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[forester123]

I play at a standard where most of the time we all take in turn to umpire (10 overs each). I absolutely hate umpiring. My team is a very social team and we are all mates but we are very competitive (2 promotiona in 2 seasons). The last thing i want to do is give one of my mates out. there has been a couple of occasions where if i were a neutral umpire i would be more temted to give it out. There was an occasion last season when we had to score 20 runs with 1 wicket left. I was umpire. every time it hit the pads, all their players were appealing. There were some very close calls, but i couldnt give my mate out and that meant us losing the game? We won the game and i still feel my decisions might have been biased but they were not PLUM lbw. But i dont want to be in those positions, i want to play not officiate.
I would happily pay extra tea money each week if it meant us having umpires. I open the batting and i have had a very good season and luckily havent had to umpire too many times.
With my succesful season i am tempted to move to a higher division and the silver lining would not having to umpire. The only problem is moving clubs is that i have some good friends at my club and i do enjoy playing there.
What does everyone think? I know i just have to get on with it but that is just the way i feel.

[Colesy]

I hate umpiring but if I believe something is out I'd still give it. The only time I haven't given a plum LBW is when we had 5 wickets left and needed 2 runs and I couldn't be bothered to wait for a new batsman to come in. Some horrendous LBWs are given at club level and I try not to given anything unless I'm absolutely certain it's out.

[wilkie113]

Do the scoring instead of umpiring best way!!

In all fairness we have club umpires normally in our league and those are from the teams and not neutral. You'll always get umpires who are 'biased' shall we put it politely, towards the team that they umpire for. Unless you have completely neutral league umpires.

Nothing worse than getting triggered when you get hit on he thigh pad, or when you get a huge inside edge

[PedalsMcgrew]

I take pride on giving out my friends! They deserve it for batting higher up the order than me....the more I give out the more chance I get of having a bat! 

[joeylough]

I know what you mean, there is always one umpire who doesn't give anything and its because the batsman is his mate.

But I played one game where the umpire is one of the under 18s from the oppositions club and we seemed to get every close call and they got nothing.

To be fair though our bowling that day was on form and the only controversial one was the opposing captains LBW. It was plum but he moved his leg out of line after being hit, moaned a bit then walked off.

[Dan W]

I genuinely don't have time to think! I just do it instinctively - though my judgement (and hearing) is terrible apparently!

[SOULMAN1012]

I actually dont mind a bit of umpiring espically when a few of out better colts juniors are batting as it gives me an opportunity to watch what we have tried to coach over the winter or nets etc.  I also enjoy doing my part on a sunday.

Luckily the standard i play we have panel umpires on a saturday so don't really get to many dodgy decisions, actually hardly get any as the umpires are all normally senior in age and a lot used to be batsmen so never think a LBW is out.

On a sunday i wouldn't say i enjoy giving a mate out but i would hate it far more if i knew i had cheated another player or team out of a wicket. I think a lot of the time you know instinctly if its out or not and you just have to give it if you have to.

I also like staying silent to the big gobby opening bowler when they appeal for the most stupid of appeals and they look at you like you must be blind to have not given it out even though it would have missed a third leg stump lol

[Jenko]

I gave two lbws against team mates on the weekend. Sure they were pissed off at me, but I it's out it's out....team mates or not. Nothing worse than playing a team who will never give their own players out, just gives the entire team a really bad name

[tommo256]

If I think it's out, I will give it out

[tushar sehgal]

If i think its out then I do give it out...I try to be fair as I know one of these days I could be the bowler or batsman....only time i dont give someone out is if I can't see it, i.e. the bowler has run directly in front of me, which i usually warn the bowler and let him know that he is running on the pitch...

[Dan W]

I couldn't think of anything worse than approaching umpiring with any favouritism. It just goes against everything I play the game for!

[joeylough]

It just goes against everything I play the game for!

I agree with this. I also play the game for a good laugh and trying to hit that dam piece of leather as hard as I can, but it always goes on the edges and into the keepers hands.

My team mates always give me out and dam right they should as I was walking anyways.

But lucky for me, ive not been around long enough for an LBW.

[ammo]

If its out its out.. simple

[ajmw89]

If it's out, i'll give it.
*confession time* i have given a mate not out once before when he was on 49 as he'd never scored a 50. It was taking out middle and leg. I knew how much it would mean to him so i couldn't bring myself to do it. Especially as we only needed 2 runs to win and had 6 wickets in hand

[Byo]

If its out you have to give it - by not giving decisions when you think they are out is basically cheating, and that is not the way to play the game...