Vancouver Cricket Umpires & Scorers Association

 

Subject: CODE OF CONDUCT & Discipline Committee    
Dated: Feb 2013.

NOTE!  THE FOLLOWING RULES ARE MODIFIED EXCERPTS FROM VARIOUS EDITIONS OF ?TOM SMITH?S CRICKET UMPIRING & SCORING.? PLEASE USE THE MOST RECENT EDITION AS A REFERENCE.
(This document aims to be gender neutral. Any reference to the ?male,? applies equally to the ?female? gender).  The League/Governing body refers to the BCMCL/Cricket BC etc. as needed for a particular match. Your association is the Vancouver Cricket Umpires & Scorers Association (VCU&SA)

The umpires or scorers must NEVER SAY or DO ANYTHING to ENDANGER the RESPECT given to their position, the laws of the game or the esteem of the Local Umpires & Scorers Association.
The umpires must have PATIENCE and COMPOSURE at all times.  Even in EXTREME cases, umpires must not show their feelings about the game or players by WORD or GESTURE.

The umpire's judgment must be made without hurry, and then be followed by calmly and deliberately giving the decision. Umpires must be completely neutral & unbiased. He must have COMMON SENSE, an even temper & good humour to respond wisely to the often hasty & excited actions of players.
Umpires are advised not to offer justifications for decisions either on or off the field.  However, a calm & simple short answer to a bowler or captain is always good for player-umpire relations. ALWAYS CONSULT your colleague when needed, for information.

Never discuss decisions made by your colleague with any player on or off the field.  Be courteous, but you are not advised to socialize with one team in preference to the other, before, during or after a match.  After the game, it is good practice to discuss decisions with your colleague in a calm & confidential manner.  Recently qualified umpires become good ones after learning from good & experienced umpires & after as much match experience as possible. It is your duty to know the Laws of Cricket & keep abreast of any changes in the Law & Local Playing Conditions.

All umpires will make mistakes. Never attempt to correct a bad decision with another one in order to be fair.  If you have made a mistake and realize it, correct it immediately, particularly if your colleague points it out to you quickly.
Make sure you repeat all signals to the scorer when the ball is dead.

The umpires are not responsible for the behaviour of any of the players.  This is the captains' responsibility. (You are not a policeman on the field!)

All umpires need to have first-class eyesight & acute hearing. Any aids used must bring you up to excellent condition.  Umpires & scorers must have excellent ability to concentrate long hours. It is your duty to ensure that you are in appropriate physical condition for your task.

It is now an MCC Law which requires that you be at your game 45MINS. before scheduled start. - 2010. (Also ? locally - avoid going to a ground 1 hour or earlier than the scheduled start, when the weather is questionable, as the assigner may need to inform you that your match has been abandoned ? Clubs do not want to pay you if they cancel their match). 

If a Captain reports on a Statistics or Assessment sheet, submitted to the ?league?, that you were not there to supervise the toss, you will lose 15% of your match fee.  A scorer must be there with umpires 15 minutes before the scheduled start. If reported, as before you will lose 15% of match fee.  If not there at the start of play & up to 15 minutes late, umpire or scorer will lose 30% of fee.  If you have mitigating circumstances, it is your duty to explain these (in writing) to your League Secretary & your Umpire Association Appointments secretary.

YOU MUST follow the Umpires dress code on the field of play.

a) Black or Dark blue dress trousers or skirt (Note: DRESS TROUSERS ? not blue jeans, track or sweat pants)
Find out the colour of ball being used in your match ? If your Association has a uniform - shirt or jacket for you as umpire or scorer ? wear it. (Red ball ? white or very light jacket. White ball ? Red or other dark uniform jacket).  CHECK WITH ASSIGNER per division level!

b) White or (Dark blue, dark red etc), collared dress shirt.

c) Appropriate tie, worn at all times (From 2009, tie is Optional - match your partner)

d) White Cricket Umpires Coat (or light coloured jacket from 2009) - dark coloured wind breaker/field jacket if white ball is used in your match.  Failure to do so will mean LOSS OF MATCH FEE, when verified.  You will not be appointed for games if you are unwilling to comply.

Discipline Process:
The Local Umpires' and Scorers' Discipline Committee shall be an impartial committee that will meet and make judgment about WRITTEN reports of violation of this CODE OF CONDUCT FOR UMPIRES & SCORERS by any of its members, which are sent to the secretary of the Umpires & Scorers association.

The Discipline Committee shall consist of:

a) The President of the Umpires & Scorers Association or nominee - Chairperson.

b) 2 active members of the VCU&SA with 5+ years? experience as chosen by the VCU&SA Executive body.

The committee will meet (in person, via Fax or E-mail) within 7 days of receipt of a WRITTEN REPORT (Fax or E-mail - OK) sent to the Local League Secretary & Umpires & Scorers Secretary.

The Umpires/Scorers secretary will upon receipt of a report, immediately inform the reported member by phone call & e-mail/fax, of the details of the charge and the date of the meeting AT WHICH THE MEMBER MAY DEFEND HIM/HERSELF.

After adequate hearing and verification of facts, the committee will decide on action
a) Exoneration b) Reprimand c) Fine - match fee etc.  d) Suspension e) Expulsion

The committee will not deal with judgement calls by umpires such as LBW, caught behind, no-ball etc.
The committee will deal with errors about the Law, made by a member - if the President does not wish to handle it privately, before going to committee.
The committee will deal with Local League & Umpires/Scorers or particular Governing Body code violations by our members.
The written match report by both umpires and both captains at the match will be vital to the process and differences may be resolved by phone calls made from meetings.

The captains or umpires report must identify the complainant/s, if different from themselves. There must be no anonymity of the complainant.

Only suspensions/penalties of three games or more and expulsion may be appealed by E-mail or Fax within 48hrs of written notification of the suspension by the president of umpires/scorers association.

Appeals are made to the Secretary of the umpires/scorers association.

The Appeal Committee is the Executive of the VCU&SA (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer & 1 other senior member not on the Discipline committee.  This committee shall meet, in person, via fax or email within 7 days of receipt of written appeal.

Other than the president of the local Umpires/Scorers association, in order for natural justice to prevail, those that sit on the appeal committee shall be different from those on the Discipline Committee.  Furthermore, anyone with some perceived association with the reported individual should dissociate him/herself from any of the committees above.

The Appeals Committee decision will be binding and final.