As a Coach I am very respectful of umpires: always drumming into players, especially youngsters, that you cannot play the game without Team White and encouraging them to pick up a whistle themselves. I take a very dim view of players complaining about umpires or officials. My standard answer to players commenting that they lost a game because of the umpiring is normally ‘we should have never have let the game be so close that anyone else could potentially influence the result’.
That’s not to say I always agree with umpires’ decisions or their interpretations of the rules though! Netball is a competitive game - we keep score and Netballers are by large a passionate lot, so there is always bound to be some issues, somewhere along the line!
Regular readers will know that I returned to play recently after 3 years on the sidelines due to injury. What has struck me most about my return is how much the game has changed. I don’t play at any great standard but the league we play in does need ‘C’ Award umpires to officiate games. It’s MUCH more physical, I feel a lot more contact is ‘let go’ and umpires are allowing ‘contest’ much more frequently.
On enquiry to umpires- some I know and many I don’t, there has been no official rule changes, clarification or advice around these rules during my time out.
Unfortunately and I am making some admission here, I got my first ever warning on a netball court recently! I am ashamed, particularly as it was in front of team mates who i often coach and are of an age where they are impressionable. In all honestly though I do believe three years ago there would have been a call, I wouldn’t have been impeded when I took the shot and such blatant unsportsmanlike contact wouldn’t have been let go.
It’s also a complete coincidence that the umpire involved has umpired two of my teams matches so far this season. The only two games we have lost.
My concern is that netball is being broadcast heaps more and is much more accessible (a good thing obvs!) but that is influencing viewers’ own games - it’s my view and I am sticking to it!
I’ve played GS more or less 90% of the time since my return and I have no other explanation for the bumps and bruises that my fellow county league players, thinking they’re Katrina Rore or Courtney Bruce, impact on me! I have news for you my opposite numbers: you are not! You cannot do a Geva roll without contacting, you can’t squat like Rore and you don’t train day in day out to ‘fly’ like Bruce! Equally, my stats are not Jo Harten- esq - but that’s just damaging my pride rather than my body!!!
It will be interesting, particularly in a couple of seasons’ time, to see if ‘grass roots’ or intermediate netball is seeing an increase in ‘serious’ injuries like ACLs and Achilles tears. I believe we will and I believe it will be down to the additional physicality of the game.
I don’t have a solutions. I’m not sure there is one. I’m not even sure it’s agreed that there is a problem!
The standard ‘best practice’ for all levels of competition is that umpires are actually volunteers. They may be paid expenses for travel, accommodation etc but they are not actually paid for their skills and time actually umpiring. Depending on the standard being umpired these volunteers have a high costs to do what they do: Equipment, qualifications, kit, CPD, travel not to mention the time they dedicate to training, fitness, reviews. For me, this is just so wrong. At the highest level we have amateurs officiating professionals.
Professional Netballers’ injuries, the plight of our ‘amateur’ top international umpires and the physical and mental stresses of elite players are all thoughts for another day!
The bottom line is that netball cannot take place without umpires. 99% of them are there for the very best of reasons and they deserve the respect that often I’m afraid they do not get. Lets make it a New Years’ Resolution to be more appreciative of #TeamWhite !
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