A Report by Simon Lewis 1 September 1998
CONTENTS
1. THE THIRD UMPIRES
2. THE THIRD UMPIRE’S CAMERAS
3. SPEEDING UP THE DECISION
4. AN END TO UNCALLED NO-BALLS
5. LEG-BEFORE-WICKET
6. CAUGHT BEHIND
7. RUN OUTS
8. WIDES
9. BAT-PAD CATCHES
10. IN CONCLUSION
1. THE THIRD UMPIRES
The current high level of television coverage of top-class cricket makes the onfield umpire’s job extremely difficult. Television viewers at home and at the ground are in a better position than him to make accurate judgements, aided by super-slow, close-up action replays, and yet he must make tough decisions in the heat of the moment and under enormous pressure. To fall back on the old faithful comment that it all evens out in the end is no longer relevant in the Test arena. If the camera is now able to tell us with greater accuracy if a batsman is out or not, then the umpires must use the cameras to help them strive to ensure that no blatant mistakes (as viewed on TV replay) can slip through. It should be a partnership, and the main aim should be ensuring that no glaring errors occur.
There will be two to four Third Umpires making their adjudications, and they will swop places with the onfield umpires at the end of every session of play so that they are all kept fresh and involved in all levels of umpiring.
The onfield umpire should ONLY give a batsman out when he is 100-percent certain that the batsman was in fact out, that there is no doubt in his mind whatsoever. It currently seems that umpires at all levels of cricket are striving to make decisions, a fact possibly exacerbated by unsporting and increasing appeals. Umpires should be more responsible for giving batsmen out only when they can be certain that they are out - if they were to call for the Third Umpire that should indicate doubt, and therefore the benefit should then be given to the batsman. The Third Umpires should be constantly monitoring the play, viewing video replays, and they should inform the onfield umpire when an incorrect decision has been made so that the onfield umpire can change his decision. The onfield umpire’s aim should be getting through a match without making an error. If that means he rules every appeal to be not out then so be it. The Third Umpire will be there to rule on the close decisions that require careful analysis of slow-motion replays.
It will be embarrassing for the onfield umpire if he gives a batsman out but the Third Umpire rules not out. Equally it will serve as evidence of an umpire’s ability when he gives a decision which is backed-up by a ‘well-informed’ Third Umpire watching a set of slow-motion replays. The onfield umpire should never approach the Third Umpire for assistance, for that could hamper the entire process as he then holds sole right to call for the Third
Umpire. Would Javed Akhtar have called for the Third Umpire to adjudicate on any of the LBWs he gave against South Africa in the Headingley Test? If he had that would have implied doubt, which would imply having to give the batsmen the benefit of the doubt.
The onfield umpire should act independently of the Third Umpires and make his own decision employing a high regard for the benefit of the doubt. The Third
Umpires will contact him to inform him of any incorrect decisions which can be verified by two of the Third Umpires on-screen in a set time, failing which the onfield umpire’s decision stands.
The current Third Umpire system has already usurped the onfield umpire’s position as sole judge and executioner, yet it still allows him to make a mistake if he fails to call for the Third Umpire on a close decision. There’s no point having a foolproof back-up umpiring system if it’s not going to be used in a consistent manner. The Third Umpire must have autonomy to make or reverse any decisions that he can back-up with video footage evidence.
Television coverage has advanced so radically that Test cricket is in the position where it must now reinvent itself. Failure to do so can only lead to increasing displays of poor sportsmanship in the face of umpiring errors. In the past batsmen would always walk off berating an umpire for a poor LBW decision. Everyone knew that in most instances he was covering up his disappointment at being given out and was, usually, totally unaware of whether he should or should not have been given out. His anger soon subsided.
But today a batsman can walk off the field and watch conclusive evidence on a
TV monitor that shows that he should not have been given out. And the evidence gets more conclusive as technology advances. It’s not fair for professional batsmen or for Test cricket and its supporters.
The only incorrect decisions that should be allowed under the Third Umpire system are the not out ones when technically a batsman might have been out in a really close decision that can’t be confirmed easily. It’s far better for the umpire (either onfield or the Third Umpire) to give the batsman the benefit than to make a judgement and give a batsman out when he isn’t absolutely certain. The Third Umpire’s primary task should be to ensure that no blatant errors are committed by the onfield umpires, and secondly to award any decisions that are clear and obvious as viewed on his TV replay. He mustn’t search for the answer – if it’s staring him in the face then he must make the relevant decision, but if there’s doubt then he must award it to the batsman or go with the onfield umpire’s decision. At present the Third Umpire sometimes views run out situations for a couple of minutes, trying desperately to see if the batsman was out and then, it would seem, trying to convince himself that the batsman was out. They’re searching too hard for the answer. He should have a quick look at the replays from all angles, possibly a second look if required but if more than that is required it should be given as benefit to the batsman and play should continue. The aim is not to achieve 100-percent perfect decisions, but rather to ensure 100-percent error-free and consistent umpiring. If the batsman sometimes gets the benefit of the doubt when he should have been given out, that is better than some batsmen sometimes being given out incorrectly.
To ensure that cricket continues as a fair and honest gentleman’s game, the use of TV and video replays needs to be expanded and at the same time stream-lined. Here follows some ideas that could be considered.
2. THE THIRD UMPIRES’ CAMERAS
The Third Umpires will need more cameras to help them make more-informed decisions, but specifically they will need more stationery cameras. Currently the cameras all tend to jump around too much, focus close-up and then pan out again. That doesn’t help the Third Umpire make his decisions as he needs to rely on consistently clear and focussed pictures to provide his hard evidence. Having additional stationery cameras will also benefit TV viewers as they will also be shown live-action and action replays of a still, clear shot.
There will be an Aerial Umpire camera. The logistics of this are not within my technical knowledge. If it can be implemented (technically, aesthetically and financially) then it alone would be able to provide almost 100-percent accurate decision-making reference for the Third Umpires. The concept would be hanging a camera (similar in size and structure to the stump-cam) directly above the pitch. It would naturally have to be high enough not to interfere with any big hits from the batsman, and constructed in such a way as not to detract from the pleasure of spectators watching at the ground. Such a structure exists, I believe, at a good many soccer stadiums around the world, not to mention in South Africa. The camera could either be ‘draped’ from above one grandstand to another, or it could be strung up on four ‘cords’ attached to the floodlights found at most major cricket grounds. This camera will provide the sort of views never before seen on a cricket field, and I believe they will be illuminating in the extreme. I believe it will revolutionise the face of umpiring understanding, which will have far-reaching consequences in terms of education and learning for umpires at all levels. I believe it will give us all a totally new perception of leg-before-wicket decisions. Furthermore, the view will be able to assist with almost every possible umpiring decision, as well as being a dynamic new view for replays and cricket education. Ideally there would be one aerial camera to take in the whole pitch and two more focussing up closer on each set of stumps.
A system of onscreen grids is also essential to the success of any Third
Umpire system. These will be computer-generated onscreen ‘grids’ or ‘templates’ which will assist the Third Umpire in making fast and accurate decisions, as well as giving viewers a clear idea of why a certain decision was given. These grids will be aesthetically ‘messy’ and thus will only be shown to the viewers once a decision has been given. The Third Umpire will have these grids on his screens all the time, giving him clear lines from which to tell if the bowler overstepped the mark, if the batsman reached the crease before the bails were removed, if the ball pitched on leg stump or outside, and if the ball hit the batsman in line of wicket to wicket. They will be integral to any success of the Third Umpire, as he shouldn’t be forced to make judgement calls. He must have a clear view of exactly where the ball pitched, and so on. He cannot be forced to guess if it was on the line or outside. The line needs to be shown on his screen for him to make accurate and consistent decisions.
The still camera shots will add value to the cricket broadcast as it will show the action in one clear shot, as if the viewers were sitting at the ground. This will also provide a better source of stock footage for use in compiling cricket coaching videos. It also guarantees that certain pieces of the action are not missed by the cameraman through bad luck or when focussing on something else. It will require an investment in more cameras, and it will need greater control and management in the production and editing department, but these extra cameras will not need to be manned like other cameras.
Ideally sponsorship would cover the additional costs.
There will be a camera at mid-wicket/cover on both sides of the wicket. This stationary camera will take in the whole pitch, from stump to stump, to give viewers a clear picture of the action from side-on. The current Pana-eye camera can be kept to help adjudicate on run outs, no-balls, stumpings and short runs, although it will have to be lined-up 100-percent accurately with the popping crease to ensure accurate decisions using the onscreen grid. There will also be two to four (depending on costs) Pana-eyes about 30-metres in the air positioned at mid-on and mid-off on either side of the field.
These steady views will help with judging the height of the ball (LBW) and giving steady, totally focussed views of the batsman, allowing as many options as possible for the Third Umpire to tell if the batsman edged a delivery or not (especially bat-pad) and whether or not the batsman hit the ball into the ground or not (ie a bump ball).
There will be a stationery camera at either end of the ground directly behind the middle stump and positioned above the sightscreen or at as high a point as is possible (on top of a grandstand). This will help with LBW’s and caught behind, as well as providing superb views of the bowler running in and the batsman playing his shots. This will also help with technical analysis during broadcasts, as there will be consistently good images on which to discuss points of technique, and will be invaluable for live-action cricket coaching videos.
3. SPEEDING UP THE DECISION
The Third Umpire system has caused a great many stoppages in play, partly because the Third Umpire views the same monitor as the television viewers, so he often has to wait for the action to arrive at the crucial moment when he can make his decision, causing play to come to a halt as the action replay is broadcast across the airwaves. He needs to have access to that crucial moment or two when the batsman ran his bat into the crease, etc, not the fielder throwing the ball in, which is essential to show television viewers, but equally hampers the Third Umpire’s ability to make quick decisions as vital seconds are being eaten up by the action replay. He should have immediate access to whatever action he needs to view and should be able to view it however he needs to in order to make his decision.
To run the system efficiently decision-makers should only be shown footage a few frames either side of the relevant moment of action, thus affording them more time to view other angles and review them all again in the same time it usually takes the current Third Umpire system to view two angles. The emphasis must be on a slick, no-nonsense operation. This will naturally require more manpower to source and play these views to the Third Umpires.
He should be able to go straight to the crucial moment once an appeal has gone up, view the incident two or three times with a cue/review freeze-frame system, and then make his decision. Importantly, his monitor will not be seen by television viewers as the pictures will be jumping backwards and forwards, thus not being pleasing to the viewers who will be watching replays as normal. Once his decision has been made the viewers can be shown the most relevant and conclusive piece of action which will prove the decision, accompanied at that point by the onscreen grids which are available on all the Third Umpire’s replay monitors.
Two umpires will have to verify each decision and if they can’t both give it quickly then the benefit must go to the batsman. For instance, in the event of really close run outs, if it can’t be seen to be out after looking at the slow-motion replays for 10 seconds then you have to give the benefit to the batsman. Theoretically he might still be out, but if it’s not conclusive then the Third Umpire should give the benefit and get on with the game. If you can’t prove it in 10 seconds then you’re not going to be able to prove it, but will be relying on subjectivity to ‘insist’ on giving the batsman out.
The Third Umpire should have no more time than the bowler walking back to his mark, which is the normal time from the ball going dead till the bowler starts his next run up, which then makes the ball alive - the time in which a team can make an appeal and in which the umpire can answer it. Once the ball becomes alive again the fielding side can no longer appeal, as a new ball is in progress, and the result of the previous ball can not be altered by any of the umpires. The time available for a dismissed batsman to be called back to the wicket would obviously be greater, although as with a normal appeal or cancelling of a decision the batsman would still have to be on the field of play, for once he leaves it his innings can under no circumstances be continued. There would of course be leeway to allow the Third Umpires to, on occasion, halt play for a while longer if the replays are complex or if there is some valid reason why they are not easily able to pick up the most important piece of action. This would have to apply to spin bowlers especially, whose run-ups are shorter, which therefore allows even less time for the Third Umpire. This would suggest extra stoppages and some time-wasting, but it would clearly be much less than would be the case if there had to be constant appeals to the Third Umpire using conventional replays.
The possibility of having a limited amount of appeals to the Third Umpire is impractical and would be unfair. Imagine if only a certain amount of run out consultations were allowed under the present Third Umpire system?
The Third Umpires will beep the onfield umpire on a walkie-talkie or cell phone to inform him of an incorrect decision. As with the possibility of the onfield umpire making a mistake, through error of judgement or not being able to see the action clearly, so it is vital that TWO Third Umpires confirm all the decisions that they make. They need a sounding board and a second opinion, especially if they are going to operate the system quickly and efficiently. Neither should they be subjected to the intense pressure of having to make a decision alone. This second Third Umpire should be a guarantee that no umpiring errors occur. As there will be major pressure on the umpires in the booth, which is why it will be imperative to swop positions every session with the onfield umpires, as well as giving all the umpiring officials a chance to perform all the various umpiring duties.
4. AN END TO UNCALLED NO-BALLS
One of the Third Umpires could be permanently watching a split screen that shows the bowler’s crease from the side (with an onscreen gird in place), and from the Aerial Umpire’s view, also with a grid in place. As soon as he spots or can confirm a no-ball he informs the onfield umpire and no-ball is signalled on the field of play. This might sometimes be called rather late, certainly always too late for the batsman to capitalise on the no-ball by having a free hit at it, but at least it would ensure fair and honest deliveries, consistent and objective no-ball calling, and a reprieve for any batsman unfairly given out off a no-ball. It would probably take a while longer to spot the no-ball, but there should be enough time in the case of a dismissal, the major reason for concern anyway; for a delivery which has not yielded a wicket, if the umpire can’t pick it up clearly and early before the bowler starts his next delivery, then that’s too bad. But at least the glaring and clear mistakes would be picked up, which in the long run would save the onfield umpires from embarrassment as well as ensuring a fair and even contest.
This umpire would need one of his fellow Third Umpires to confirm his decision as well, by showing them the most obvious frame of footage. This umpire would also be responsible for adjudicating on run outs, stumpings and short runs which might not have been picked up by the onfield umpires.
5. LEG-BEFORE-WICKET
To solve the problem of leg-before-wicket decisions, any one of the cameras mentioned in the introduction would be used for clarity, although undoubtedly the most effective cameras will be the following:
i) The side-view camera
To judge the height and path of the ball in relation to passing over the top of the stumps;
ii) The stump-cam
Using a grid to show the position of the stumps in front of the batsman on the screen, thus giving a clearer and more accurate picture of which stump the ball hit the pads in front of, etc, and grid lines from stump to stump to accurately pin-point where the ball pitched; and
iii) The Aerial Umpire
Using a grid to show the line of the stumps from wicket to wicket to clearly show where the ball pitched and which stump it hit the batsman in line with, but also giving a better view of the path of the ball and the likelihood that it might stay on path to hit the stumps or not, to see how far the ball still had to travel and what its course was likely to be. This could also be invaluable for giving umpires a better view of the path of the ball in general, with access to different views which would help coach umpires at all levels to have a better understanding of LBW and all that it entails, which would improve the standard of umpiring at all levels.
The present stump-cam could be used with a grid showing the stumps (transposed over the batsman on the screen), as well as a grid showing the line from wicket to wicket, bearing in mind that it is ‘distorted’ with the stump-cam, so the distortions would have to be represented on the grid, otherwise the umpires would be making incorrect judgements on the line that the ball pitched (it needs to be definite and exact and not reliant on any judgement calls - if it gets to the stage of a judgement call then the benefit should go to the batsman). This should enable the umpire to accurately tell where the ball pitched and where it hit the batsman in relation to the stumps behind him (which are shown in front of him on screen). This clearly shows the point of impact. This will primarily gauge the height, but it will also be useful for direction, although this will best be seen by the Aerial Umpire. Naturally, the two will work well together.
Leg-before is an incredibly difficult decision. The factors involved are so complex that errors should be expected on a regular basis. It is unavoidable.
The biggest problem is the fact that umpires base their decision on learned principles from years of umpiring with a single focus or viewpoint - straight on to the batsman. Having a view from above would make for almost perfect decision-making. It will also open up a huge new understanding of leg-before-wicket, especially with a view to the path of the ball after it strikes the batsman. Perhaps we shall find that presently umpires are too lenient and that indeed many more batsmen have been given out who should otherwise not have been, or the other way around.
6. CAUGHT BEHIND
Using the Aerial Umpire camera, there will be a far better view of the line of the ball from bowler to keeper (where the majority of controversial snicks go), thus giving the clearest and most unobstructed view of the ball’s path and the likelihood that it might have deviated. From the front or from behind it’s difficult (for the onfield umpire or an umpire watching a replay on TV) to see a faint nick, as the batsman’s bat passes across the line of the ball as it goes through to the keeper, thus obscuring the view of any deflection.
Seen from above and on a slow-motion replay you will be able to see if there is a point at which the ball actually deviates or edges off an otherwise ‘straight’ path through to the keeper. All balls bowled have a natural drift through the air, which is what sometimes leads to incorrect caught-behind decisions as the umpire sees the ball drifting to leg or off after passing the bat, incorrectly assuming this to be an edge when in many cases it might be the ball’s natural late swing. Viewed from above it will be possible to see if the ball starts its deviation as it passes the bat. There will be a clearer view as well of any air between bat and ball. Equally, this view will support not-out decisions when the ball has passed the bat and struck the batsman’s shoulder or arm directly behind the bat, causing a deflection which, when viewed from the front by the umpire or on a front TV view, justifiably looks as if it came off the edge of the bat. Seen from behind one is often able to spot this, but undeniably viewed from above it will prove in most cases when the ball hit the batsman’s body and not his bat. From above this sort of unavoidable and honest error could be eliminated in most cases, certainly avoiding any blatant errors slipping through the cracks.
7. RUN OUTS
The present Third Umpire system is close to perfect in the case of run outs, but obviously the Aerial Umpire would give one extra view, as well as providing a far clearer perspective on the bat crossing the line in relation to the bails being lifted. The no-ball line view can also help if used with a split screen for replays played at the same time as other angles, allowing the umpires to see the various pieces of action in relation to one another.
It would also provide a better view of the bat sliding past the crease, unlike the side view which can be blurred depending on the state of the popping crease and the pitch, which tend to get dusty and smudged as the match goes on. Using a similar onscreen grid would provide a clean and consistent view of the actual line that the batsman needs to cross in order to make his ground safely. This would also provide the Third Umpire with more of a tangible and real determination upon which he must make his decision. At present Third Umpires are being forced to guess to a certain degree exactly where the line is which the batsman must cross. If there was a clear line on screen for the Third Umpire to use to help him in his decision-making (and which could later be shown to viewers to prove the accuracy of the decision) it would further reduce the margin of error, if not eliminating it altogether. Furthermore, the wicket-keeper or fielder usually breaks the wicket from the side and not from above, thus ensuring an even clearer picture from the Aerial Umpire to show exactly when the bails are removed, which in itself would be clearer from above than the present TV angles.
8. WIDES
In Test matches wides are dependant on a batsman’s height and reach, not allowing for a consistent onscreen grid. However, the Aerial Umpire will give a clearer idea of how close the ball was to the batsman as it passed him.
There would be a general grid guideline, but it would have to be discretionary. It’s difficult for umpires to always get this one right, but with an overhead view there would be a greater degree of accuracy. In one-day cricket the grid system fits in perfectly and would ensure against the onfield umpire anguishing over calling a wide in the final overs of a match, which could unfairly affect either side’s chance of winning. Furthermore, having an umpire away from the pressure and able to have a second or third look at the action before having to make a possibly match-affecting judgement will not only reduce the pressure on the onfield umpires but also ensure that a fair result can be achieved and eliminate any need for calls of poor umpiring by the losing side and their supporters.
9. BAT-PAD CATCHES
Bat-pad catches are possibly the second-most difficult decision to adjudicate on, after leg-before-wicket. The aerial view could help in this decision, although most likely a separate aerial camera at a 45-degree angle to the pitch would give a better view inbetween the bat and the pad. That extra camera might not be worth the effort for a somewhat occasional dismissal (although it would also provide viewers with a further unusual view of the action, taken from the top of one of the four floodlight pylons at a ground), especially seeing as the noise factor plays a large part in the dismissal and in that regard the onfield umpire is in a good position to judge. As a back-up, the stump-cam and other views can be replayed to the Third Umpires who, if they spot a glaring mistake either way, can hurriedly inform the onfield umpire.
Once again, to achieve absolute perfection with every single decision will almost certainly never be possible, but at least every reasonable means should be employed to ensure that no major umpiring errors (out or not out) which can be spotted on a slow-motion replay are allowed to stand, not when the stakes are so high and the pressure so intense.
10. IN CONCLUSION
Major cricket matches and tournaments are in need of a system that eradicates major and blatant errors by the umpires. They need help simply because the current high level of camera work and camera technology has meant that errors are so much more visible to the layman. It is not the umpires who are at fault or who should be blamed. Theirs is a near impossible task - that of making faultless decisions in high-pressure situations with only a split-second of information at their disposal. It is only right and fair that the umpires are able to utilise or rely on an accurate Third Umpire system to ensure that they can’t be accused of making poor decisions that ruin Tests and one-day matches. Cricket is a gentleman’s game, but it’s so difficult to remain a gentleman when everything is at stake and yet you have clear evidence of unfair decisions going against you.
The umpires need to remain involved with the decision and the play, and they need to be the ones making the decision, albeit with an increasing amount of assistance from visual views and TV screens. But it will still be the umpire, an impartial but human observer, who will be making the decisions and informing the players, spectators and scorers what the decision is based on what they see before them on the TV replay monitor.
Umpires’ skills will become far more analytical, and umpires at all levels will benefit by being exposed to the new views and angles of the action shown on TV, and seeing how certain factors affect what the decision should really be will enable them to apply that knowledge when they go in the field to umpire without the aid of technology, but with a clearer understanding of the path a ball is likely to take after hitting a batsman on the pads. If the overhead view proves that a ball pitching outside off-stump and hitting the pads in line with leg-stump can still hit the stumps (if it’s possible), then umpires all over the world will be able to view LBW appeals in a new light.
The truth will be revealed, there will be less speculation, guesswork and personal opinions, and cricket will benefit from more correct decisions.
However, I personally believe that the Aerial Umpire will prove that in the majority of instances the batsman should be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to LBW. I believe the Aerial Umpire will prove to be that conclusive and, with that in mind, umpires at all levels will have to adapt their decision-making to only allow leg-before decisions which they are certain are out.
The aim is to have a team of umpires on the field and in the Third Umpire’s booth all working together to ensure that they uphold the laws and make correct decisions, all working together and performing equal tasks, aided by camera angles to make the correct decisions, thus maintaining the human element whilst ensuring a higher level of umpiring accuracy. That would be a fair system for all.
Everyone loves the run out assistance from the Third Umpire because it ensures that a quantifiable decision is not made incorrectly. Now it is time for the same level of accuracy and chance to recall applies to all umpiring decisions. The technology exists right now, it can be put into place very easily (once a few minor logistical problems have been overcome), and it can ensure that humans can make more informed and accurate umpiring decisions, under less pressure and therefore less likely to make a mistake, rather than being embarrassed in front of the public (who can see when a blatant error has been made). The fact that the Third Umpire is already being used for so many decisions (run out, bump ball catches, fielders or ball touching the boundary rope, ball carrying the rope for six) should make it an easy decision to progress one step further, especially since the aforementioned methods do not change the face of cricket in any more drastic way than the initial introduction of the Third Umpire.
We are already travelling down the road of decreasing onfield umpiring responsibilities - let’s now complete the journey, quickly, safely and as affordably as possible.
© SIMON LEWIS 1998
simon@theball.co.za • www.theball.co.za
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