Umpiring Questionable Umpiring Decisions

[Heeney2Franklin]

Need to start with the rules - far too many are open to interpretation and until we get them right, there's no way we can expect consistent application and interpretation of the rules by four different umpires.

The thing that blows my mind is the umpire who called the Mac Andrew "infringement" was over 100m away.

How the actual **** could he even see who was infringing who

 

[Dewy006]

The point is, the decision was correct. Everything else doesnt matter.

The only question is, was the bump after sis had already kicked the ball. The answer is yes. There is video evidence. Freeze the replay at the moment of impact and see where the ball is. Was it only slightly late? yes. But slightly late is also late.

I've seen plenty of slightly late bumps on the kicker be paid down field free kicks over the years. This is not different.

Those arguing that it wasn't late or that the umpire should adjudicate free kicks differently depending on how much time is left on the clock as opposed to whether the free kicks are correct or not should maybe think it over again.

I personally just want umpiring to be consistent regardless of interpretation. But, how can you have both consistency in umpiring and for the umpires to pay free kicks differently depending on how much time is left in the game?

Wasn’t Chol (a left footer) closest to where the ball went out and not Breust? (A right footer) and hence Chol should have been the recipient of the free kick? Umpiring this year has been ****ing diabolical

 

[SSSSSS]

From my recollection:

1. Carlton Fremantle
2. Adelaide Essendon
3. Fremantle Collingwood - draw
4. Collingwood Adelaide
5. Hawthorn GWS
6. West Coast North Melbourne
7. St Kilda Gold Coast


What other games?

While not technically an umpiring decision a time keeping error saw Port get an extra nineteen seconds against the Hawks in the last quarter.

DBJ kicked the winning goal with two seconds to go.

 

[McIvor]

From my recollection:

1. Carlton Fremantle
2. Adelaide Essendon
3. Fremantle Collingwood - draw
4. Collingwood Adelaide
5. Hawthorn GWS
6. West Coast North Melbourne
7. St Kilda Gold Coast


What other games?

All favouring the VFL clubs; couldn’t believe watching the games today and every Victorian club was the beneficiary of utter garbage frees.

Good to see the VFL is still alive and kicking

 

[justlookingaround]

From my recollection:

1. Carlton Fremantle
2. Adelaide Essendon
3. Fremantle Collingwood - draw
4. Collingwood Adelaide
5. Hawthorn GWS
6. West Coast North Melbourne
7. St Kilda Gold Coast


What other games?

Dogs/Swans a couple weeks ago was sealed with an incorrect 50m penalty

 

[HairyO]

Wasn’t Chol (a left footer) closest to where the ball went out and not Breust? (A right footer) and hence Chol should have been the recipient of the free kick? Umpiring this year has been ****ing diabolical

Yep. Ginnivan was next closest too.

Breust channeled Stevie J who always managed to get the ball from the umpire when it came to handing it over for the free kick.

 

[Liam Boy]

I think this was a correct decision and here's my reasoning:



You cannot deny that Yeo's intent was to create a stoppage by moving the ball underneath himself, rather than attempting to knock clear or dispose of the ball. That's what the HTB rule is there to prevent players from doing.

 

[justlookingaround]

All favouring the VFL clubs; couldn’t believe watching the games today and every Victorian club was the beneficiary of utter garbage frees.

Good to see the VFL is still alive and kicking

I don’t subscribe to the notion that they favour particular clubs… they favour inserting themselves into games. Match deciding calls are like their grand final.

 

[kaiserchief13]

I think this was a correct decision and here's my reasoning:

View attachment 2014497

You cannot deny that Yeo's intent was to create a stoppage by moving the ball underneath himself, rather than attempting to knock clear or dispose of the ball. That's what the HTB rule is there to prevent players from doing.

He's tried to gather the ball then to stand up (see middle right image left leg trying to push up). Is he not allowed to pick the ball up when it's in dispute if he's on the ground?

 

[McIvor]

I don’t subscribe to the notion that they favour particular clubs… they favour inserting themselves into games. Match deciding calls are like their grand final.

Kind of ironic then that EVERY game I quoted the Victorian team was the beneficiary of some dodgy umpiring when it mattered.

You know, the Victorian media have forever and a day spruiked that <insert VIC club (preferably a big one)> is great for the game (why I have NFI; does it really matter which teams are doing well?) so if the media are thinking it, no doubt the narrators at VFL House are also thinking it.

 

[Liam Boy]

He's tried to gather the ball then to stand up (see middle right image left leg trying to push up). Is he not allowed to pick the ball up when it's in dispute if he's on the ground?

Trying doesn't matter. The rule is "fails to," not "fails to make an attempt to".

 

[justlookingaround]

Kind of ironic then that EVERY game I quoted the Victorian team was the beneficiary of some dodgy umpiring when it mattered.

You know, the Victorian media have forever and a day spruiked that <insert VIC club (preferably a big one)> is great for the game (why I have NFI; does it really matter which teams are doing well?) so if the media are thinking it, no doubt the narrators at VFL House are also thinking it.

Ironic? No. Nor is this an exhaustive list of shit, game sealing frees in 2024.

Home team umpiring bias is a statistically proven phenomena in sports all across the world. You see it every week. It’s likely the home crowd subconsciously influencing the umpires.

The soft, plucked with tweezer game deciding frees however I will never be convinced aren’t spotted out for the sake of egomaniacal glory seeking.

 

[dean33]

Kind of ironic then that EVERY game I quoted the Victorian team was the beneficiary of some dodgy umpiring when it mattered.

You know, the Victorian media have forever and a day spruiked that <insert VIC club (preferably a big one)> is great for the game (why I have NFI; does it really matter which teams are doing well?) so if the media are thinking it, no doubt the narrators at VFL House are also thinking it.

This is quite ironic considering your team won an elimination final from the most dodgy incorrect goal review ever.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Can someone please explain why the Tom Greene bump on Sicily at with 1:20min to go was i) paid a free and ii) was paid downfield?

If it was paid downfield then it must be because it was after Sicily kicked it - so the assumption is the ump didn't think Sicily was off his free kick line?

But ffs you cant run 90deg to the man on the mark and not be called play on?

View attachment 2013874

What don't you understand? He was called play on. The issue is he copped a hit AFTER he kicked.
If he wasn't called play on it would've been 50. It's really not that difficult to understand

 

[Vindicater]

All three games yesterday ruined by umpires at the end.

That has to be a record.

 

[Roobs321]

Yesterday overall was hard to ignore as all three games were thrillers with some significant controversial decisions late.

I personally don’t dwell on these things and move on quickly, respect to the winners and umps, but the similar finishes (and I admit all Vics winning) made it a frustrating day of viewing.

 

[Brian McGee]

What don't you understand? He was called play on. The issue is he copped a hit AFTER he kicked.
If he wasn't called play on it would've been 50. It's really not that difficult to understand

I think then that the late interpretation then needs to be changed. He hadn’t completed his kicking motion, as in still hadn’t landed on the ground after making contact with the ball. It’s not a late dirty hit that the intention of the rule was to stamp out. It’s a millisecond that green has to change his course of action. It’s a ridiculous “literal” interpretation of a rule that as a neutral does not need to be paid. Especially in the circumstances.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

We need a thread to record the games where the results are decided by incompetent umpiring.

Surely we're in double figures so far this this.

And yes, happy for the free against Rankine in the Collingwood game to be listed.

Oh, so youre finally catching on, cute.

I've been saying this since the middle of last year and was laughed at.
Now its becoming so frequent its impossible to ignore.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I think then that the late interpretation then needs to be changed. He hadn’t completed his kicking motion, as in still hadn’t landed on the ground after making contact with the ball. It’s not a late dirty hit that the intention of the rule was to stamp out. It’s a millisecond that green has to change his course of action. It’s a ridiculous “literal” interpretation of a rule that as a neutral does not need to be paid. Especially in the circumstances.

So you're suggesting that any player "in the kicking motion" is open to a hit?
Define kicking motion? Is it mid air? Is it after they land? Is it the follow through?

It's one of the only rules that is black and white. If a player is kicking and vulnerable, you DO NOT hit them

 

[PenfoldsFan]

From my recollection:

1. Carlton Fremantle
2. Adelaide Essendon
3. Fremantle Collingwood - draw
4. Collingwood Adelaide
5. Hawthorn GWS
6. West Coast North Melbourne
7. St Kilda Gold Coast


What other games?

What do they all have in common apart from the dodgy free.

 

[DT_35]

The thing that blows my mind is the umpire who called the Mac Andrew "infringement" was over 100m away.

How the actual **** could he even see who was infringing who

What are you even on about? Lol. The ump was 20-25m away, not 100m

 

[Fadge]

Oh, so youre finally catching on, cute.

I've been saying this since the middle of last year and was laughed at.
Now its becoming so frequent its impossible to ignore.

You really think you're the only person in the country who has observed this?

I've been saying it for 20 years...

 

[Fadge]

What do they all have in common apart from the dodgy free.

The Sydney v. Bulldogs game has now been added, so that quashes your little conspiracy theory.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

You really think you're the only person in the country who has observed this?

I've been saying it for 20 years...

But you havent been talking about documenting it, which is my point.

We, as fans, need to bring this mob to account and the only way to do it effectively is to highlight and record every example of umpire influence so that it becomes overwhelmingly obvious.

Me whinging in a gameday thread is easily brushed off as conspiracy rubbish, a comprehensive list not so easy.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

The Sydney v. Bulldogs game has now been added, so that quashes your little conspiracy theory.

And there it is, thankyou.

1 outlier added to the 7 listed so far and conspiracy debunked.
Please.