Wed 23 May, 2012
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England: Umpires are swift to strike back  x11
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| Planet Field Hockey |
March 14, 2002 
The Telegraph
> Page Views 5102
By Claire Middleton
UMPIRING development manager Jane Nockolds yesterday launched a stinging rebuke at club coaches and ill-disciplined players following criticism of officials by Fyffes Leicester manager Kevin Blanks.
Blanks was outraged by the officiating in a recent defeat and wrote to Colin Barthorpe, the women's umpire co-ordinator, complaining of cowardice and bias. "Players cheat, so why must we assume that umpires don't," he wrote.
Nockolds countered by saying that officials had their confidence sapped by coaches who abuse from the touchline and players who lack discipline.
"We are trying to be human-beings, not robots with a whistle," she said. "Umpires probably need to practice more humility but coaches have to realise how damaging they can be.
"The more vociferous they are from the touchline, the more it saps the confidence of the umpire and the harder it is to concentrate in the next five minutes. Players also react to the way their coach handles the situation.
"There is a lot more work to be done in coaching development than there is in umpiring."
Getting the best umpires to key games is unlikely to be made easier as the English Hockey Association contemplate ways of cutting costs. "It is not going to be a case of the top officials getting the top games, but the top official who lives nearest," said Nockolds.
With competitions on a break-even order because of the Association's dire finances, even a reorganisation of the National League is being considered, whereby the Premier Divisions stay national but Divisions Two and Three of the men's and women's competitions are regionalised.
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Comments on this article
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Cherill McClean-Franco
05-02-2002 12:10 pm
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Same in T&T
This situation is similar to what is happening in Trinidad and Tobago.
It has even reached a stage where umpires are being constantantly abused by not only coaches, but players as well.
Since we are remunerated by our Board, it is puzzling that T&T matches are still being officiated by local umpires.
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Ceejay
05-21-2002 6:25 pm
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Umpires and Coaches
It is a shame that we seem to be getting to a them and us situation. Battle lines are being drawn, and as a consequence communication between coaches and umpires is non existent. For example, how many coaches invite umpires to coaching sessions to show them the skills that they are teaching? It is not surprising that umpires often don't understand many of the new skills that are being taught. New tackles like the shave, which are perfectly legal, but are often called by umpires because they are not exactly sure what went on.
Lets start talking after matches. Make it a formal process. If you know that you will have to meet with the umpires after the game, you will know that you'll have your chance to ask questions, and pass opinions. You might also think twice when questionning his parentage during the game!!
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Keely Dunn
05-23-2002 9:00 pm
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A different approach
In line with Ceejay's comments above, I can report that this suggested approach of increased communication is very productive for all parties. I recently traveled with the Canadian women's and men's teams on their tour to Scotland and Wales and umpired all of the women's 8 matches. I made a concerted effort to ask not only Butch Worth, the Canadian head coach, and the rest of the staff for feedback, but also canvassed the players for comments and engaged in discussion regarding the interpretation of various rules with them. I even watched video of a couple games with the team, which gave us an opportunity to review our performance together. There's no question that this is not the easiest thing - it requires a lot of maturity and diplomacy from everyone, but you'd be surprised at how well players and coaches respond when they have meaningful access to the officials. Players improved their understanding of some of the rules and appreciated the challenge I faced in trying to be as correct as possible, and they certainly helped point out areas that I needed to pay more attention to during matches.
I also agree that umpires have to be diligent in keeping up with the developing skills of the game. I watched almost every training session both teams held during the tour, asked questions of the players and answered theirs when they tried something unconventional. I also try to keep up my own playing skills and compete at the highest level I can at home, although that's very difficult when there are so few high-level games in Canada. I believe that helps me stay in touch with and appreciate technical skills, helps me understand the flow of the game so much better and helps me see some of the more subtle hijinks (I have to admit to being a bit of a goon when I play, which makes it easier to spot kindred spirits when I have a whistle in hand <g>).
I was extremely fortunate to have been invited on the tour. Traveling with the group daily and feeling like part of the larger Canadian team built in a sense of comraderie that I understand wouldn't be present at purely competitive events. However, I offer my experience as anecdotal evidence that more communication makes better players and umpires out of everyone. There is hope!
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ceejay
05-27-2002 6:02 pm
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Umpiring
Keely
What a coincidence! I was the guy working with the Welsh Womens team in Cardiff recently for the tour matches with Canada. Hope your stay was good.
I do hope that we can all try to make a start to change the relationship between umps and player/coaches. We aren't much use without each other!
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Jean Field
05-31-2002 12:25 pm
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Umpires & coaches
I was very interesed in the comments re the umpires & coaches getting together. Having played, coached and umpired at the top level. I have noticed the abuse of umpires starts with the coaches and ends with the players. Some of whom are not familiar with the rules.
The umpires job is technical and impartial and HOW the players use their skills. The coach is totally centred on his own players and WHAT they are trying to do with their skills. Can the two ever come together in harmony? A good umpire will always keep up with the new skills of the game this helps the players and keeps the coaches happy so everyone can enjoy hockey again.
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jo_limo
06-04-2002 1:24 am
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hey! i think it's so true that coaches and umpires don't commuinicate enough... they are loggerheads most of the time... coaches should talk to umpires to try to understand some of the decisions they make and umpires should also be professionally consistent in order not to cause confusion... there are indeed umpires who show "favouritisim" which should never be the case...
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BC FAN
06-05-2002 3:51 pm
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Abuse of Officials is Systemic...
Being an coach , player parent and official myself and talking officials in other sports it seems to me that we are tryinhg to find solutions at the wrong end of the spectrum. It all starts with the juniors and the rhier parents as well as coaches. In North America we are bombarded with images of officials being "swarmed" by players, critised by coaches in the media and being "second guessed" by "instant" replays , also threatened by parents.
Only now are we starting to find solutions to abusive coaches and players when this type of behaviour has been going on for years.
We can be "touchy feely" during training tours and get feedback from the coaches but when it counts and in a pressure packed game
you will be subject to all kinds of abuse from all sides.
That is a reality of umpiring at a high level and you will be judged by your peers as to how you handle it.
Most of the time players and coaches relish the idea of having to umpire because they know that they to will get once they have a whistle in their hands.
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Mark Whitcombe
07-08-2002 3:24 pm
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Abuse of umpires
What coaches and players dont seem to understand is whether you like it or not without umpires you basically dont have a hockey game.
Having played the game at league and provincial level, I have dished out my own amount of abuse at umpires in the past, but to read some of the comments in your article it makes one wonder if the players and coaches involved have actually taken the time to read and interpret the rules of hockey correctly never mind the umpires!! I wonder?
As an umpire myself, over the years one tends to develop a very thick skin, but at the same time not allow yourself to take abuse from players and coaches who half the time dont know the rules anyway and find it easier to blame the umpires rather than look at the way their teams have performed in games.
The question players and coaches must ask themselves is "how many mistakes did they make during a game and not how many mistakes did the umpire make?", I think you'll be very surprised and in who's favour the ratio of mistakes will go. Certainly not in the favour of the players and coaches!!
One other thing that I have found most interesting is this, those players and coaches that do most of the complaining will be the first ones to decline the offer to take up the whistle and blow a game.
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kiwi
07-27-2004 6:26 pm
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It needs to be a partnership between all parties in the hockey world.
I believe that each can learn a great deal from the other, if the communication lines are opened and views shared without predjudice and bias.
To be willing to accept advice as an umpire is a challenge, but it is often under-rated. It is SO important to widen your views, and see things from the perspective of a coach, manager, player, or technical official. And of course vice versa. All these aspects need to come together in harmony for a quality match - as an umpire, with this base knowledge and understanding, and certain ampounts of empathy, you simply need to adapt your control and management techniques to make the match fair.
There is no question that this doesn't happen over night. And education in all areas is a major factor.
Coaches need to play their part as well. It can be frustrating at times, as a number of instances in a match may come down to individual interpretation, but as long as things are consistent and there is a realisation that the umpires are doing their best, then a better approach may be to learn from the match - or from certain decisions in a calm environment post match discussion, rather than screaming abuse from the sidelines, making unsavoury remarks just within earshot, or heated confrontation directly after the final whistle.
Sometimes things don't always go according to plan, but the first thing people seem to lose sight of, is that it is a game of hockey, that we all participate in because we love it, and get a great deal of enjoyment from it.
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Shinpads
07-27-2004 10:07 pm
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It is interesting that the same opinions and requestsa are shared pretty well world wide.
More communication between umpires and coaching staff/players.
Maybe our sport needs to look into the tactics and techniques employed by Rugby these days. As an avid watcher of both sports I am often drawn to the extreme differences between the behaviour and attitudes of umpires in our sport and the referees of Rugby at the highest level.
Their whole process is in developing a rapport and communication lines along with acceptable boundaries of behaviour. Our way of doing things in comparison seems to be blowing and pointing wthout any real attempt to even get beyond that of a policeman on traffic duty.
The best umpires I have encountered have always been the ones who are prepared to give verbal direction and/or comment to players as well as minimal use of the whistle and the dreaded "cards". It has always been a fact that as soon as an umpire has to resort to using cards that umpire is on the defensive immediately. And then has to be very aware of what can happen next.
In other words we as coaches and those who umpire need to understand that positive communication far out weighs any disciplinary approach.
Guess I will have to watch myself when I get to the Misty Isles soon to take up a coaching position there, eh?
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steve Pratt
12-09-2004 3:22 pm
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UMPIRES STRIKE BACK
On the whole I agree with all the correspondants . Currently Umpiring on the Gerrard Leagues and been blooded on Premier three I only know that communication is most important . Players have a right to know what the umpire has given provided the explanation is offered politly .I always in certain circumstances i give direction if it does not interfere with my concentaration . In fact I model myself on a style used by Rugby referees , to the astonishment of my Umpire Coaches . Some like my style others dont however I have recieved good feed back from the coaches and the teams I have blown .
I feel also the discussion afterwards during the " Tea " wiith players and coaches if done constructivly gives me food for thourght .
What I do feel that more Umpire coaches at grass roots level are required to raise the level of the game and help the younger ones develop through the system to National League and beyond , Sadly old gits like me who are level 3s are still obtaining National cup competition matches due to the shortages .
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