Hockey ACT offers many opportunities to be involved in the area of umpiring or technical officiating. Officiating is one of the most important areas of any sport and this is no exception in hockey the ACT and surrounds have produced several highly sought-after international umpires and technical officials.
Umpires are an integral part of our game. Without officials, sports would not survive, so it is up to our clubs and associations to build a positive culture of support for officials.
For more information about becoming an umpire or technical official please contact Blake admin@hockeyact.org.au or (02) 6189 0570.
The Junior Officials Education Program (JOEY's) exists to provide a safe environment for juniors to learn how to umpire hockey. The program operates under a three-tier competency and mentoring model. Junior umpires start off with a mentor on field with them and this continues until the junior umpire is confident and competent enough to umpire by themselves. The umpire then moves onto the next tier of the program and can continue along the Hockey ACT umpiring pathway.
The JOEYS program aims to:
- Introduce young hockey players to umpiring and provide suitable support to help them develop
- Provide education opportunities for umpires to develop their skills and knowledge of the game
- Develop umpires to be able to gain accreditation and umpire higher levels of hockey
Become a JOEY's Mentor
Mentors don’t need to be umpiring at a CL level. There are plenty of players/parents who have been umpiring for years in the lower grades that would make excellent mentors. An understanding of the game and the rules is needed though! To be considered suitable, mentors should:
- Be able to umpire junior games competently
- Know the basics of positioning
- Be patient, understanding and positive
- Be able to explain decision, rule interpretations and application
- Be able to provide constructive feedback
- Be able to adjust your game plan according to the umpire you are mentoring
For any further inquiries please contact Blake Apps: admin@hockeyact.org.au or Wayne Gartner on HockeyACT.JOEYS@outlook.com.
Hockey Australia's National program for umpire training and accreditation at all levels. The HockeyEd umpire and coach training programs are competency based and are designed to reflect the modern game and the needs of hockey participants.
Umpiring is a hugely rewarding way of taking part in hockey. The umpire’s role is to ensure fair play and ultimately facilitate an enjoyable experience for everyone involved in a hockey match.
Whether you want to get involved with hockey for the first time or you’re an experienced player or coach looking to take the next step in your hockey career there’s an umpiring qualification suited to helping you become the umpire you wish to be.
The umpire training program is designed to deliver programs with quality presenters/assessors, resources and ongoing professional development. These training programs focus on developing practical officiating skills and self-development, and therefore better-trained officials to meet the demands of the game.
Hockey ACT will be running opportunities throughout the year for umpires to take the next step in their officiating career.
Further information regarding the above accreditation can be found through the following link on the Hockey Australia Website: https://www.hockey.org.au/hockey-ed/umpiring/
The key purpose of the Umpiring and Technical Committee (UTC) is to provide technical advice and guidance to Hockey ACT staff and Board on matters relating to officiating of matches in competitions controlled by Hockey ACT.
The UTC fulfils the following roles:
· Contribute to the development and implementation of a local development plan for umpiring and technical matters;
· Managing operational aspects of umpiring and technical matters within Hockey ACT including: talent identification and development, performance management, and resource provision;
· Making recommendations on and support appointments to Regional, State, and National competitions (as required);
Current members of the UTC are:
Dave Webb (Chair)
Stirling Sharpe
Emily Carroll
Matt Butters
Wayne Gartner
Senior Competition Umpires
Hockey ACT appoints senior umpires in the CL1 - SL2 outdoor grades with clubs rostered to appoint umpires in SL3,4 &5.
2024 Umpire Payments:
CL1 - $60
CL2 - $55
SL1, SL2 - $50
In 2024 Hockey ACT is pleased to announce the introduction of match payments for technical officials.
CL Techincal Official - $20
Umpire Coach - $30
All umpires are encouraged to register with RefBook as the main point of contact for all competition appointments.
Junior Umpiring
The JOEY's program delivers U12 - CL18 Junior Competition umpiring.
Clubs are responsible for the U10s competitions.
The Australian Sports Commission's Community Officiating Essential Skills course helps officials facilitate safe, inclusive and enjoyable competition environments for all participants.
For more information or to sign up to the course go to: https://www.ausport.gov.au/officiating/education/essential-skills
This course will help you take a modern approach to officiating, focusing on participants, their needs and motivations.
Module 1:
Who you officiate
Understanding the modern participant
- Become aware of the varied motivations of participants and the role you play in this being fulfilled.
- Learn that sporting environments often require flexibility and modifications to be inclusive and maintain integrity, safety and fairness.
- Gain a better understanding of your responsibilities for the safeguarding of children.
Module 2:
How you improve
Understanding yourself, reflecting and continuously improving
- Gain knowledge of continual learning methods and what can influence your ability to learn.
- Learn how to reflect yourself and understand the impact this can have on your development as an official.
- Learn about the importance of maintaining your wellbeing and strategies to assist with this.
Module 3:
What you officiate
Fundamentals to officiate well
- Gain an understanding of the different types of officials and their roles.
- Learn how to apply and adapt the rules of your sport based on the characteristics and needs of your participants.
- Recognise the additional roles that officials play.
Module 4:
How you officiate
Preparing to officiate and decision-making considerations
- Become aware of what is involved in preparing to officiate.
- Gain knowledge of the decision-making process and strategies to make timely, accurate and consistent decisions.
- Learn about managing time effectively.
Module 5:
Where you officiate
Optimising the environment
- Learn how to facilitate and enable an inclusive environment.
- Recognise risks and identify strategies to limit, mitigate and manage them.
- Identify methods for adapting and responding to unexpected situations.
Module 6:
How you connect
Effective communication
- Identify different methods of communication to service individual participant requirements.
- Understand how the context and environment can impact how you communicate.
- Recognise how effective communication can boost engagement and inclusivity.
Module 7:
How you engage
Interacting and engaging with others
- Recognise appropriate ways to interact and engage with people who support officials.
- Identify situations you may need to manage or resolve.