This comes after local umpires experienced the system in the North Eastern Football League during an exchange of personnel.

Veteran field umpire Steve Clark said he had officiated at an NEFL match between BSR and Min-Man at Redhill.

He said a system of red and yellow cards, similar to that used in soccer, had been adopted in that league.

“Players who repeatedly abuse umpires can be sent off and put in a ‘sin bin’,” he said.

“It might be something that the league could look at here.

“When it was first mooted five years ago, I was not in favor of it, but I am now swinging around to it.

“There was minimal abuse of umpires by players during the match that I was involved with.”

Clark is chairman of the Port Pirie Football League Umpires Association and has umpired for 15 years. Apart from the behavior of players, comments from the crowd rarely bother him.

“I am not aware of 80 percent of it when I am out on the field,” he said.

“When you are on the sidelines watching the game, you become more aware of it than when you are actually umpiring.”

The association has had a good year with recruiting personnel, although it needs more goal umpires.

The youngest official is William Carter, who is 12, and the oldest is field umpire Peter Flower, 64. “Support has been all right and it is good that we have got a couple of girls involved as well,” Clark said.

“At the start of the year, we didn’t know how we would fare, but we recruited quite a few so that was good.”

Clark said umpiring kept him fit and provided an alternative to work.

“I find it relaxing most times. Sometimes you get a bit stirred up with what happens on the field,” he said.

“It is a good way to keep involved with football.”