Chairman’s Mid-season Missive
So this is Christmas…and what have you done?
Hopefully, reached the top of your League with a shed-load of goals. If not, nil desperandum, you’ve still got half a season to go. At least the weather has had the decency to wait until the mid-season break to turn foul.
Thankfully, another season with all running smoothly (so far), so this will be a mercifully short Chairman’s letter.
Firstly, as ever in every Newsletter, a request that you read the League Rules. They are not difficult and understanding them will make life so much easier for you. If you refer back to previous Newsletters (available on the website) there are basic explanations of the more common problems and misconceptions.
However I will address a couple of new points here:
1. Red and Yellow Cards
A YELLOW OR RED CARD, ONCE AWARDED, CANNOT BE RESCINDED
It appears that several club umpires either do not realise this, or, simply to avoid the paperwork, are downgrading red cards to yellows after the match. This has happened several times already this season and is both wrong and unacceptable. If a player is carded it must be recorded on the match card.
If a red card is shown then the player is automatically banned for a minimum 16 days and a report form must be sent to the relevant County Disciplinary Officer. Even if the requisite paperwork is not completed, the League considers that the ban still stands.
The penalty for playing a suspended player is RELEGATION (Appendix 2 of the Rules):
|
4 |
Playing suspended “red” card player |
Relegation(See Note) |
The result stands as is unless the innocent team request the game be replayed or the league committee decides to void/replay the game |
2. Umpire Rating
The umpire rating scheme was introduced to allow the League to monitor the performance of club umpires and, where necessary, take action to improve this. The rating scheme offers you the choice of rating the umpires from 1 (Unsatisfactory) to 5 (Good). It totally defeats the object of the exercise if, as a matter of course, you mark every umpire as 5, regardless of his or her performance. Similarly marking an umpire as a 1, simply because you were personally sent-off, is equally unhelpful. If the scheme is to work then we need accurate information.
Please try to make an objective judgement. It is not an insult to mark an umpire as a 3 (satisfactory); most umpires would be more than happy with that. As an umpire myself I know that I can have good days (4) or bad days (2) so a 3 overall for the season is a Satisfactory rating.
3. Promotion/Relegation
The League Management Committee are working on proposals which will be sent out to all Clubs in the near future.
Anyway enough ranting. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year and have a great second-half to the season.
Ken Mackay
Chairman
Kukri North West Hockey League