicks and get back to the basics and making things as simple as possible. Their job is hard enough without making it harder with difficult, exploitable rules.

Viewers from 'traditional' Aussie Rules states will put up with it (but HATE it). Viewers from NSW and Qld will change the channel or never attend again.