The Whistleblower - May 2014 Edition

ISSUE #40
MAY 2014
The WhistleBlower
The Return of The WhistleBlower
After a short sabbatical we’re pleased to announce the return of
The Whistleblower – the official newsletter of the Ulster Hockey
Umpiring Committee. Started in 2008 this new look version is the 40th
issue. Over the years it has been very well received by our
audience and we’ve always had lots of positive feedback from the
hockey community in Ulster, across Ireland and further afield to
England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you all informed about
what’s going on in Ulster umpiring circles. Over the course of the
year we hope to produce regular issues covering articles such as:
•
•
•
Latest news
Hints, tips and advice on umpiring topics
Dates and times of important events and matches
If there is anything you would like included in a future issue then
please let the Committee know.
Inside This Issue
Page
Return of The WhistleBlower ........... 1
Message from the Chairman
International Retirements ............ .. 2
Proposals to Restructure IHL
Tip of the Month .............................. 3
No More Own Goal Rule
Anderson Cup – Thanks to the Few
Your Umpiring Committee ............. 4
What Decision Would You Give?
Message from the Umpires’ Chairman
Umpiring Award Winners 2013/14
I am delighted to see the return of The Whistleblower after such a
long absence. The Umpiring Committee is very keen to ensure
we communicate umpiring news and ideas throughout the Ulster
Hockey community so we’ll be producing the newsletter at
regular intervals during the season to keep you all informed and
up-to-date. We’re grateful to all the people who helped put this
issue together.
May I remind you, though, that future issues depend on you. Any
article of interest to umpires or any question you would like
answered by our senior umpires should be submitted to Gareth
Herron, the Secretary, at [email protected].
BILLY STEWART
Umpiring Committee Chairman
Link to Ulster Hockey Umpiring page
http://www.ulsterhockey.com/Umpires-6559.html
Good luck on behalf of all
Ulster Hockey Umpires to
RICHARD KENDRICK
who started his two year
reign as IHA President
earlier this month.
PAGE 2
THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Retirement from International Hockey
Top Irish umpire, COLIN HUTCHINSON recently retired from international
hockey having reached the current FIH age limit of 47. During a highly
successful career which saw him reach 100 international caps and the
very pinnacle of world umpiring - he represented Ireland and Irish
umpiring with great honour at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Colin’s interest in hockey began at an early age as a pupil at the
Royal Belfast Academical Institution. He went on to play club hockey
at Instonians Hockey Club prior to entering the world of umpiring at the
age of 26. Like many umpires before him, his early introduction in
umpiring started off in the lower levels of club hockey before steadily
progressing ‘up the ladder.’ Through hard work and dedication Colin
became an established Ulster and Irish Panel Umpire which eventually
culminated in him joining the International umpiring ranks.
Colin has umpired at numerous tournaments around the world
including the Junior World Cup in Hobart 2001, the Asian Games in
Busan 2002 and the European Nations in Barcelona 2003, Manchester
2007 & Amsterdam 2009. Many of you will have seen him perform in
the EHL KO16s and Final 4 in recent years. However, some of the real
highlights of his career have been his achievements in world hockey’s
highest profile tournaments, such as the Commonwealth Games in
Melbourne 2006, the World Cup in New Delhi 2010 and, of course,
culminating at the London Olympics in 2012.
With a much more modest total of 16 international caps and some
European Club Tournaments, ROBERT JOHNSTON also retired from the
FIH International List in December 2013.
Both Colin and Robert are intending to stay active on the Ulster and
Irish umpiring panels for a few years yet.
Proposals to Expand and Restructure the IHL
Links to more information
on IHL proposals
IHL Working Group's
recommended IHL
option for 2015/16.
Click here for pack
The Irish Hockey League (IHL) Working Group have been undertaking a
strategic review of the IHL and in particular exploring the possibility of an
expanded full season IHL to commence in 2015/16.
The Working Group received feedback at the Provincial meetings and,
together with separate written submissions from clubs and individuals
across Ireland, used it to shape current thinking.
Ulster Hockey’s Management Board convened meetings of Men’s &
Ladies’ clubs in early May to discuss the final IHL proposals. The clubs
voted unanimously, without any abstentions, to reject the IHL proposals
and further asked the Board to inform IHA that none of the Ulster Clubs
would be responding individually.
It is the intention that the recommended IHL option will be presented to
the IHA Board for consideration in June 2014.
THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Umpiring Tip of the Month
Managing Free Hits – A refresher
If a defender is within 5m when a self pass is taken they cannot
simply disappear, nor should the free hit be delayed just to let the
defender retreat. As long as they do not interfere with the attacker
then they can be ignored and the free hit can proceed. The
defender would even be allowed to follow the attacker until they
have covered 5m and then can make a tackle. However,
shadowing/channeling by the defender to prevent the attacker
moving in the direction they want to is not allowed. Equally the
attacker cannot "chase" the defender and manufacture a foul. The
crucial factor for both the attacker and defender is their intention.
Umpires need to proactively manage free hits and ensure the Rules
are correctly applied.
FIH Rule Change – No More Own Goal
The FIH announced in December 2013 that it was moving the 'own
goal' rule to an experimental rule from 1st February 2014 and
removing it entirely from the Rules of Hockey for the season 2014/15.
The IHA Competitions endorsed the FIH rule by keeping the ‘own
goal’ in vogue for the remainder of the 2013/14 season.
From 1st September 2014, the own goal will no longer apply in
any Ulster Hockey Leagues or Cups nor in any national IHA
Competition in line with the FIH Rules.
Make sure you know the new rules before the new season starts!
PAGE 3
Who? Who? Who?
Hockey can be a serious business
but occasionally umpires and
players bring a little light relief;
sometimes deliberate, sometimes
unexpected …
• Who didn’t get an appointment
one week and spent the whole
of Saturday dodging shopping?
• Who turned-up to umpire a
match without their whistle?
• Who umpired in red shirts with
one team wearing red shirts and
the other with a partially red kit?
• Who was the Premier League
player who didn’t know one of
the rules had changed about
five years ago?
• Who awarded a free against the
defence when the defenders
weren’t 5m from a free hit inside
their own defensive 23m area?
• Who said, “unless a sanction is
meaningful it doesn’t mean
anything?”
• Who stuck his pencil in his own
hand?
Anderson Cup – Massive Thanks to the Few
The Committee noted with dismay that only ten out of thirty umpires
officiated at the Men’s Anderson Cup group stages near the end of
the season. The vast majority of umpires were unavailable.
Massive thanks to GARETH HERRON and ALLISTER CAMPBELL who
umpired the entire Plate competition at Banbridge. They were joined
by RICHARD COWAN and the three of them then umpired the whole
of the Cup Final competition together. We’re keen to know why so
few umpires were available. Was it:
•
•
•
•
The innovative Super 9’s rules?
The timing at the end of the season?
Just a clash of dates with other commitments?
Any other reasons?
Next season’s Anderson Cup will be played over a weekend at the
start of the season in August with both Men’s & Ladies’ sections. It
should be a great weekend of high class hockey. Try to be available
to umpire as there will be loads of matches from Friday to Sunday.
• Who was the team captain who
got a yellow card for dissent with
two minutes to go with his team
winning the match 10-0?
Psychology
Tip of the
Month
Life is 10% what
happens to you and
90% how you react to it.
Get over your mistakes
quickly and always
stay positive.
PAGE 4
ULSTER HOCKEY
UMPIRING AWARD
WINNERS 2013/14
At the Ulster Umpires’ AGM in April the
following umpires were honoured by
their peers for their performances and
contributions to Ulster Hockey
umpiring in 2013/14:
Most Improved Umpire in
Ladies’ Hockey
MARGARET HENDERSON
Nigel McCullough Award for Most
Promising Umpire in Men’s Hockey
THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Your Umpiring Committee 2014/15
Chairman
Vice Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Ladies’ Appointments Sec
Men’s Appointments Sec
Committee Members
Ladies’ Appts Committee
BILLY STEWART
PJ WHYTE
GARETH HERRON
MERVYN LOGAN
ADARE BRADY
<vacant>
JAMES WRAY
RUSSELL DONALDSON
EAMONN McFERRAN
LINDA JOHNSTON
Men’s Appts Committee
Appts Sec +
PJ WHYTE
GAIL TAYLOR
TREVOR ALLSOPP
Appts Sec +
EAMONN McFERRAN
DAN CLARKE
COLIN HUTCHINSON
Hockey Photo of the Year
PADDY WRIGHT
Outstanding Contribution to Ladies’
Hockey Umpiring
ADARE BRADY
Andy Hayes Award for Umpire of the
Year in Men’s Hockey
WARREN McCULLY
So what decision would you give?!?

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