Radical change to the rules | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
  • IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.

Radical change to the rules

tigertough

Tiger Rookie
Dec 18, 2002
237
117
The problem with the current rules are they are too reliant on interpretation resulting in inconsistency and frustration with the umpires. Too many grey areas.

My solution is to remove the rules that require interpretation. Get rid of the rules like throwing the ball, dropping the ball, incorrect disposal, holding the ball, prior opportunity, ruck infringements, chopping the arms in a marking contest, push in the back, holding the man. We will left with a free running game where infringements would be only for rough play, head high tackles, kicking in danger, etc.

Whilst we are doing this we can rever back to deliberate out of bounds and remove the discretionary issue around insufficient intent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,521
17,873
Melbourne
Sympathetic to this idea, and a simplification of the rules is needed, but I have a fair few reservations.

Don't want to see throwing allowed, just a better adjudication of handballs.

Agree with deliberate out of bounds, still some interpretation there but much easier.

Holding the man/holding the ball has always been problematic, they need to be clearer on that as the umpires are clearly not sure where the balance is at the moment.

I don't think holding the man is that complex, just badly adjudicated, same goes for in the back - these were adjudicated for more than a century will less problems than we have now and for most of that period there was only 1 umpire watching.

DS
 

tigertim

something funny is written here
Mar 6, 2004
29,891
12,161
I watched some SANFL footy recently and forgot they play to the “last team to touch the ball before going out of bounds” is a free kick. I reckon it makes sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Tenacious

Tiger Legend
May 19, 2008
5,694
4,068
The problem with the current rules are they are too reliant on interpretation resulting in inconsistency and frustration with the umpires. Too many grey areas.

My solution is to remove the rules that require interpretation. Get rid of the rules like throwing the ball, dropping the ball, incorrect disposal, holding the ball, prior opportunity, ruck infringements, chopping the arms in a marking contest, push in the back, holding the man. We will left with a free running game where infringements would be only for rough play, head high tackles, kicking in danger, etc.

Whilst we are doing this we can rever back to deliberate out of bounds and remove the discretionary issue around insufficient intent.

Suspect it’s easier said than done - but by all means produce a draft of the new rule book and let us look at it.
 

tigerman

It's Tiger Time
Mar 17, 2003
24,150
19,618
Reward a good tackle by getting rid of prior opportunity, this will open the game up with players more inclined to kick the ball.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

T-Shirt Tommy

Have you got the oven on?
Apr 11, 2011
5,468
5,121
I watched some SANFL footy recently and forgot they play to the “last team to touch the ball before going out of bounds” is a free kick. I reckon it makes sense.
I'm relatively open to this, but what happens when there is a kick down the line and the ball hits a number of hands in a pack and goes OOB? How does the umpire decide who touched it last?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

pete and tys

Tiger Superstar
Feb 19, 2009
1,744
1,434
No last touch please.Absolutely no need what so ever.
Throw the ball in. It is part of the game and pits big on big. Requires skill set.
Keep generic athletes for track and field. Australian Rules requires a team of all sorts. It's great.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 9 users

tigertim

something funny is written here
Mar 6, 2004
29,891
12,161
I'm relatively open to this, but what happens when there is a kick down the line and the ball hits a number of hands in a pack and goes OOB? How does the umpire decide who touched it last?
If they can’t determine they throw it in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Honest John

Tiger Cub
Sep 12, 2020
140
208
With Shocking gone can we get rid of the stand rule? A petition to the AFL? Letters to channel 7 and Fox saying we're not watching footy live again? Not watching other club's games?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

gold1

Tiger Champion
Feb 24, 2008
2,809
1,129
Throwing the ball is not handball.The only interpretation an umpire needs is to read the rule book.

The holding the ball rule has ben made hugely a problem by the umpires IMO. Firstly how can any player dispose of the ball when jumped upon a bunch of opposing players ? How often do we see a tackle over the head of a player who is on the ground? This use to be a free kick every time to the ball player???????????

Shepherding use to be only allowed within 15 metres of the ball? Seems to me that needs to be looked at as well.

Deliberate out of bounds with an oval ball,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Yea sure.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,521
17,873
Melbourne
The problem with removing prior opportunity is that players are tackled so quick now. I still think prior opportunity would be far less of an issue if the player going for the ball wasn't molested while trying to get the ball, ie: before they even have it. You shouldn't be able to tackle a player until they have possession. If they enforce that rule better then prior opportunity will be easier to interpret. That said, I would keep prior opportunity.

One of the big differences these days, and I suspect a fair part of the reason for the prior opportunity rule, is the way that they tackle by holding one arm against the body. It is pretty much impossible to dispose of the ball legally when one arm is being held (although Cotchin has been good at the chuck it near the foot and hope to connect) and hence you can't really penalise a player for not disposing of the ball properly when they have no opportunity to do so. Otherwise players will not go for the ball.

The holding the man/holding the ball rule has always been one about balance. You have to balance the reward to the player who is willing to go for the ball against the player who tackles. At the moment I would say that it is too far in favour of the player tackling. More protection for the player attempting to gain possession (pay holding the man unless they have possession, you know, like the rule says!) and some protection for the player who has gained possession, ie: give them prior opportunity to dispose of the ball, then the tackler has the opportunity for a free. That said, it does p1ss me off when a player does have the ball, has had opportunity to dispose, gets tackled and drops the ball and there is no penalty - dropping the ball is not a legal disposal.

One thing is for sure - what would make everything a lot better is a clearer set of rules and interpretation which is unchanged for the whole season. The shifting of interpretation even during the same game drives everyone crazy.

DS
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Jason King

Forever the GOAT
Jul 19, 2007
6,870
2,563
Adelaide, South Australia
No last touch please.Absolutely no need what so ever.
Throw the ball in. It is part of the game and pits big on big. Requires skill set.
Keep generic athletes for track and field. Australian Rules requires a team of all sorts. It's great.
Thats why many people consider the NBA a joke now. Its got no positional specialization anymore.
 

TOT70

I'm just a suburban boy
Jul 27, 2004
9,734
3,802
Melbourne
Every sport needs traits which make it unique. Soccer has the no hands thing, Rugby League has the thuggery and Rugby Union has the pick up the fat guy at line ups thingy. Grid Iron has it’s offensive and defensive formations and lots of ads for beer and viagra. Turn on you TV and you know these things are going to happen when you watch these sports.

Footy needs its unique identifiers as well and hand ball is central to that. No other sport has the hand pass thingy.

It has to be retained. In fact, the hand pass thingy should be enshrined as a national treasure and have a monument next to Phar Lap’s remains in the National Museum of Aussie Legends.

this bloke should be there too.
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,521
17,873
Melbourne

Let's see how exactly this HTB rule will be called and it looks like Pepper's made his Salty bro a bit worried about Duckwood's antics.

Well if the AFLW is any indication they will allow players to duck, drop the ball etc with impunity.

FFS can they stop fiddling with the game, get rid of the silly changes already made, and give us football back.

DS
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

Little Ziggyadee

Tiger Legend
Dec 30, 2021
10,255
12,725
48
Hearld sun.
AFL makes new rule changes to the
'Holding the ball' & 'Wasting time' adjustments.
In both categories A Richmond player was used as the example.
Get ready for a reaming in 2022.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: 1 user