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UMPIRING SUGGESTION.
To the Editor.
Sir,-I have read with interest the sug
gestions of Mr. T. Outridge that two
field umpires should officiate at s game
played under the Australian rules. This
might be an improvement as regards
affording relief to an umpire but would.
I think, lead to confusion owing to the
varying interpretations of the rules by
the individual. The majority of rugges
tions put forward only show a tendency
to improve the lot of umpires but the
most important participants In the game,
the players, receive scant consideration
An umpire is trained to the minute (or
should be) and does not receive any
bumps or hard knocks, yet the player
has to take all these and still battle
on. At the finish of a game the player
is usually in an exhausted condition and
before the end of a protracted season
is becoming a spent force.
Under the rules the game is timed
to last 100 minutes (four quarters of
25 minutes), but with the addition of
"time off" 30 minutes or more are re-j
quired to complete a quarter. To lighten
the burden on all concerned, I would
suggest that each quarter be altered to
20 minutes and "time on" added. The
season could be curtailed to two rounds
and a half (18 matches) and the finals,
together with any other fixtures arranged
would be found exacting and strenuous
enough for players, umpires and specta-1
tors alike.-Yours, etc,
Fremantle. OLD PLAYER.
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