TALKING ON FIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 1, 1 July 1939, Page 24

TALKING ON FIELD

BECOMING PREVALENT

UMPIRE'S POSITION

Complaints have quite justifiably been made by several of the local umpires in connection with players questioning decisions and rulings during the course of the game.

During the early part of this season it has been noted that an amount of talk and argument has been going on among the players themselves. There may be some excuse among the lower grades on the latter point, but when senior players who should know better stoop to this sort of thing it is better that they be stood down from the game. No umpire worth his salt would i hesitate to discuss any of his rulings tin the proper manner when the game is finished, and players little realise that through their misbehaviour they are disrupting the whole team- The game becomes unpleasant for players, umpires, and spectators when bickering and frayed tempers are evident. Hockey is a game which calls for control in everythirig, including tongues. Why then, should this type of display continue to lower the prestige of the sport in the eyes of the public? Stern measures are needed by selectors and team captains, and it might be a good thing if umpires made use of their full rights and stood offenders on the line for a while to enable them to cool off. This would probably be the only solution, as appealing to some players' sporting instincts seems unavailing.