FHumpires.com
Day Three at the 2011 IWC
February 11 2011
On the third day of competition the pools start to take their shape. Results, while always important, lead teams either to the semi-finals or classification. Every inch of ground, every penalty corner and every decision becomes more crucial. The challenge for the umpire is to maintain the level of consistency and not get caught up in the emotions of the moment.
Break From The Action
I had two games on the schedule. The problem for me would be that they were both later in the day and only an hour and a half apart. You need to focus on the first and then quickly put it out of your head to focus for the second.
I spent the morning taking it easy and seeing some of the local sights that were near our hotel with some friends (other umpires). You can’t spend all day at the pitch, and even if there are games you wish to see sometimes it is better for your preparation to stay away from the hall and not think too much about hockey. Poznan has a lovely square at the centre of town with a distinctive medieval flare to it. The cobblestone streets, quaint shops and ornate church were a welcome distraction from the bustle of the World Cup venue.
As always when you come to tournaments such as these, you hope to work with new people and especially those who have been around and whose careers you have followed from your own country. I was thrilled to be partnered with Ged Curran of Scotland, a character off the pitch and a seasoned vet on it.
Game 1
The match was between the United States and the Czech Republic. It went pretty much to plan with the Czechs carrying the majority of play. Ged and I had spoken prior to the match about focusing on the drilling and the dangerous play that can result. Not that as a group we had been more lenient, only that for this match in particular we wanted to set a better standard early with the use of personal penalties in addition to the team fouls that we normally hand out.
When the speed of the game is as fast as it is at the World Cup, there is a fine line between allowing players to play through their fouls and players deliberately delaying the game. It was the latter that I had to deal with and issue a green card to a Czech player. This comes with a one minute suspension, and the protocol is to issue it and re-start play as quickly as possible. This also means that we don’t take the time to write down the players number for future reference; no one is paying to watch us slow the game down to write down cards.
Green Cards and Suspensions
The reason I tell you about this particular instance is that later in the match Ged had the occasion to card one player from each team from one messy altercation. While I was watching the other players on the court I didn’t see who he had green carded until they were sitting at the table and play was being re-started. The Czech player was sitting with a second green card. Normally if a player receives a card for the same offence it should be an upgrade, but because things are happening so fast and we don’t have the luxury of writing down their numbers, this player didn’t. It was only at the end of the game when we were signing the game sheet that Ged noticed the same player with two green cards. He was pretty mad about it, mainly at himself for missing it. To be fair none of us would have picked it up in the chaos that happens around the benches and table of an indoor game, and no one really had issue with it. We managed to get away with one.
Game Two
My second match was between Australia and the Netherlands and I would be paired again with South African Gary Simmonds. The two of us make a good team and we have worked several games together. It is nice to have the familiarity with someone and know where they will be should you need to look up for help.
I wanted to continue being quick to jump in and remain calm. This was my first live television game and didn’t want the pressure of center court to be evident. I was less nervous than my first match and just wanted to get things started. The tempo was high and quite a bit of the action was in my end.
Ill Feeling
Overall I judged my performance as adequate and would have liked a better showing. I felt technically that I had done a god job but the protestations from the players on both teams increased as we neared full time. I took this as a sign that I was missing something, that there were control measures or body language that I wasn’t using. Doubt about my decisions started to creep into my mind and left me feeling I had lost my focus when it was most crucial not to. As always I am a much harsher critic of my performance than anyone else can be.
Too Much Self Analysis Can Be a Bad Thing
I ran into Ray (UM) an hour or so later and he asked me how things were going. I told him about my misgivings on the second match and he was disappointed to hear me say it. He thought I had done a much better job of reading the play and that the increased chatter from the players was because I invited it by closing the gap and conversing with them. I had let them know it was OK to talk to me and players usually don’t tell you “good call.”
The suggestion was to take a step side-ways rather than towards them or backing up. I tend not to move away from players as I feel it is a sign of weakness and uncertainty. I do have a rather imposing presence, however, and my main issues deal with trying not to look to aggressive or angry all the time. Someone referred to me as ‘a bear’ waking up out of hibernation, all grumpy, but I don’t want this to interfere with players approaching me when it is acceptable.
Using Video
I took the time to go and watch my second match on the FIH computer that uses software to tag different moments so you can better analyze whether or not the decisions were correct and how they were presented. It was incredibly useful to validate that my important decisions were correct, and that I needn’t have doubted myself. It all comes down to trusting your instincts and being present in the moment. Now if I can only get over not liking the way I look I would enjoy the experience of watching my games so much more.
With that said, some of the ways I call goals looks pretty exciting and cool on television. At least that’s something. 
