FROM DAVID CHAMBERS
I have been asked
by a few clubs to clarify the “Marking of Umpires” situation in the Lincs.
League. At the last AGM of the League the umpires asked for the previous system
of putting the marks on “Play-Cricket” to be changed. This was because some
umpires were viewing their marks and complaining when they did not agree with
the marks awarded. Some were asking to be taken away from future games with that
club which the local Umpires Associations did not want to happen.
The umpires asked for a new system to begin in 2014.
They wanted each club to send their marks individually to a designated person as
is the case with other Saturday Leagues in the County.
The Lincs. League agreed
to the collection of marks by a designated person but wanted this to be done by
one of their officials and for the home team to collect both sets of marks and
send them in. Nigel Fisher, the Results Secretary, agreed to do this but passed
it on to David Simpson, the League Statistician, before the start of the season.
Please send all marks to dg.simpson@btinternet.com
This is not an ideal situation as far as the umpires
are concerned because when the teams confer they have in the past in various
leagues tended to treat the umpires as a pair.
Teams often (75% of the marks)
give the umpires the same mark and both clubs give the umpires the same mark.
When marks are given individually without consultation this drops to under 50%.
We have a ruling from the Lincs. League for 2014 of how marks are sent in by the
home team but could all captains please try to mark the umpires individually and
not as a pair and not consult with the opposition captain before awarding marks.
WHY DO THE UMPIRES WANT MARKS?
The Lincs. Branch of the ECB ACO (Association of
Cricket Officials) represents all umpires in Lincolnshire including those from
the Grimsby, Lincoln and Scunthorpe Umpires Associations. The ECB ACO nationally
requires every umpire to be graded C1 to C6 (C=County) according to which
standard they officiate in “successfully”. This means the
following:
- · A successful Lincs. ECB Premier League umpire is C1.
- · A successful Lincs. League / South Lincs. League Premier Division umpire is C2.
- · A successful Lincs. League Division 1 & 2 / South Lincs. League Division 1 umpire is C3.
- · A successful Lincs. League Division 3 & 4 / South Lincs. League Division 2 umpire is C4.
- · C5 is for Sunday Leagues, Midweek Leagues, Youth Leagues, Schools and Club umpires.
- · C6 is for inactive members.
It is more complicated than that with stars and pluses but
that is the basic idea.
If an umpire wishes to progress the marks are an
important part of that umpire’s assessment. Passed performance, boundary
assessments, on-field assessments and training courses are also needed.
If, for
instance, an umpire wants to go onto the Lincs. ECB Premier League Panel he/she
must be in the top 25% of umpire’s average marks in one or both combined of the
two feeder leagues as well as in all divisions combined.
It hardly seems fair to
produce umpires marks league tables without 100% coverage. (The leagues do not
allow League Tables which are incomplete because a team forgot to send in a
result).
Missing marks may if included send that umpire higher or lower in the
average marks table and may also change the position of other
umpires.
Local Appointments Secretaries also monitor the marks
closely to see who is umpiring successfully and who may have problems. With the
present shortage of umpires this is particularly important in determining the
progress of newly qualified umpires and those who are willing and able to
progress to the Lincs. League Premier Division. This division is hard to fill
for all three Umpires Associations because many of their members do not wish to
or are not deemed able to umpire at that level.
