(non A-Pool duties)

Every week of the hockey season, Uni Men’s Hockey Club must provide players to undertake umpiring, match managing and kiosk duties for Hockey Tasmania – Competitions South. As a member of the Club, you will be required undertake your share of these duties during the year.

In previous seasons, a large number of players have requested that they not be put down for umpiring duties. This has resulted in the responsibility of umpiring duties falling to a small number of the players in the Club. To prevent this, the following policy for the allocation of duties was introduced in 2008 and will continue in 2010: all non-exempt players will be allocated some umpiring duties in 2010.

Exempt players are those who are already giving their time in a major aspect of the Club’s operation, as a member of the Committee or as a coach of one of University men's hockey teams, senior or junior. All Committee positions are open for nomination at the beginning of each season and offers to fill any vacant coaching positions are welcomed at any time.

Attempts will be made to ensure that you receive a mix of duties, including match managing and kiosk. You will only be asked to umpire the grade you play or below. Attempts will also be made to allocate duties either immediately before or after your games. The number of duties per player will be allocated as evenly as possible. Duties are published weekly in the Tuesday Mercury sport section and are also available via the Hockey Tasmania - Competitions South website. It is your responsibility to check either the website or the Tuesday Mercury each week and undertake the allocated duty or arrange a substitute.

Hockey Tasmania – Competitions South enforces penalties for not undertaking a duty:

• First offence - $25 fine, one game suspension.
• Second offence - $40 fine, two game suspension.
• Third offence - $60 fine, three game suspension.

If you are unable to undertake a duty, you will need to organise an appropriate fill in. You may find a team mate willing to swap duties or happy to do your duty for a small payment. Alternatively, a list of umpires for hire is available here. Players who wish to have their name added to or removed from the list of umpires for hire should contact the website.

If you know you are going to be unable to undertake a duty on a particular weekend, you must give at least two weeks’ notice to the Umpiring Coordinator to ensure that you are not included in the allocations for that week. Once your name has been published, you are responsible for that duty.

Hockey Tasmania – Competitions South offer umpiring information and training sessions for players wishing to improve their umpiring skills. If you would like more information about umpiring training, please contact the Umpiring Coordinator Peter Bolton.

Ben Fowler
President, Tasmanian University Men's Hockey Club

February 2010