Every year the douche-bags at the AFL fiddle with the rules which makes the game harder for the umpires to officiate and this year is no different. Last year the NAB introduced the new rushed behind rule which was brought into the new regular season.
NAB Rule #1 Boundary Umpires can pay a free kick for holding at ball throw ins
To me the biggest mistake of this years rules is that the umpire can give a free kick to a player who pulls the ball under someone to ‘milk a free kick’ for holding the ball.
However first lets list the new rules and then I will give my opinion on the changes and then you can:
- Boundary umpires will be able to award free kicks for holding at stoppages.
- Players will now decide whether to use the advantage rule.
- A player who tries to force the ball under an opponent at a stoppage can be penalised for holding the ball.
- The no-go zone behind an umpire now applies at all ball ups around the ground.
and these two rules have been scrapped (which is a good thing):
- Removed the trial rule which meant players were not awarded a mark for a kick backwards.
- Reverted to the home-and-away rule which requires a kick to travel 15 metres for a legal mark.
My thoughts on these 6 changes for this years NAB
- I like the idea in theory but can the boundary umpires see enough as they have their back to the play when throwing the ball back in?
- Again good in theory but will this bring incidents where players milk for 50m penalties when they look to play on. Can the opposition player tackle them or hold them?
- Rubbish, as its brings in another gray area for the umpire to decide on and now the player on the bottom will drag the ball in to try and get a free kick.
- I have said for ages, its about the players and not the umpires, umpires you get out of their way!
- Silly rule.
- Same as above, a silly rule and about time they scrap it.
Your thoughts on the 6 NAB changes
Please give us your thoughts on the NAB changes and tell us what you like, dislike and if any of these rules should be introduced in the regular season. Or if you have a rule you would like to be introduced or tested, what is it?
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February 9th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Hardly an ‘explanation’, but anyway. . .
Regarding boundary umpires paying free kicks, Anderson’s announcement doesn’t make any mention of boundary throw-ins — it mentions ’stoppages’. So your concern at the boundary umpires having their backs to the play isn’t relevent for many of the occasions when this rule may come into effect.
I’m not sure that we’re not going to get even more tiggy-touchwood frees paid where the crowd at the game won’t have a bleeding clue what’s going on. Not totally happy with this.
The advantage rule is pretty simple. If the player goes, it’s Advantage. Once they go, they’re fair game. The issue will be players who are already running forward — how much leeway will defenders have to stop them? Will one step toward goal constitute “going”? I guess we’ll find out on Friday when the Bombers kick some Weagle arse!
I like the third one. About time this was tried. Every week we see players free kicked for holding the ball where the ball has been held in by an opponent. The umpires’ explanation that the player “didn’t make an effort to get rid of it” has always been nonsense.
I agree with your comments on the fourth, fifth and sixth.
aussierulesblog´s last blog ..The rush to report
February 10th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Ok thanks for pointing that out AussieRules about the boundary umpires playing free kicks at stoppages (that would include the Throw Ins though, as the ball and time stops).
In regards to the third rule where players are penalised for tucking the ball under another player. Would it not just be easier to get rid of the ‘touchy’ free kicks for holding the ball? Why bring in another rule to match the initial silly rule. Two wrongs don’t make a right!
February 10th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
OK, I’ll bite. How are we going to do that?
aussierulesblog´s last blog ..The rush to report
February 10th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
The initial rule was brought in to keep the game “flowing” right? Just get rid of the rule that says if you drag the ball in at a pack, your penalised. I do not know one fan who likes the rule as your punishing the person making the ball his focus unlike the taggers who hold the man and sweet for him to touch it in the packs.
btw just for the record AussieRulesBlog, I like our arguments/ discussions
February 11th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Nothing like an exchange of viewpoints! It helps us all to think more deeply about the issues.
Sorry to be pedantic (again!), but it’s an interpretation you’re talking about rather than a rule, I think. The problem we have is that coaches and their assistants are pretty adept at identifying opportunities in the laws of the game, as they’re interpreted from time to time, which can be exploited to their teams’ advantage. If we were to return to a 1980s or 1990s interpretation of Holding the Ball, which is what you’re suggesting I think, there’d be a return to stodgy, defensive football.
aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Tinkering with laws of the game a mixed blessing
February 11th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Sorry AussieRulesBlog but I disagree that the 1980s or 1990s interpretation of holding the ball will bring back the stodgy defensive football back. In fact it will make the game less confusing and easier to understand and watch.
The problem is that you have complicated the rule and with this new rule, you are complicating the number of rules and what can happen with a huge number of players in a tight amount of space. Adding rules only makes the game/ situation more complicated which leads to confusion and anger of the players, coaches and the fans….