“Off-Field” Resources & Activities
That Help Develop Our
Skills & Abilities
Lindsey Buckingham
(of Fleetwood Mac fame):
“If you are any good at all, you know that
you can always improve.”
(I think Simon Taufel may have said something like this about
cricket too)
Both need to constantly improve methods for:
Establishing Routines (before/during/after games)
 NOT just forming habits!
Observation
 Do you have a plan to observe what you need to?
Memory and Recall
 How does your memory play tricks on you?
“Good” Decision-making
 …as opposed to ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ decisions
Effective Self-assessment
 …and the avoidance of lying to yourself….
Umpires and Scorers need to approach their craft
during the following times:
Before the game commences
During the game
After the game finished
The time between “After the game”, and “Before
the game commences” may be 6 months…..!
•Goal Setting
• (Failing to plan = Planning to fail); The 6 Ps!
•Need to set “SMART” goals
•What kind of Goals should we set
ourselves?
• How many?
• On what topics?
• Should I involve my match-day umpiring
partner?
• How do I measure my level of
achievement?
•Effective observation is
fundamental to accurate
evaluation and decision-making:
• Observation→ Evaluation → Conclusion
•Understanding what your responsibilities as an umpire are is critical:
• Time-keeping (when was the batsman out? etc.)
• Players leaving and entering the field of play
• Over-throws
• Running between wickets
• Have the batsman crossed at important points in the
•
•
•
•
game?
Players entering the protected area
Was the delivery legal (height etc.)?
Damage to the pitch, and how it occurred
Where did the ball pitch?
•What other responsibilities do we need to keep on top of?
The way in which memory works is very
complicated – and almost entirely faulty!
Many studies have found that physical and
cognitive issues significantly reduces our ability to
recall our observations accurately!
• Regular exercise
• Increases oxygen to your brain.
• Reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as
diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• May enhance the effects of helpful brain chemicals and protect
brain cells.
• Managing stress
• Cortisol, the stress hormone, can damage memory if the stress
is unrelieved.
• Stress makes it difficult to concentrate.
• Good sleep habits
• Good/Planned Nutrition
Bad Decision
Correct
Decision
Incorrect
Decision
•You “guessed” correctly;
•You didn’t see all of the
relevant information;
•You used the appeal to help
you make your decision
•You feel relieved that “you
got away with that one!”
•You “guessed” incorrectly;
•You didn’t see the relevant
information;
•You used the appeal to help
you make your decision
•You are unhappy that you “got
caught out with that one!”
Good Decision
•You saw all of the relevant
information and could recall it;
•You applied the appropriate
law accurately and consistently;
•You reviewed your decision
before giving it.
•You know that you didn’t see
all of the relevant information;
•You applied the appropriate
law accurately and consistently;
•You reviewed your decision
before giving it.
•You are honest with yourself
and the players
Bad Decision
Correct
Decision
Incorrect
Decision
•You “guessed” correctly;
•You didn’t see all of the
relevant information;
•You used the appeal to help
you make your decision
•You feel relieved that “you
got away with that one!”
•You “guessed” incorrectly;
•You didn’t see the relevant
information;
•You used the appeal to help
you make your decision
•You are unhappy that you “got
caught out with that one!”
Good Decision
•What goals would you set that
would enable you to make
‘good & correct decisions’ more
often?
•You know that you didn’t see
all of the relevant information;
•You applied the appropriate
law accurately and consistently;
•You reviewed your decision
before giving it.
•You are honest with yourself
and the players
Umpires and Scorers that wish to improve their
performance must eventually “tell themselves the
truth” about their skills and abilities.
Until you recognise AND accept that you are deficient
at some element of your umpiring, you cannot possibly
improve it.
Deficiency DOES NOT mean you are terrible at
something – it just means that there is real room for
improvement….
If you can define the deficiency, you can set SMART
goals to address it…..
Self assessment is the formal method by which
TCUSA members are able to acknowledge their set
of skills, and to determine their level of
performance in applying them.
….but it is more than just filling out a form….
The self assessment document is really a letter to
yourself, with your mentor/Richard CC’d in on the
conversation!
“Talking to yourself is the only way that you can
guarantee intelligent conversation” – E. Blackadder
Self Assessments
Using the STAR Format
 The S.T.A.R. format is an easy and short way to
capture performance activities and
accomplishments.
22
The STAR Format
 Situation: Describe the conditions under which you
achieved/failed your critical tasks
 Task: Describe what you did during the
game/season to create the results you achieved.
 Activity/Action: Include additional activities you
completed, or actions you took that contributed to
your results
 Result: Describe what you accomplished.
23
STAR Examples
For each Critical Element…answer the following questions
 Situation: What was the situation I faced?
 Task: What was my task in that situation?
 Activity: What activity/action did I take?
 Result: What result(s) did my action(s) produce?
24
There are many aspects of umpiring and scoring
that can be practised off-field:
Becoming a ‘student’ of the Laws…
Honest communication with others (i.e.
umpires/players/officials/mentors/Richard)…
Improving concentration…
Improving observation and recall skills…
Conflict management…
Self-assessment/reflection skills…
To improve your “on-field” performance, you must
set goals for each of these elements…..