i saw the worst decision by an umpire of all time today

[doggies4eva]

I posted a detailed explanation under the game review thread, but I thought that the ducking/too high interpretation was confusing and inconsistant and resulted in players ducking their head to try and milk a free.

Very dangerous for the safety of players!

Doggies - I didn't think it was confusing at all. It seemed if you ducked your head knowing contact was imminent, you'd get a free. Both sides got 'em. It was very AFL umpiring.

Unless you were James Gowans - he was told "you ducked your head" is audible on the replay. And why is being punched in the back of the head (Slade last quarter on members side boundary) not a high tackle?

[Dogwatcher]

That's not bias though mate. The umpire's just call it as they see it. No one can get everything right.
Just like players miss targets, a basic of the game, umpires miss some frees.

[Grahaml]

Exactly right DW. No umpire can see everything. They pick one side of the contest and sometimes they just can't see through players. Drives me nuts when fans (and plenty of dogs fans do it) call the umpires cheats etc.

[sjt]

Exactly right DW. No umpire can see everything. They pick one side of the contest and sometimes they just can't see through players. Drives me nuts when fans (and plenty of dogs fans do it) call the umpires cheats etc.

Oh well with three of them crowding the field they should've been able to do better than yesterdays effort. After that pathetic performance, during the emotion of the game the word cheat definitely came to mind.

[bloods08]

I do recall a free in the last in our forward line which I could not work out at all.

it was a free for holding the man that the eagles got where everyone around me all thought the same it was an f.a.d. that should have gone the other way because it was the eagles playing pulling the sturt player down after his kick....the umpire hesitated three times before giving the free & it was WRONG & CLEARLY WRONG & as i said it was the worst decision i've ever seen

That's the one.

Kick should have gone to Fittock-he put his arms out to take the ball and the umpire said the free was AGAINST him-nobody knew what was happening least of all the umpire.I am sick of umpires guessing free kicks-are any of them held accountable for their performances? Seems not to me

I posted the same thing a couple of weeks ago and got pretty much howled down for it.

[nickname]

That's not bias though mate. The umpire's just call it as they see it. No one can get everything right.
Just like players miss targets, a basic of the game, umpires miss some frees.

You can't compare trying to execute a physical skill under physical pressure with making a decision. I'm not saying umpiring is easy but I don't accept the argument that because players make mistakes, we should excuse umpires' mistakes as well. They are trying to do two vastly different things and because players miss their targets doesn't mean we should excuse umpires from frequently making unfathomable interpretations of the rules.

[Dogwatcher]

So, they're under no pressure to make a snap decision?

[purch]

After that pathetic performance, during the emotion of the game the word cheat definitely came to mind.

That word also popped into many peoples' minds in the second half of the first game. There were some absolute howlers all day.

[Grahaml]

Apparently they not only have no pressure on them but they are answerable to the mod's belief of what a decision aught to be, not their bosses with informed opinion and better information than what looked live from 100m away a free kick!

SJT, given you think they are crowding the field you still think you can see better what happens on the other side of the field? Remember to be closer than an umpire the decision has to be pretty much right in front. But there is a huge issue for umpires being blinded by players. Even thought "what was that for?"? Well, that was you being blindsided my friend.

[spell_check]

Seriously though, why would the umpires want the Eagles to win? We don't have many fans go to the games? Perhaps it's because they want to make the crowds look bad or something as an excuse to cut back on things (if that's possible now).

[FlyingHigh]

Apparently they not only have no pressure on them but they are answerable to the mod's belief of what a decision aught to be, not their bosses with informed opinion and better information than what looked live from 100m away a free kick!

SJT, given you think they are crowding the field you still think you can see better what happens on the other side of the field? Remember to be closer than an umpire the decision has to be pretty much right in front. But there is a huge issue for umpires being blinded by players. Even thought "what was that for?"? Well, that was you being blindsided my friend.

Like Wark's throw on Eagle HF line, members side at crucial stage of last 1/4. Everyone on the members side could see it, but umpire (understandably, though frustratingly from an Eagles POV) couldn't.

See that one purch?

[am Bays]

I do recall a free in the last in our forward line which I could not work out at all.

it was a free for holding the man that the eagles got where everyone around me all thought the same it was an f.a.d. that should have gone the other way because it was the eagles playing pulling the sturt player down after his kick....the umpire hesitated three times before giving the free & it was WRONG & CLEARLY WRONG & as i said it was the worst decision i've ever seen

Lucky you didn't see my decision against Phil Bennet in 2001 when he played for Federals against West Alice Springs. Paid in the back against him when he was legitimately flying for a mark. WORST decision ever in the history of the game....

[purch]

Apparently they not only have no pressure on them but they are answerable to the mod's belief of what a decision aught to be, not their bosses with informed opinion and better information than what looked live from 100m away a free kick!

SJT, given you think they are crowding the field you still think you can see better what happens on the other side of the field? Remember to be closer than an umpire the decision has to be pretty much right in front. But there is a huge issue for umpires being blinded by players. Even thought "what was that for?"? Well, that was you being blindsided my friend.

Like Wark's throw on Eagle HF line, members side at crucial stage of last 1/4. Everyone on the members side could see it, but umpire (understandably, though frustratingly from an Eagles POV) couldn't.

See that one purch?

Yep, we got lucky there FH.

Here's some interesting information, courtesy of 76er on DB:

Sturt 2009

Games played: 22
Total FF 380, Total FA: 446
Differential 66 or three per game
Games FF > FA: 4
Games FA = FA: 3
Games FA > FF: 15

Last Game FF > FA: Round 14 v West Adelaide, Waikerie, on Sat 4 Jul (23-20)

Can you put it down solely to a technique thing? I dunno, it seems very odd though, for a team that's won most its matches, played in front and been first to the ball for most of the year

[FlyingHigh]

Apparently they not only have no pressure on them but they are answerable to the mod's belief of what a decision aught to be, not their bosses with informed opinion and better information than what looked live from 100m away a free kick!

SJT, given you think they are crowding the field you still think you can see better what happens on the other side of the field? Remember to be closer than an umpire the decision has to be pretty much right in front. But there is a huge issue for umpires being blinded by players. Even thought "what was that for?"? Well, that was you being blindsided my friend.

Like Wark's throw on Eagle HF line, members side at crucial stage of last 1/4. Everyone on the members side could see it, but umpire (understandably, though frustratingly from an Eagles POV) couldn't.

See that one purch?

Yep, we got lucky there FH.

Here's some interesting information, courtesy of 76er on DB:

Sturt 2009

Games played: 22
Total FF 380, Total FA: 446
Differential 66 or three per game
Games FF > FA: 4
Games FA = FA: 3
Games FA > FF: 15

Last Game FF > FA: Round 14 v West Adelaide, Waikerie, on Sat 4 Jul (23-20)

Can you put it down solely to a technique thing? I dunno, it seems very odd though, for a team that's won most its matches, played in front and been first to the ball for most of the year

Honestly, against Centrals in that last quarter, probably yes a few times -the three goals from frees inside the 50 in the last 1/4 that were all clumsy more than anything else.
I thought you got a few your way in the first half, but that was mainly because you were playing better footy. Some we got in the second half were staggering, despite the fact we were playing with more intensity.
I didn't have a problem with the Wark one not being paid because the umpire couldn't have done anything else, but, geez, to have another forward thrust* at that time would have been interesting.

[CUTTERMAN]

Funny this is posted as I was wondering today how we stack up across the comp for frees for and against, seems every game we are down on frees or occasionaly even. I'm not sure why it is, must be a skill thing, stuffed if I know!
Spelly could you give us a run down of all teams, total FF and total FA for the minor round.

[spell_check]

Funny this is posted as I was wondering today how we stack up across the comp for frees for and against, seems every game we are down on frees or occasionaly even. I'm not sure why it is, must be a skill thing, stuffed if I know!
Spelly could you give us a run down of all teams, total FF and total FA for the minor round.

I can't do that I'm afraid as I stopped collecting total team stats in 2007, but PhilH can (sorry Phil)

[CUTTERMAN]

cheers anyway Spelly

[Chambo100]

Funny this is posted as I was wondering today how we stack up across the comp for frees for and against, seems every game we are down on frees or occasionaly even. I'm not sure why it is, must be a skill thing, stuffed if I know!
Spelly could you give us a run down of all teams, total FF and total FA for the minor round.

I can't do that I'm afraid as I stopped collecting total team stats in 2007, but PhilH can (sorry Phil)

You can see the averages FF and FA for all teams in the stats section of the sanfl web site.

Sturt are 9th (ie least) in FF and 2nd (ie second least) in FA.
Therefore, it is hard to mount a case that we are most undisciplined / clumsy or whatever in a general sense. I do think at times we give away dumb 25m penalties and those we can control.

But it would be nice to be looked after a little more in the FF.

[nickname]

So, they're under no pressure to make a snap decision?

I didn't say that. "Physical" pressure is the distinction I made. Players have other players chasing them, running at them, pushing them etc. You're not comparing apples with apples.