neafl article

NEAFL ARTICLE
PREPARING
FOR PERFORMANCE
By JOHN FORRESTER
Each week Field, Boundary and Goal umpires go out
and officiate matches they are appointed to. How
does this happen and what does an umpire do at
NEAFL from one match to the other
Umpires are required to be at their NEAFL match 90
minutes prior to schedule start time, where they will
start to prepare for their match day.
Once paperwork is organised, teams are met,
pre-game discussion with their respective Coach
and other officiating umpires has taken place; it’s
onto the ground.
They complete their after match paperwork including
any reports or referrals, warm down, receive
feedback from the match day umpires coach and
like players begin for the next week.
EACH UMPIRE RECEIVES A DVD OR
DOWNLOAD COPY OF THEIR MATCH
JUST COMPLETED SO THEY CAN GO
HOME AND ANALYSE THEIR MATCH
AND PROVIDE SELF ASSESSMENT.
Appointments are released each Monday afternoon
for the following weekend’s matches.
The challenge with the NEAFL Panel is around half
are split between Sydney and Canberra, so to help
with the process a dedicated coaching website has
been set up.
The umpires then provide feedback with each other,
where they give some points on the game to share
with the whole umpiring group.
They will receive detailed written and visual feedback
on their performance from the Umpire Coach on
each decision made in the game and various skills
that are required to perform in the NEAFL.
THERE ARE TWO ORGANISED
TRAINING SESSIONS HELD EACH
WEEK WHERE FITNESS AND SKILLS
PRACTICE TAKES PLACE AT
MANUKA OVAL.
On Thursday nights the NEAFL Field Umpires Panel
meets via teleconference and discusses vision and
how they can improve for the coming match.
Each umpire discipline has dedicated coaches
who are out at every NEAFL match, to help with
improving umpire performance, they themselves
compile a detailed run sheet and then review every
match on DVD.
The coach then provides this information back to
each umpire they observed from the weekend.
This happens week in week out of the football
season and every umpire strives to improve their
individual and team performance in much the same
way as the players.
Umpiring is a great way to be involved in AFL or give
back to the game if you so desire.
UMPIRING IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
MORE PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED AND
IS ACTIVELY RECRUITING FIELD
UMPIRES; WE WELCOME DAD’S,
MUM’S, BROTHERS, SISTERS, FORMER
PLAYERS, FORMER UMPIRES OR
ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN AFL.
Any one wishing to umpire please contact Jock
Hillgrove at jock.hillgrove@aflnswact.com.au
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