Interfering Umpires

[umpire50]

I came across the following article on the ICUS website:-

www.umpires.tv/statements/070502UmpiresOrAnarchy.PDF

Although it is over a month old now, there are some interesting points made in the Media Release.

I'd be interested to hear the views of other officials.

[umpirebill]

I'd like to comment on the aspect of "law-obsessed" umpiring. One can see Simon Hughes's point. He did spot a recruitment problem. There are a lot of half-baked ideas about the benchmarks against which umpires are measured. Too much emphasis on technical matters. What's the point in knowing the Laws if the official lacks the capability to distinguish between the letter and the spirit of the laws. Which raises the problem of allocating umpires to matches. We need a Schofield-like review of the Umpiring Fraternity. A substantial number of the certified umpires are finding it difficult to cope well with the pressures of matches. They crumble without conceding it. This explains their relapsing into rigidly law-abiding habits.

[wisden17]

I wouldn't agree that we need a "need a review of the Umpiring Faternity", but I think there should more emphasis on training umpires to cope with stress and pressure etc. Coping techniques should also be taught to umpires when faced with a bowler demanding to know why an LBW decision was turned down; beyond the usual mantra of do not explain decisions on the field of play (which I would argue is not a very good strategy for match control at all).

I am also a football referee as well as an umpire, and there is a lot more emphasis in training referees on practical maters (e.g. positioning, dealing with dissent etc.) There are also training courses that build on from each other; whereas at the moment the ACU&S GL6 and GL5 simply seem to encompass more laws, although I remember not really learning much more on what was the old Part II course, and seemed to contain most the stuff I had learnt the previous season on the Part I course.

The ECBOA seem to have addressed this issue (in theory) with the syallbi of the Level 2 and Level 3 aiming to cover a lot more ground than the ACU&S courses ever did. Whether they will in practice is another matter! And the fact that very little training (essentially none) has been given to ECBOA instructors is a little worrying.

The ICUS have launched their new course which appears to incoporate a practical element, although I'm a little unsure as to the specifics of what their course covers, and how it varies in content and delivery from the ECBOA and ACU&S ones.

Ultimately though umpires have to want to learn, and it strikes me that all the fuss that was kicked up about have to re-certify (that BSK was pushing for) indicates that most ACU&S members are unkeen about actually learning more than they already have. I think though that the game has changed from an officiating point of view, and whilst knowledge of the laws is still important knowing what to do when the batsmen try to steal a run is less important than buckling under pressure on an LBW or caught behind decision. Ultimately the ACU&S courses have not changed in their content. They have changed to a different medium for presentation, but the information they are presenting is the same.

Cricket officials should be taught more than the laws on courses and there is a huge scope for other courses and topics to be addressed, however ultimately people want to have to learn, and I'm unsure as to whether most umpires want to.

[johnfgolding]

We all agree that success at umpiring is all about a mix of man management (including your demeanour) and full knowledge of the laws.
You need to look the part, act the part.

I have had a couple of instances where my colleagues have been far more experienced than I, but have not a full understanding of the laws.
Infringement of law 40.3 during the bowlers run up, seems to be a very common problem with players and many umpires who have not undertaken a course or a refresher recently.

We owe it to the players and ourselves to be current. We give up so much time umpiring surely we should all be prepared to give up a little more on a refresher.

The more difficult area to improve on is man management. Yes the fundamentals of this can be covered in a course, but this is where experience of working with other umpires is necessary.
I firmly believe that leagues should be adopting mentoring programs. I know some do.
“Every time I stand I learn”, should be ingrained into all of us.

I am sure that a certain percentage of problems on the field can be of our own making.

[swerveman]

40.3, Position of Wicket-Keeper, or 40.4, Movement by Wicket-Keeper?

[johnfgolding]

Law 40.3 Position of the Wicket keeper seems to cause a lot of problems.
Many players and umpires seem to think that it is only a no ball if the keeper takes the ball in front of the stumps.

I find Law 40.4 a bit open to interpretation and many umpires do nothing about it.

[igmc]

Agreed. In a pre-season friendly this year, a university keeper stood up to medium-pacers at both ends. While he was taking the ball behind the stumps, it appeared to me he was pushing his gloves forward beyond the stumps, then 'giving' to take the ball.

I asked my colleague how it looked at his end. He hadn't noticed, but after I'd pointed it out he agreed with me.

Since it was almost the end of the innings, and the game was a psf, we agreed just to have a word at tea. No doubt wrong in law (I'd have called it in a league game), but we felt this the best way to handle it under those circumstances. At least he had been forewarned if he did get called for it.

[nompere]

If you think the keeper may be coming in front of the stumps, then you should stand on the line of the Bowling Crease in order to be certain.

You can still give accurate Stumped Decisions from that slight angle and can move back in time ofr Run Out.

[johnfgolding]

nompere said:

If you think the keeper may be coming in front of the stumps, then you should stand on the line of the Bowling Crease in order to be certain.

You can still give accurate Stumped Decisions from that slight angle and can move back in time ofr Run Out.

This is exactly what I do, the keeper then has an idea what is going on.
If I am concerned that this is going to happen I often say to the keeper or captain that I am concerned about his position / action. I believe in no suprises.