Umpiring injuries

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[mosley59]

Thought I'd start a thread here to see what the worst thing that's happened to you (or someone you know) while umpiring, or as a result of umpiring is. Hopefully some of you long-timers will have some juicy stories.

So far the worst thing that's happened to me while umpiring was either getting a full-speed cross to the shin from about 4m away from a U19 NZ rep in a school game last season (attack into the circle, player on the post right in front of me missed the ball completely, and I didn't have time to get my leg out of the way - I limped for a good couple of days after that), or possibly my diagnosis of stress fractures in my shin this season (still waiting on an X-Ray to confirm though). I've also witnessed a shoulder dislocation, broken thumb, two gashes to the face, and a lost tooth, all in the space of one season in games that I was umpiring. Our association also had a guy dislocate his hip last season after slipping on our lethal sand turf, which has fortunately since been replaced.

So come on guys, share your tales of gore and woe!

[dodgeyumpires]

Simon Taylor has copped a speeding ball deflected from a goalie off a PC Drag flick, right in his goolies!!! Poor guy seemed to hang a little wider and shallower after that for the rest of the game... ouch.

Me? Nothing while umpiring. Almost took a Simon Child reverse shot to the head... but missed by about six inches. Other than that? not even a pulled muscle while umpiring. Playing on the other hand... thats a different story

[Diligent]

I've been fairly lucky, but one from January was pretty similar to Mosley's.

U-17 schoolboy right wing gets the ball to the back line just inside the circle and aims across the goal. I'm in the perfect position, between the 5m and 10m PC marks, for his slice to slam into my thigh.

The bruise was the classic target: red in the middle, then white, then blue, then white again fading into shades of yellow and green - all-in-all a good 13cm across. Although it doesn't hurt any more, the area still feels tender some 5 months later.

[Gilly]

The best I can offer is an Achilles tendon rupture in an English National League relegation decider - needless to say I didn't complete that game... or any other for 12 months.

[mosley59]

Ouch, Gilly takes the lead there.

Dodgey, who's Simon Taylor? Don't think I know the name.

[jtsoldier]

The New Zealand chap that takes on the odd international game.. hails from somewhere up north.
I'd say you know the name... he umpired the only game of the Indian series (I think that was in March...) that I managed to watch.

Been fortunate enough to miss injuries while umpiring. Close calls, nothing else.
Players injured while I was umpiring?
Only been doing it a month or so... a year 7 kid managed to have a ball come down and bounce on his head, but he had a lot of hair and didn't even look stunned. Was quite miraculous actually, he just sorta spun around looking for the ball. I don't even think he felt it to be honest.. other umpire stopped time and asked (waaayyy across other side of turf), I never thought to ask for myself later...
Had one get a fairly substantial lump on their head develop after a stick to the head. No idea how it happened, I saw nothing, which is terrible given that it had to be right in front of me. To add insult to injury, I then gave a PC in his defending circle, spun around and saw him holding his head.. within the rules, I take him off, but can't bring anyone on.. *sigh*

[BlackCat]

I've had a couple that were both embarassing and painful/ackward:

1.  Called a PC, was walking backward to set my position.  The ball had gone off the end line on my side and was hit back into the pitch.  Whoever hit it sent it to the middle of the circle, not behind the goal to the injection spot and in doing so, right into my path.  Of course I didn't see it, walking backwards... stepped on it and fell flat on my back.  It was on an old sand based turf, it was very cold and I hit my back and head very hard.  I couldn't finish the game, was on concussion watch for 24 hours.

2.  Coming down the sideline, bench side, focusing on the play intently.  A play holds out a substitution card just as I turned around to face down field, the card hit me square in the face.  Didn't really hurt but totally threw me off for a while.  Another time, same place, a player dropped her sub card right in front of me.  I stepped on it and surfed a few feet before recovering.  That one could have been really bad.  I was very unhappy with the tech table for not managing the benches and subs better - also, there is a ridiculously small amount of space there.  I've been a lot more cautious since then.

3.  Deflection of a post save got me in the sensitive area.  Still managed to make the call as I fell down though.  Men's game, female umpire... they weren't really sure what to do.  It was kind of funny in the end but damn, it hurt!

These things tend to happen to me though.  Such is my lot in life.   

[keely]

I'm lucky. The worst I've done is had my pelvis rotate out of place while running down the sideline and looking over my shoulder during a university match. Limped through the remainder of the match and had to drive home for 3 hours in a decent amount of pain, but a few chiropractic appointments later I was fine.

My injuries almost always come from training, i.e. weights or just doing everyday things like walking down the stairs.

BC - maybe if you change your sign-in name you'd have some better luck.

[justin]

Black cats are regarded as harbingers of GOOD luck (if they 'cross your path'!) in England, but BCs are generally regarded as BAD luck here in Spain, I'm told....where TUESDAY the 13th is the unlucky day

I just think it's superstitious tosh (Touch Wood)

[Gilly]

BC - maybe if you change your sign-in name you'd have some better luck.

Chuckle!

[Alexei]

One national league match last year, an attempted cross from the left wing somehow took a slight deflection and floated harmlessly away from the far post. I was so confident the ball would go out and got ready to signal a 15 m hit when a right winger out of nowhere came and had a swing at the ball. He missed the ball BUT not my left thigh.  It felt nothing for the next 30 second when I let the game continued (the ball did go out for a 15 m)

Then, stopped time and went to the bench to get treatment. The full house in general mostly assumed I had cramps. Some whistles too, seeing me pulling my pants for treatment  Somehow the spray worked wonders & I managed to continue the game. Woke up the next day to find a nice hooked shaped bruise 

The next week, umpiring a local league match, an attempted "shot at goal" somehow avoided everybody inside the circle BUT my right thigh. There we go then, hockey stick bruise on my left, ball bruise on my right. What a perfect week. 

[dodgeyumpires]

Simon Taylor, depending on who you ask, is NZ's current top male umpire. He has just been appointed to champions trophy, his second I think. Yet to get a world cup or Olympics, but is on the FIH World Development panel, to be upgraded onto the World Panel umpires list. Aj will be able to tell you his stats better than me. Was appointed to Junior World cup but couldnt make it because of work, Nigel Iggo got the call up... The odd international game... something like that eh 
He umpired two that I know of, I think Devendra Patel umpired the other two in Wellington. He may have umpired all four though.

Ask Currie, she knows who he is : )   
He is almost Gribbs love child!

[Ballingdon]

Saw a senior colleague umpiring a veterans match in Oxford, decided that he needed to get rather close in on the post at a PC and promptly received a good flick to the left temple.  Still managed to stand up though.

Personally, i have taken a flyer after some idiot added a kit bag  right on the side of the pitch close to halfway, in the middle of the match. Yep, ran sideways , and turning into and over it, flat on face. Main injury - pride! No one owned up to it.

[mosley59]

I love people who stick stuff on the sideline. We have rather small sidelines on our pitch, and the dugouts are on the pitch, so we're constantly having to dodge coaches while we run. You'd think they'd get the idea when an umpire runs past them so close their clothes brush the coach and swearing audibly about coaches, but they still seem unable to get the idea. 

[keely]

I generally waltz up beside those coaches, put a hand on their arm or something and whisper in their ear:

"If I can do this - you're in my space."

Good for a laugh, anyway.