Monday, February 17, 2025

Talking Umpiring: Hockey brains over brawn

If you are going through a match on ‘automatic pilot’ it is only a matter of time until things go very wrong, writes ANDY MAIR

Like many of you out there, my email inbox is regularly added to with notifications of opportunities to complete a fitness test for a variety of different umpiring associations. And that got me thinking, what truly is ‘umpiring fitness’ in age that doesn’t even require us to test our eyesight?

Currently we mainly use running tests such as; the ‘bleep’, ‘Cooper’, ’yoyo’ and others. These are designed to show whether we are sufficiently physically fit to run around a pitch during a match/tournament, and the levels vary according to age and standard of competition. There are also sprint times and some agility elements tested for some, along with weight and body shape measurements at the very top level.

Why is fitness the test that umpires are metered against? Do your legs blow the whistle when needed?

Continue reading...

Unlock ALL our premium content for 3 months for only £1...and get use of our subscriber-only app for a better reading experience.

Simply select Monthly or Yearly subscription and use coupon 3FOR1 when prompted.

Already a subscriber to our website? Login

Do you have a feature or story idea? Get in touch!

Hockey Factory Shop

spot_img

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

More from Author

FIH Hockey Pro League: England women take bonus point over India

After a 2-2 draw, England beat India in shoot-out to win...

‘Voice of hockey’ leads media recognition at Hockey Writers’ awards

‘Voice of Hockey’ Nick Irvine was awarded the prestigious Graham Wilson...

Remember the names! Juniors recognised at Hockey Writers’ Club awards

Four new rising talents of the game were recognised as winners...

Lee Morton and Sophie Hamilton win Hockey Writers’ Club players of the year

Lee Morton and Sophie Hamilton were awarded men’s and women’s players...

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img