Millennium Cup 10
Umpires
The Tournament Umpiring Convenor will be advised by Kapi Mana Netball. Umpires should ensure they are familiar with the minor injury and substitution rules as these are different from most tournaments. Substitution is allowed without the approval of the umpires in order to:
-
allow umpires to concentrate on umpiring the game in progress;
-
reduce pressure on umpires having to determine whether a player is feigning a minor injury for substitution, thereby reducing the risk of misjudging an injury;
-
allow coaches flexibility to use their reserves and to reduce player fatigue; and
-
encourage play to continue without a break in the event of a minor injury.
Thus
umpires only make decisions on whether to stop a game for a
serious injury
(when a player cannot move off the court immediately).
Player
safety and health will be paramount and the umpires must stop the game
immediately when it is obvious a player has a serious injury, without
the need for players to call 'time' to request a stoppage.
Failure to comply with the substitution rule will result in a penalty at the site of the offence and the new player being sent off until the next goal.
Umpires may add any injury time taken for a serious injury at the end of either the half time break or at full time, depending on the length of the injury time. If the first half total injury time is less than two minutes, it is possible to take this at half time break (three minutes). Otherwise an umpire may decide to take injury time at the end of the game as there is a seven minute break between pool games.
Umpires should pay particular attention to the need to minimise the number of stoppages so the players have the maximum playing time available with the short game lengths. With this in mind, umpires must allow play to continue without stoppage when a non-deliberate short pass is made (for example, the GA and GS both rebound for the ball and it bobbles between their fingers). However if the player deliberately (wilfully) does a short pass, then stop the game and award the free pass as normal.
Umpires are reminded that a ball is not replayed unless the ball is controlled by the player and then dropped and handled again so the game can continue without stoppage if the player mishandles the ball is in the first instance.
Umpires should also ensure they complete their scorecard responsibilities. Umpires choose the winners of two major cups for fair play by scoring each team in the first four games of each grade. It is important that umpires do not award teams a '4' in the fair play rating scale unless the team, the team officials and their supporters have been above average in their attitude to the other team and the match officials. A '5' should only be occasionally awarded as this indicates exemplary behaviour (such as the captain thanking the umpires for their game afterwards). It will not be helpful to differentiate the teams if umpires give everyone a '5'.
Umpires are paid a $50 expenses allowance for officiating, normally a minimum of three games. A light luncheon will be provided for umpires on the day. In average circumstances, umpires will play between five and six 20 minute games.
