‘Too Many Officials on the Field’: Eddie McGuire Advocates for Eliminating Boundary and Goal Umpires in the AFL

Former president of Collingwood, Eddie McGuire, has outlined an ambitious strategy aimed at enhancing officiating standards by eliminating boundary and goal umpires altogether.

His remarks follow a contentious incident during Saturday’s match, where Melbourne forward Kysaiah Pickett was denied a free kick after being clearly tripped by Hawthorn’s Blake Hardwick at a pivotal moment.

Instead of receiving a chance to score from directly in front of the goal, the umpire called play-on, leaving spectators bewildered by the decision.

“Clearly, everyone in the stadium, apart from the umpires officiating, could see what transpired,” McGuire stated on Nine’s Footy Classified on Tuesday night.

This incident adds to a list of recent umpiring disputes within the league, prompting discussions about the efficacy of the four-field umpire system.

In an AFL match, there are 10 umpires present on the field, with an emergency umpire included in the officiating staff for each game.

Only the four field umpires are empowered to make decisions, diligently rotating and adjusting their positions throughout the game.

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In reviewing various perspectives on the non-call, McGuire suggested that the umpires were too focused on the goals rather than the game itself.

With a reformed officiating approach in mind, he has called for a complete overhaul of umpiring strategies.

M rather than the traditional dynamic zonal system with four boundary and two goal umpires, McGuire proposed a new approach, dividing the field into eight zones for eight field umpires.

This zonal system, he believes, would provide opportunities for experienced umpires to prolong their careers, facilitate former players’ transitions into officiating, and encourage greater female participation in umpiring.

However, his proposal brings an element of controversy.

By introducing a total of eight strategically placed field umpires, the roles of goal and boundary umpires would be rendered obsolete.

“My proposal entails removing the goal and boundary umpires,” McGuire explained.

“The existing structure creates too many issues, and there are simply too many personnel involved.”

“This initiative could save nearly $5 million in umpiring fees annually, which might be redirected to enhancing the conditions for field umpires.”

With boundary umpires no longer in play, boundary throw-ins and ball-ups could be restricted to within the arcs, while a last-touch rule could apply when the ball is out of bounds.

McGuire believes this would also minimise stoppages and AFL Review Centre [ARC] interventions, consequently shortening match durations.

“This approach promotes efficiency, allowing for better decision-making as the game naturally flows to the umpires,” McGuire asserted.

This isn’t the first time McGuire has advocated for this reform.

He first proposed a variant of this idea two decades ago to then umpire chief, Jeff Gieschen.