Throwing the Ball

[rockhole]

I had the misfortune to hear the Geisch on the radio this morning waffling on about the holding the ball/prior opportunity rules and almost drove off the road when he cited the paragraphs highlighted below.

It now appears that what used to be illegal disposal, i.e. the several instances during the West Coast game, were legit in that the one handed throws were deemed to be an attempt to handball under pressure or the player in possession was swung off balance. I was staggered to read this as once again, the tackler is victimised for in these cases applying a perfect tackle where in the past, he would have been reward for a great tackle and an illegal disposal.

15.2.4 Application — Specific Instances where Play
shall Continue
For the avoidance of doubt, the field Umpire shall allow play to
continue when:
(a) a Player is bumped and the football falls from the
Player’s hands;
(b) a Player’s arm is knocked which causes the Player to
lose possession of the football;
(c) a Player’s arms are pinned to their side by an opponent
which causes the Player to drop the football, unless the
Player has had a prior opportunity to Correctly Dispose of
the football, in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply;
(d) a Player, whilst in the act of Kicking or Handballing, is
swung off-balance and does not make contact with the
football by either foot or hand, unless the Player has had
a prior opportunity to Correctly Dispose of the football,
in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply; or
(e) a Player is pulled or swung by one arm which causes
the football to fall from the Player’s hands, unless the
Player has had a prior opportunity to Correctly Dispose
of the football, in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply.

15.2.3 H olding the Football — Prior Opportunity/No
Prior Opportunity
Where the field Umpire is satisfied that a Player in possession
of the football:
(a) has had a prior opportunity to dispose of the football, the
field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against that Player if the
Player does not Kick or Handball the football

I am now totally confused regarding the application of these laws as you can now drive a bus through them.

Am I missing something here??

[tonysoprano]

No rocky - you are not missing anything - Geish is a f****** idiot. As is Bartlet, Demetriou, Anderson, members of the MRP and anyone else involved in the administration of the game.

[Jazz_84]

FMD this game is losing it's marbles.......

they are going to give the players an option to tackle or a simple hard hit given tackles don't need to be rewarded anymore, if it was me id prefer to put a player in their ass with a bump instead of a tackle and it seems the AFL are ok with that also

[swoodley]

I think these are the "Judd Variations"

[BenDoolan]

The lunatics have taken over the asylum.

[j-mac31]

I didn't realise that;s what the rules said, but I still don't think prior opportunity should come into it if you drop the ball. It's concurrent opportunity, if anything.

[boncer34]

Nearly smashed the new TV when they pinged one of our blokes for "incorrect" disposal on Friday night after a red hot tackle.

f****** c****.

[robrulz5]

Jameson just dropped the ball as soon as he felt contact, surely it should have been incorrect disposal!

[rockhole]

....and now we find that blokes are getting reported for what we previously would have called great tackles.

I despair at what I see as the emasculation of our great game

The AFL will not be happy until the game becomes a non contact sport played with a round ball.

[Brumaz]

unfortunately just another reason why this game will remain amateur in the eyes of the world. The rules, and the week in week out interpretation of the rules, are all over the shop. Add to that the childish tv/radio commentating compared to other sports.