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In an incredibly busy summer of international hockey, Irish umpires yet again picked up top appointments across the board, culminating in Carol Metchette (left) and Colin Hutchinson taking charge of semi-finals and bronze medal matches at last week’s Europeans.
The Leinster Hockey Umpires Association has been working equally hard in the summer months to ensure this level of appointments continues and this week announced a series of initiatives to encourage a new generation of whistle-blowers.
To this end, the LHUA will launch their search for new umpires with a seminar welcoming two of the world’s best umpires, Peter von Reth and Henrik Ehlers (right), to the Montrose Hotel on September 19 and 20.
Between them, they have officiated at over ten Olympic Games and World Cups and are seen as two of the foremost authorities on the art in the world.
They will explain over a series of seminars on the weekend how the world of umpiring works as well as the pathway from club umpiring through to getting appointed to an Olympics.
To register your interest in attending, contact your Club Secretary for inclusion on your club’s list. Places are strictly limited and are offered on a first come first served basis. 
The second major initiative being put in place has seen the association set up a Leinster Umpire Development Programme in a bid to help train and mentor young male and female umpires aged between 16 and 30.
Training will commence in mid-October and will run once a fortnight for 10 to 12 weeks. Umpires packs including a whistle, cards and a set of cards will be provided and it is anticipated participants will be umpiring at junior level within the first year.
* Apply, in the first instance, to Crozier Deane at deniseandcrozier@hotmail.com or 086 828 1393
* On a related note, Ray O'Connor will be back in the next week or two with a column on the rule changes being introduced this year. If you have questions on what's being introduced, what interpretation is being used and so on, leave a comment or email stevie_findlats@yahoo.com to help us get a flavour of what issues you feel are important.
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12 comments:
Please can an umpire clarify the rule which states a free hit taken within the 23m area must move 5 meters before being hit into the circle, does this mean 5m from the point where the free was taken or 2.5m in one direction and back to the original spot which is also 5m.
I do know that at the u21 world cup the dutch were doing 5 1m movements and hitting it in, that as been ruled out though, as far as i know.
Please can someone from the umpires association clarify to everyone how they will be interpreting this rule(5m distance).
5m in one direction
Definitely worthwhile attending. I'm across the pond in Denmark taking part in a similar umpiring programme headed by Ehlers and he's great at helping you think about the game in a different way, especially if you're coming from a background as a player
why don't the association get involved with the schools - in transition year a lot of the hockey playing school do a hockey leadership course, also in some schools they do the presidents award and have to learn a new skill and umpiring would be classed as a new skill
11.44am
I am currently playing the rule in Australia and it is 5 metres in total,
12:48 ....... agreed! ..... and yes the dutch were doing that.... perfectly legal.... the ball has moved 5 m
The briefing that has been sent out in England that (I think) has been adopted from FIH instruction is that it is 5m total, but their example is 2.5m + 2.5m, not 5x1m.
Wonder how long it would take a good player to do 10x0.5...
We played it in the Summer with the U18 squad in Vienna. Our coach told us that at the meeting they were told to tell us it was 5m in total therefore any of the above are technically legal. Cant really understand the point about 5 x 1m. The defender who is already 5m can move the minute you have touched the ball so to get 5 x 1m drags away in the time it takes someone to run 5m you must be a hockey genius, let alone the other suggestion of 10 x 0.5m !!! If anyone disagrees film it at training and see who can actually do it.....prize for anyone that can
"I do know that at the u21 world cup the dutch were doing 5 1m movements and hitting it in"
I have heard this myth now loads around Dublin hockey circles. I managed to time my travelling with a stop off for the whole Junior World Cup last June and not once did I see the dutch doing this.....the time it would take to do would allow the defender to come in a make a tackle anyway!!
is it true that umpires are going to carry measuring tapes in their pockets for the new season?
is it true that there will be not enough umpires to do the ladies snr League this year?Heard a lot have decided to call it a day
Great to see that the LHUA have decided to push Leinster clubs - although a bit late - to get the clubs to provide umpires for training, its a good idea, but remember, LHUA, you have to follow up on these guys
I am a senior umpire and came into umpiring when I had finished playing senior hockey - because I had enjoyed playing hockey so much I wanted to put something back into the sport and coaching was a non runner for me, but I would ask all players, no matter what level, give umpiring a go - after all you are all great at advising us when you are playing - would you be that good if we gave you a whistle?? We don't all aspire to the heights of Carol and Ray, but within our own leagues and provencies we can still put something back into a sport that we all enjoyed and still enjoy
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