Rule Interpretations

[onzman]

Is it just me, or can you watch 8 different games each weekend and see 8 different sets of rules depending on umpires?
Holding the ball decisions range from as soon as you are tackled you are gone, to hold it as long as you like and we'll ball it up. The umpires just wouldnt call a holding the ball decision last night (against both teams) yet last week they were jumping out of their skin to blow the whistle.

Same with the "hands in the back" rule, head high contact (some umpires allow it due to the player ducking his head, some dont), push in the back, marking infringements etc etc. Seems to me there is no set standard anymore of what actually constitutes a "rule infringement", it just depends on the personal opinion of an umpire on any given weekend.

You can have 8 identical tackles from 8 different games this weekend, and there will be 8 different outcomes - if that's possible

No wonder everyone bags the umpires.

[BenDoolan]

Dead right. But as long as the sets of umpires umpire the game consistently (collectively) on their "interpretations" throughout the match, that can be acceptable as both teams are given the same latitude. But it's when the sets of umpires have different interpretations on the field (ie all 3 umpires have 3 different interpretations) and pay them inconsistently throughout the match is where the fury in the crowd ignites eg Matthew Nicholls. Surely the umpires get together as a group before the match and discuss how they are going to approach certain infringements...

[onzman]

But it's when the sets of umpires have different interpretations on the field (ie all 3 umpires have 3 different interpretations) and pay them inconsistently throughout the match .......

Which is what mostly happens every game. I can cop different interpretations provided they are CONSISTENT all over the ground, but they rarely are. Having said this, last night's game wasn't badly umpired, just very, very differently umpired to last week's, and most likely today's, and tonight's, and tomorrow's......

[Boyler_Room]

Dead right. But as long as the sets of umpires umpire the game consistently (collectively) on their "interpretations" throughout the match, that can be acceptable as both teams are given the same latitude. But it's when the sets of umpires have different interpretations on the field (ie all 3 umpires have 3 different interpretations) and pay them inconsistently throughout the match is where the fury in the crowd ignites eg Matthew Nicholls. Surely the umpires get together as a group before the match and discuss how they are going to approach certain infringements...

What's worse is when ONE umpire has different interpretations throughout a match... and moreso when those interpretations are clearly going a particular way every time. We see that all too often. It's hard enough with three different umpires, but when just one of them can't get the call the same more than 50% of the time, there's a major problem.

[boncer34]

It shits me to tears guys. I umpire with blokes I've never met in my life and yet our decisions and interpretations are identical 95% of the time. (Identically terrible if you listen to the fans....... ) Yet these blokes can't work it out? If we have any concerns about interpretations we sort it out either before the matches or during the breaks so we get consistent.