NOTES R.C.C.C. UMPIRING COMMITTEE. 25 APRIL, 2017 at 11.00AM AT OCHIL HOUSE, STIRLING

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1 NOTES R.C.C.C. UMPIRING COMMITTEE 25 APRIL, 2017 at 11.00AM AT OCHIL HOUSE, STIRLING Present Jim Cullen (R.C.C.C. Vice President), Bruce Crawford (CEO), Aline Hardie (Competition Co-ordinator), Fiona Harfield (Workforce Development Manager), Graeme Adam (Board), Anne Malcolm (Umpire), Colin Melrose (Umpire), Alan Stanfield (Umpire), Stuart Walker (Umpire), Brian Yeats (Umpire). Apologies Bill Duncan (Convenor), Clive Thomson (R.C.C.C. President), Graham Lindsay (ASC), Ann Maree Davidson (LSC). In the Convenor s absence, Jim Cullen took the Chair. Jim welcomed everyone, especially Fiona Harfield attending her first meeting since starting her new post. Minutes The minutes of the previous meeting were approved and had been posted on the website. Matters Arising The requests for timers for the Scottish Juniors and Scottish Championships had been sent out in plenty of time and met with a good response. Junior Slam events revised format and rules were being prepared for next season and will be submitted to the Competitions Committee. The line-up forms and change of line-up forms are still to be updated. The Province Championship is to be restricted in future to twenty-four teams. This will also simplify the Post Round Robin (PRR) format which will be formalised and CUs advised. Potential conflict of interest the issue involving a GU at the Scottish Championships who also coaches was resolved when the umpire decided not to accept the invitation to officiate. Certificates were sent out to umpires who had achieved a higher level. Over 90% of Umpires had returned a Code of Conduct form- the remainder will be asked to do so in time for next season. Expenses adjustments were made and all outstanding expenses were issued. The form for claiming accommodation expenses is working satisfactorily and Aline said has recently been updated. Bill had responded to the letter of complaint and the issues had now been addressed. A Register of Conflicts of Interests had been set up- no new conflicts have been recorded. Page 1 of 7

2 Review of the Season A Comprehensive Summary Document had been prepared by Anne for the meeting of the CU reports received during the whole season. It was agreed that this was a very useful format to report back to the committee and Anne was thanked by the Chairman for undertaking this task. The action points arising from the competitions in the second half of the season were: Competitions in General It was reported by a number of Chief Umpires that there were issues with late and /or inaccurate draws being sent out or put on the web site for a number of competitions. It was agreed that a better process and communication system with the relevant CU needs to be put in place for next season. All linescore apps need to be carefully checked as there were a number of errors found at some competitions. A list is required so the CU knows which competitions require a TMD, TIS or Team Meeting only. This will be added to the competition master spreadsheet at Ochil House AS At two competitions neither umpire had a compatible lap-top. It was agreed the responsibility for providing a suitable lap-top lay with the RCCC, not individual umpires. A lap top for this purpose would be sourced for next season for umpires who did not have/preferred not to use their own device. A printer is essential for most competitions. There were discipline problems at a number of junior competitions and the CU had no information regarding contacting a member of the Competition Sub-Committee. An overhaul of the Disciplinary Code has since been carried out and CUs now have a clear path to follow and know who to contact if necessary. Under 21 Slams The format and rules for slams varies from rink to rink and need to be made more consistent before next season. Wheelchair Competitions There is no improvement in the confusion over the ownership and responsibilities of wheelchair competitions. This is resulting in poor draws and umpires struggling to run events properly. It was felt that wheelchair curlers deserve better than this. This needs to be addressed for next season. BC/ The ratio of umpires to on ice assistants also needs to be considered. Competition Specific: Junior Qualifier The length of pre-game practice needs to be reviewed. Junior Championships More time is required in the schedule for the Team Meetings. Thirty minutes is the norm at a major championship, although usually lasts only minutes. It is felt important this time should be built in especially for juniors and their coaches who are often less experienced at championship level. Page 2 of 7

3 Scottish Championships Plan to have timers located in the lounge was changed to leave room for TV. This was a bad decision as the expensive cables installed by Dewar s weren t used and the space where timers would have been located in the lounge remained unused. It was agreed to write to Dewars regarding this issue. BC A problem with the linescore app was resolved during the competition. An error was made when recording the hammer on the scoreboard, leading to the wrong team in one game being awarded LSFE. It was agreed that the correct decision was made when dealing with the resulting situation. Umpires have been reminded of the importance of careful recording. TV intervened in the final games with request for extensions to the one minute breaks. No prior warning was given. All alterations to the normal timing should be pre-arranged with the CU and Competition Co-ordinator. Bruce to advise BBC. CU /CC & BC Umpires were seconded to TV to help with stone spotting without the knowledge or consent of the CUs. This compromised the rota and put the umpires in a potentially difficult situation. It was agreed this should not be allowed to happen in the future. CU / BC Scottish Schools Championship CU was concerned about photographs being taken of teams. All junior players complete a form agreeing to photos. Photographers should ask permission from the CU before proceeding. This will be highlighted at the Refresher Day. AS Mixed Championship- Teams were not in uniform and claimed they had been told it was not necessary. Recommendation to the Competition Committee is that this requirement is removed from the rule book as it is not enforceable. Newcomers The competition ran well with little or no input from the umpires. It is recommended that umpires are not required to be allocated to this competition. Junior Mixed Doubles Formal rules are required for this competition. It was suggested that six sheets being used instead of eight would give more time between games Jim asked if Bruce and Aline feel that competitions / umpires are under resourced. Bruce replied that this has been a difficult year for the staff and it is hoped that next year will see an improvement. He also confirmed that the financial costs of covering the extra junior competitions should be covered. Game Timing Database of timers: Brian provided a list of volunteer timers (who are not also umpires) many are based in Aberdeen. This information will be held at Ochil House and used in requests for timers at various competitions in future. BY/FH Brian reported that the timers prefer to use to respond to requests rather than online surveys. The timing equipment has now been returned to the store along with one set of measures. The whereabouts of the second set of measures Page 3 of 7

4 needs to be resolved. The two sets of cable, missing since the beginning of the season, also need to be found. There is also some equipment, including a storage box, still in the cupboard at Perth. It was agreed that the policy regarding the use of equipment needs to be strictly adhered to. /BC Transport of equipment Bruce, having read Bill s paper, agreed that the person responsible/method of transport to be used for each competition would be added to the master competition spreadsheet in the office. A calendar will be available for all staff to consult. /BC Development and Training Umpiring Development Programme (UDP): Update of Levels The following umpires have met the criteria to move to the next level. Level 1 David Henderson Level 2 Harry McPherson, Senga Hair, Kay Gibb, Ian Young, Jim Stewart, Shelagh Fulton, Graeme Prophet. Level 3 James Hustler. Level 4 Kaye Paterson. Level 5 Colin Melrose. Certificates will be issued to these umpires. FH CU Feedback This year a further two umpires accepted the offer of feedback included a Level 2 CU, which was felt to be very helpful by both umpires. Consideration will have to be given to how to extend and resource the programme. Courses An Advanced Course was run in March with suitably qualified participants being invited to attend. Ten attended and the course was well received. No introductory course was held but a timing course was run prior to the Europeans at Braehead. An introductory course is planned for next season. AS/CM Fiona asked if International Competitions, such as the WJCC 2018 in Aberdeen can be used as a platform for recruitment of officials. It was agreed to give this consideration. Refresher Day The Refresher Day will be held on 17 th September at LIR. The organising committee will consist of Alan, Fiona, David Imlay, Linsey Alison and Robin Turner. A sub-committee meeting is planned for next month. Page 4 of 7

5 Laser LSD Measures Alan expressed his thanks to Harold Forrester for his input in the process and the development of the laser measures as well as an operating manual. The manual will be available on the website and a copy also kept with each measure Although the laser is the best instrument now for measuring LSDs, research has shown that micrometers can differentiate to less than 1 millimetre so are best when two (or more) stones are being compared for shot stone. Future Developments The umpiring resource pack and the umpiring section of the website are still work in progress. Application of how best to utilise the Competencies Document for CU and CT is currently being considered. Umpire accommodation booking it is felt that money could be saved by forward planning and block booking accommodation for umpires but that this would have to be carefully controlled. BC//FH/AS Meeting with National Coaches Alan reported that a meeting had been held mid-season which he, Anne and Bill had attended on behalf of the umpires. The main topics discussed were: The need to revise the Disciplinary Guidelines (since actioned) Ways to increase umpire experience at international level competitions Competition rules regarding attendance at team meetings, substitute rules for mixed doubles and review of Under 21 Slam rules Proposed Mixed Doubles Tournament in June 2018 as part of the selection process for the Winter Olympics [now cancelled due to GBR not qualifying]. Updated Disciplinary Guidelines The revised guidelines had addressed the process of a player being removed from play for disciplinary reasons. However, it was agreed there was still a need to have a sub-committee available in case further action was required. This is currently being finalised. BC/ WCF Update Brush head inspection procedure the WCF are considering how best to deal with the procedures necessary to ensure that compliant brush heads are being used in competition. One issue is that of securing retained heads for further analysis and John McGowan is advising the WCF on this subject. It is anticipated that the RCCC will follow the WCF procedures when they are finalised. Low on Time with time clocks - a new procedure is being trialled at some WCF competitions. Harold Forrester has been involved in its development and once finalised will be used next season at RCCC competitions where time clocks are in operation. Page 5 of 7

6 Bruce reported on the proposals currently being considered to increase the number of teams at the WMCC and WWCC. He will advise outcome of decisions taken at the WCF Congress in September BC Online Umpire Feedback Aline had collated responses relevant to umpiring from the questionnaires received and would send a copy to Alan for review and to identify any learning issues for the Refresher Day. /AS Competitions 2017/18 Update: Aline reported there would be no European Playdowns but there would be a play off in early March 2018 between the teams going to the Olympics and the teams winning the Scottish Championships for the right to go to the 2018 WMCC and WWCC. It was noted that there are currently not enough timing laptops to cover this competition and the World Juniors which will be running in Aberdeen at the same time. It was noted the clash again of the Under 21 Slam at Greenacres and the Umpiring Refresher Day. Aline indicated the date of the Slam was being re-considered at present. IT Competition Support: Other than having meetings in the middle of last year with Alan Stephen to try and quantify the role, no progress had been made in identifying future support and a successor. It was agreed this was a high priority and Bruce suggested a couple of options which would be explored further. BC//FH A full list of all the 2017/18 competitions will be available in the week beginning 1 st May. Umpiring Committee 2017/18 Convenor: It was very unfortunate that after 6 years on the committee, two as ex-officio and the last four as Convenor that Bill had at the last minute been unable to attend his final meeting before completion of his term of office. Tribute was paid to the time and leadership he had given. The workload of the committee had expanded considerably in the past few years and it was due in no small part to his stewardship that umpiring in the RCCC was in a very healthy state. It was agreed to ask the RCCC President to write to Bill thanking him for all his work. JC The Committee asked Bruce to recommend to the Board that Graham Lindsay be appointed Convenor for 2017/18. BC Brian Yeats had completed his four year term as an umpire member of the committee and was eligible for a second term. Brian indicated he would be in a position to decide whether to accept by the time of the AGM in June. BY/GL A.O.C.B. Page 6 of 7

7 Alan read out an , on behalf of the Convenor, from Christine Shaw who wished to advise the Committee of her retirement from umpiring. Alan summarised the huge contribution she had made to not just umpiring within the RCCC but also for the WCF, which included officiating at two Olympic Winter Games (one as DCU) as well as the Perth Masters and more recently the Perth Ladies Invitational. It was agreed that the RCCC President would be asked to write a letter to Christine expressing the thanks of the RCCC for all she has done for the sport over many years. JC Alan will update the umpire database with the new levels awarded and forward to Aline and Fiona. AS Date of Next Meeting To be advised after discussion with the incoming Convenor. The meeting closed at 2.20pm with a vote of thanks to the Chair. Page 7 of 7