Swans Confused by Tackling Rule

[Big Al]

When I played and was an umpire for a time I was taught the one principle about our great game that should be timeless. The player who is going for the ball should be protected. We have the ridiculous situation now that players who secure possession being penalised for doing so.

The Jack free kick last game incensed me because he was the only player who wanted the ball, put his body on the line to get it and was then penalised. We've lost the plot as a game if players who are second to the ball get free kicks.

Watch the last 5 min of the Demons/Pies match. It was brilliantly umpired. They let the play go and let the players play footy. They could have pulled out technical frees all over the place but chose to let the play go. More power to them I say.

[laughingnome]

When I played and was an umpire for a time I was taught the one principle about our great game that should be timeless. The player who is going for the ball should be protected. We have the ridiculous situation now that players who secure possession being penalised for doing so.

The Jack free kick last game incensed me because he was the only player who wanted the ball, put his body on the line to get it and was then penalised. We've lost the plot as a game if players who are second to the ball get free kicks.

Hear, hear.

"Go for the ball, the umpire will protect you" is probably the most repeated phrase by junior coaches. Now a player gets the ball and the second man falls on his back and wins the free for holding the ball. Some players are making a mint out of looking as if they are going for the ball when their intention is to only draw the free for HTB.

[Dalai Lama]

The Mummy will wrap up another one next week....?

[Jewels]

Watch the last 5 min of the Demons/Pies match. It was brilliantly umpired. They let the play go and let the players play footy. They could have pulled out technical frees all over the place but chose to let the play go. More power to them I say.

Yes, you are sooooo right.
I thought the whole game was pretty well umpired but the last 5 - 10 mins was extremely good and should be the yard stick for all umps.

[Jesse Richards]

I'm not saying a one umpire solution is the way to go. One umpire is bad. Very bad. But at least he'll be consistant.

Not if he gets a phone call from Andy Dim at half time...

[Mr Magoo]

Yes, you are sooooo right.
I thought the whole game was pretty well umpired but the last 5 - 10 mins was extremely good and should be the yard stick for all umps.

The stupidity of it all is that when you get to finals and especially the GF , the umpires mostly put the whistle away. Why dont they do this all year round in every game.

The rules on tackling and holding the ball seem to vary from week to week, team to team and even player to player. If the AFL thinks they are going to attract western sydney rugby league fans to a game that doesnt reward the brave and seems to constantly penalise every minor indescrection then they really dont know the market they are trying to woe and if players cant understand what the rules are try explaining it to a possible convert " yeah if you go and pick the ball up you will be penailsed if you dont then handlball. Yeah I know he couldnt handball as he was tackled as soon as he got it but he didnt make an effort to get rid of it, yeah i know he couldnt because he had three guys hanging of him as soon as he picked it up but hes not suppoed to take it to ground. yeah I know he had no choice as those three guys forced him down but he should have released the ball, Yeah I know that they are supposed to hand ball it but in that particular situation they can release it without handballing as long as they dont throw it out. yeah I know he did release it but it was held to him by one of the tacklers but ......".

[Jewels]

The stupidity of it all is that when you get to finals and especially the GF , the umpires mostly put the whistle away. Why dont they do this all year round in every game.

The rules on tackling and holding the ball seem to vary from week to week, team to team and even player to player. If the AFL thinks they are going to attract western sydney rugby league fans to a game that doesnt reward the brave and seems to constantly penalise every minor indescrection then they really dont know the market they are trying to woe and if players cant understand what the rules are try explaining it to a possible convert " yeah if you go and pick the ball up you will be penailsed if you dont then handlball. Yeah I know he couldnt handball as he was tackled as soon as he got it but he didnt make an effort to get rid of it, yeah i know he couldnt because he had three guys hanging of him as soon as he picked it up but hes not suppoed to take it to ground. yeah I know he had no choice as those three guys forced him down but he should have released the ball, Yeah I know that they are supposed to hand ball it but in that particular situation they can release it without handballing as long as they dont throw it out. yeah I know he did release it but it was held to him by one of the tacklers but ......".

A brilliant description of the absurdity of it all....

[Jesse Richards]

A brilliant description of the absurdity of it all....

And if all else fails, bang your head onto a stationary opponent's body and you'll get the free, unless you are a Swan, in which case you need to be psychic to know what the umpires will or won't pay. Or maybe it's another form of gambling - bet on how the umpires will decide...