Devon Cricket Board - DACO Umpires Pre-Season Meeting Report

Notes from Devon Umpires Pre-Season meeting at

Exeter Court Hotel

Thursday 17th April 2014

1. Procedure for appointing DACO Panel Umpires to the Devon Cricket League (DCL):

· DACO Grading Sub-Committee meets at the end of the year to review performance of umpires in the DCL based on direct observations and Captains’ marks collated at the end of the season

· A grading system is used to categorise umpires based on the above

· Appointments to matches in the Premier, A, B & C First Divisions are made using a computer programme and fed into Whos The Umpire (WTU) - an online umpire appointment software resource for scheduling and managing all appointments to sports fixtures

· There is a mid-season review to re-evaluate individuals’ performance and adjustments made as necessary for the ‘second half’ appointments

· A ‘pairs’ system has been introduced with more experienced & qualified umpires standing in games with less experienced & qualified ones to help progression. This is a new initiative to aid succession and encourage progress of umpires noting that umpires can both travel up & down the divisional scale.

2. Discipline in the DCL

· The prevalence of ‘foul & abusive language’ has been identified as a major issue. The agreed point of interception by umpires is where both umpires have heard an expletive from where they would normally stand during a game. By extension it is then assumed that this would therefore be heard on the boundary and thus is totally unacceptable.

· Umpires need to act as soon as they see fit by instigating a first & final warning. If it happens again both umpires will report the captain and offending player using the procedure outlined in the DCL documentation.

· Umpires should remind Captains that it is their responsibility to play within the Spirit of the Game and Umpires are there to facilitate this. Reducing the need for action can be avoided by discussing the subject at ‘The Toss’.

· Umpires are to be encouraged to use the ‘Fair Play’ DCL report feedback form to make a comment on why they have awarded a captain or team particular marks – it might be praise for playing totally in accord with the Spirit of Cricket, it might be because the captain clearly managed his team well in difficult circumstances or it might be because he did not, it might be because a player stood out as causing unnecessary noise or disquiet or was just plain rude. These reports also enable the DCL to write to clubs who regularly have low marks so that the club can take necessary action. The reports are also used, if relevant, in Disciplinary Cases.

· Surveys in Devon have highlighted that players wish to play in a pleasant atmosphere and it is up to Umpires to help this happen.

· Comments from Umpires at the meeting pointed to the need for Captains to take the time to fill in their feedback forms on umpires as fairly and honestly as the umpires are required to compile their reports on captains and teams. The meeting was informed that “Fair Play” forms would be completed online via WTU and it is hoped that in 2015 captains will complete their Report on Umpires via WTU.

3. 2014 DCL Rules & Regulations

· Minor improvements made from 2013 in the now familiar “Win/Lose” style of cricket adopted by the DCL.

· Either team now has the opportunity to gain 2 extra points for either declaring early or going on to win or, in the second innings, winning early.

· A discussion of umpires responsibility for recording timings including on the start/stop times of innings, any reduction in overs, penalties for over rates, allowable time lost (drinks, field time and other interruptions) and the subsequent recording on the ‘Timings’ part of the new DCL Results Sheet.

· It was stressed that the shaded areas on the Results Sheet are for the Result Secretaries to fill out.

· A visual explanation of achieving Run Rate to two decimal places was provided, as the run rate will be calculated to 2 decimal places and agreed between both umpires & scorers at the end of the first innings. This information will be given to both Captains before the start of the second innings. In the event of the second innings being reduced, Run Rate will then apply for calculating the new Target Total.

· A minimum of 5 bowlers will be required, each sharing equally the load (ie in a 50 over match each bowler would bowl a maximum of 10 overs). In a reduced innings, the regulations allow for the fact that bowlers still share the load but some may have an additional over in order to complete all the overs. Several examples were shown to help understand this change.

4. Suspect Action of a Bowler in the DCL

· A new procedure has been introduced by the ECB on bowlers with a suspect action. It will be displayed on the Devon Cricket website in due course.

· The procedure outlines what an umpire is to do if he believes a bowler has delivered a ball with a suspect action – the umpire notes the bowler’s name, over and ball. If the umpire believes the bowler has bowled a further delivery with a suspect action – he again records the bowlers name, over and ball and then confers with his colleague to see if his colleague has also made similar records. Even if his colleague has no such record, together the umpires will inform the captain of what has been recorded and that a report will be rendered.

· This procedure in no way replaces the need for an umpire to call No Ball for a bowler throwing the ball.