To contact any umpire co-ordinator Email: ACHCumpiring@gmail.com

Umpiring at ACHC

Starting always seems daunting but it’s not as difficult as you might expect. It’s better to start after participating on a course but if you are a competent player and understand the rules this isn’t always necessary. Initially if you are a junior we like to give you just junior matches and if you are an adult it will be junior matches and/or ladies 6s/7s. The club also uses umpiring radios so your colleague or coach can help and you do not feel isolated. For help on these please ask and view this link.

Coaching is provided to help you progress, if you wish, but whatever level you choose to stop at we are really grateful for your help.

How To Get started
As a new or inexperienced umpire, you should first complete the EH On-line rules and an Introduction to Umpiring Course. This will give you an excellent introduction to umpiring and will equip you with many of the skills and confidence to do so effectively. You can find out more and book yourself onto a course via the England Hockey ‘hockey hub’.

For those who will be going on to umpire Quicksticks (a four-a-side game for 7-11 year-olds) you can find a variety of useful documents and insightful videos via the ‘hockey hub’ that will help you deliver your sessions.

The next step is to complete a level 1 umpiring course (if confident and familiar with hockey it is possible to start with a level 1 course). At ACHC we will help with suitable games for you to umpire, provide coaching and support and when you are ready arrange a level 1 assessment.

Many umpires are happy to stop at this point umpiring only at their own club. However you should still join England Hockey Officiating (EHO), to do this register via GMS. https://gms.englandhockey.co.uk
If you want to progress as an umpire you should join EHO as a silver or gold member selecting South Central as your local Umpire Area. The area will arrange wide range of appointments and your development will be supported by experienced people.

The next stage is to complete the Level 2 Umpire Award. Your Area must nominate you as a Level 2 Candidate and a screening match will be arranged. Once passed you will umpire the top leagues within the area before being recommended to progress.

A small number of umpires each year will then complete the Level 3 Umpire Award and become a member of the National Programme Umpiring Association (NPUA). Working closely with England Hockey, the NPUA is responsible for the development of umpires operating in the National Leagues.

Testimony from Ben Nicholls on Umpire Development at ACHC

My name is Ben Nicholls and I joined Amersham and Chalfont HC at the age of 12, and have played at every level of the club, up to and including M1s. I started umpiring at 16 through a recommendation by Heidi and Mark Rutherford. The club, and both Heidi and Mark, continue to encourage and support my development, helping me move from 7-a-side, to full pitches and adults ultimately leading to me jointly winning Junior umpire award in 2020.

Unfortunately, like many things, COVID halted my development as an umpire but I was fortunate enough to be recommended for NYUPL, who deal with the development of young and upcoming umpires all over England, at an event in Nottingham. Coupled with my increased involvement with my university club as umpire coordinator, this allowed me to start taking higher level games, and has ultimately, in the last year, allowed me to umpire my first junior Internationals and National League game. In the future, I hope to continue both my playing and umpiring career, and aim to take both as far as I can.

I owe all my success to the club and its members, one of whom I always carry with me through the old umpiring radios of Mike Snell who tragically took his own life on the 22nd March 2021, during the COVID lockdown. He was an invaluable member of our club and of my early umpiring career, and I’d like to help continue his legacy and support anyone who’d like to learn more about umpiring. I’m normally around during holiday periods, so if you see me, be sure to say hi.

Testimony from Pat Cross on pool umpiring within the ladies leagues as the ACHC representative.

First and foremost I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t enjoy it, so if you are thinking of doing it, make sure that you actually want to do it. Umpiring at club level is different from umpiring in the pool, aside from the alleged difference in skill levels, one of the teams is from your own club, so at least there are some (relatively) friendly faces hanging on your every whistle. Your only friendly face is the other umpire, so developing a rapport with them is key to success – communicate with them in the week before the match – agree what time you’ll be at the pitch and what colour you will wear. The 30 minutes or so before the start on the day of the match need to be spent getting to know your colleague and discussing who will blow when and where (areas of control etc), who will time the match and who will time the cards.

As at club level, but more so at the higher level, you need to be able to sell your decisions to the players, so knowledge of the rules is important, as is your positioning, your communication over the radio with the other umpire, the way you conduct yourself before, during and after the match, your whistle tone, your arm signals, the clothes you are wearing and your general confidence. Some of this can only come with experience/practice and maybe coaching. I have had umpiring coaching 5 or 6 times and the feedback can be brutal, but if you don’t take it personally (which is not the intention of the coach), then you’ll be a better umpire for it.

Mistakes matter – they do at all levels, but more so here, especially in the 25s and the Ds. Being in the right position is key, either to see for yourself or to be eyes for your colleague. You have to be prepared for “constructive criticism” (or may be just criticism!) and know how to deal with it – I’m not sure I’ve mastered that yet! After a while you get to know the teams and your colleagues and that all helps, but it takes time.

So in summary…Only do it if you enjoy it, communicate with the other umpire in the week before that match, dress and act appropriately, stick at it.

Testimony of a Young Umpire

I started umpiring in 2021 when I was 15 and started by umpiring u12s games and mixed adult and junior games. After just over a month, I was assessed whilst umpiring a Ladies game and passed my level 1.
Since then I have umpired around 10 matches at Amersham including a mixture of adult and junior games and I was even lucky enough to get to talk with appointed (Level 2) umpires around the club.
I have also attended umpire courses and chat groups that have been advertised by England Hockey; because of this I was invited to umpire at the National School Finals in Nottingham on the 21st March 2022. I got to take a day out of school and England Hockey helped facilitate this by providing a letter to my school and paying for travel expenses. Because I was 16, I umpired Boys U14 matches. I got to umpire 4 games throughout the day and for every game there was an umpire mentor who gave feedback and advice on how to improve. The feedback was always really constructive and they were very positive, the feedback included: dealing with aerials, positioning around the pitch and umpiring in front of large crowds of fans.
It was a great experience and I would recommend that anyone who gets the opportunity to take it as it is a great way to develop your umpiring and meet other young umpires from across the country. The experience really made me want to continue my umpiring and see how far I can take it..
I would highly recommend others to start umpiring as it not only helps you have a better understanding of the game but it also great fun and is a great way to be part of the game.