Netball: Umpire swap gets thumbs up

Robyn Broughton. Photo / Getty Images

Southern Steel coach Robyn Broughton believes that measures to address concerns over transtasman league umpiring will provide a long-term fix to what has been a perennial gripe for netball coaches.

The Steel will be the first guinea pigs of the ANZ Championship's initiative to have New Zealand umpires officiating across the Tasman, with Australian umpires doing the same here in New Zealand.

Their round one match against the Northern Mystics on February 14 will have two Australian umpires in charge as league organisers try to boost umpires' understanding of the differences in playing style between the two countries.

This year, two New Zealand umpires will officiate at three all-Australian matches, and two Australian umpires will officiate at three all-New Zealand matches.

The umpiring roster has been developed to ensure every team has at least one opportunity to play in a match controlled by two umpires from the other country. In addition, an umpire supervisor from each country will attend the six listed matches, to provide feedback in a live match environment.

Broughton said she was happy the league had taken this step.

"I really like the idea, I think if it's going to help boost the professionalism and give umpires a chance to learn and boost their capabilities then I'm all for it."

Since the introduction of the transtasman competition in 2008, the league has used local umpires for matches in their respective countries. The exception has been the finals series, during which one umpire from each country has officiated at the four matches.

With a marked difference in umpiring interpretations in each country, the home team has held a huge advantage.

Of 25 transtasman games played during last year's regular season, visiting teams won seven.

The numbers are even more startling when considering the record of New Zealand teams across the Tasman.

After three seasons the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic are the only side to win on Australian soil, beating the West Coast Fever in Perth in 2009. They also knocked over the NSW Swifts in Sydney in last year's play-offs, although that match was controlled by one Kiwi and one Australian umpire.

With just one win from 37 regular season games on Australian soil, the Kiwi teams struggle most to adjust to the differences in rule interpretation, but the trip across the Tasman is not without its problems for Australian teams either.

Over the first three years there have been grumblings from visiting coaches over the high penalty count they cop from local umpires, leading to calls to have one Australian and one New Zealand umpire officiate at transtasman matches.

But league officials decided instead to focus on addressing the root of the problem.

ANZ Championship general manager Anthony Everard said the initiative would assist umpires and players in further understanding style differences between the countries.

"Over the past two seasons we have implemented a number of initiatives aimed at promoting umpire development and ensuring that, to the best our ability, umpires are provided with the support required to enable them to do their jobs to the highest standard."