Sports Officials and Umpires
Coordinate, direct and officiate at sporting activities, and liaise with other officials to interpret and enforce sporting rules and regulations.
Umpiring on a Saturday morning
You are a sports umpire running games for a local junior football competition, making calls that players, coaches and parents will react to. It is 9am. You have three games to umpire today, one other umpire is running late, and the first team has just arrived with a coach who has a complaint ready.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
You were the umpire who made that call last week against us. I want you to know my team won't stand for it again. Just keep your eyes open this time. We'll be watching.
Tell him you'll be fair, and that any complaints can go to the club after the game
He grumbles and walks off, but he knows where to take his concerns. Your answer is fair, though a brief acknowledgement of his feelings might have taken the sting out.
Say you'll be watching closely and give his team no room for mistakes
You are tougher on his team than the other, and the players notice. An umpire's job is to apply the rules equally, whatever a coach says.
Stay calm, say you'll apply the rules to both teams, and ask to talk after
The coach nods and goes back to the team. You get on with the match and keep your composure. Being clear and neutral from the start sets the tone.
That wasn't a foul! I barely touched him! You're blind, you know that? Everyone saw it. Reverse it, ump, or I swear this whole team is going to walk off.
Reverse the decision to calm the situation, because it's a junior game
The other team protests, and the next five decisions are all argued. If you reverse a call because of pressure, nobody trusts your judgement.
Stay firm, say what you saw in a sentence, and warn him about language
The player glares but keeps playing. You warned him once, firmly. Staying calm and clear lets the game go on.
Ignore the language and ask him to take the penalty without saying anything else
The game restarts, but the player has learned that he can speak to you like that. Overlooking rudeness often leads to more of it.
Between us, I think I missed a high tackle in the second quarter. Nobody saw. The boy seems fine. Do I say something, or let it go and just watch more closely in the second half?
Tell Alex to let it go, since no one was hurt and nobody noticed
The boy complains of a sore neck on the way home, and his parents ask why nothing was reported. A missed incident should be noted, even if it feels small.
Suggest Alex tell the coaches and the club about it, and make a note
Alex tells the coach, who checks the boy, and the club records it. Honesty about a mistake builds trust. No one is perfect, and what matters is what you do next.
Tell Alex to quietly watch the player more closely, and not mention it to anybody
Alex keeps watch and the second half is clean. But the boy's family never find out and the club has no record. Looking out for him is good, and telling someone is better.
How it went
The last whistle blows, and you hand in your scoresheets. Umpiring and officiating ask you to be fair, calm and decisive when others are not. Could you make a tough call, accept the shouting, and still be proud of getting it right?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The race that did not start on time
A fictional case set in a country race day at a fictional racecourse, and the junior sport fields beside it.
The situation
Steward Helen Murray was working at the Cobb's Creek country race day when heavy rain moved in an hour before the feature race. The crowd was large, sponsors were in the marquee, and the club wanted to keep the schedule. Track staff reported that the course was holding up, but a few jockeys had said quietly that one section near the turn was getting slippery. The race was due in twenty minutes.
What they did
Helen walked the section herself and asked the track manager to test it again. She spoke to two of the more experienced riders and asked what they were seeing. The ground was patchy in one spot. She called the stewards together, explained the concerns clearly, and recommended a delay while the section was repaired. She also asked the announcer to keep the crowd informed so nobody felt left in the dark.
How it turned out
The race was delayed by thirty minutes and run safely. Some people grumbled in the stands, but the club was thanked by riders and owners. Helen's note on the delay was used to update the club's wet weather checklist.
What would you do?
- Why did Helen walk the track herself rather than rely on a report?
- How can an official keep the crowd informed when a decision is unpopular?
- What does this show you about speaking up when others want to carry on?