Posted on Jul 7, 2010 by Peter Marshall

SOUTHERN UMPIRES ASSOC 2010
UNSOCIALABLE FOOTBALL

As we enter the last third of the season I feel it is appropriate to talk about teams or perhaps to a lesser extent players not playing the game in the right spirit.
Coaches will be pushing their players to pull out all stops to “win at all costs” to reach the finals to grab the double chance or just get off the bottom of the ladder, even the finish the year on a good note………

Players will take risks with head high tackles, squeeze their opponents in a tackle, linger that bit longer on the ground, run that bit harder making the inevitable contact more severe….
Off the ball holding, perhaps little kidney punches jabs to the back of players, resorting to tactics off play and in extreme cases taking players out when the ball is not in the immediate vicinity…
Lets hope this sort of stuff doesn’t happen but we have to be ready and stamp it out!
The call to keep the game going and throw the ball up is fine however with two maybe 3 Field umpires not to mention Boundary and Goal Umpires WE MUST REPORT ALL REPORTABLE OFFENCES.

My point is paying free kicks early, give the players a warning , paying free kicks and or 50m penalties for third man in melee packs etc will help to assert your self and have control of the game…
Un necessary slinging, dropping of knees, punches to the stomach are all Free kicks and in severe cases
PUT THEM IN THE BOOK..
Lets not overreact however when the “feeling out on the ground tells you to push the “Control” button then what I have talked about must come into action…..
No one wants to have blood on their hands, no parents or spouses, girlfriends want to spend Sat nites in hospitals, nor do Clubs want to travel to tribunals whether they are the charged party or the victim..
Lastly we want to have a good game enjoy the day and again, Make sure the Right Team wins…

Pete Marshall