My Umpiring Philosophy

On court there are 14 players in netball. However, within a fast and exciting game of netball there are actually two more players who people often fail to recognise. These extra players are the umpires. I prefer to call them players in this aspect because they play "a game within the game". Working together off the court they ensure that the rules of netball are applied properly.

This inside game can be lost as well as it can be won. If you lose the game of umpiring you will have spent an hour of your life reducing the quality of

• 14 life hours of others
• 16 life hours if you include yourself and the other umpire
• a lot more life hours of others if you include scorers, timers, spectators, game organisers, friends, spouses and whoever else involved.

Considering the above statements the umpire, in my opinion, is a very important player in netball. A highly competitive game of netball cannot be played without umpires, but you can play a game without four players. Sure, social games can be self-umpired by the players, but it is my experience that these games never reach their full potential when umpires are missing. Lack of good umpires slows the game down and generates frustration.

On the other hand, if you win the game of umpiring

• the quality of 16 life hours is given a fair chance to improve
• you will see the players develop their capabilities
• you will earn respect from the players and encourage them to continue with the sport
• the totality and the beauty of the game will appear in front of you
• you will sleep better at night.

I want to contribute to more winners in "the game within the game" as well as netball in general.