Hands in the Back rule, ditch it or keep it?

[Bomber Man]

My views on this are obvious (ditch it), but I'm often surprised at the number of supporters of the Hands in the Back rule.

Most often players, coaches, commentators and press have been against it, thought I'd see how it stacks up in a poll.

[Porps_is_HOT_loz]

To tell you the truth I dont really mind this rule I think they just need to be not so harsh on it..
Some calls they make are ridiculous though...
I polled keep it

[Bryceson]

ditch

[BigWardy12]

ditch it. it should actually have to be a push

[FOOOOTY]

I like football not netball,

so im voting ditch.

[Bomber Man]

To tell you the truth I dont really mind this rule I think they just need to be not so harsh on it..
Some calls they make are ridiculous though...
I polled keep itThat's actually the point of the rule though. It was introduced to give a purely objective ruling, which means they can't judge it less harshly - it must remain 100% objective. So if a hand is placed on another player's back the whistle is blown and free awarded (although why this only happens to forwards and backs I'm not quite sure...).

My point is the umpires should be making a subjective decision on whether a player's position in a contest was impacted, awarding "Push in the Back" whether by hand, forearm, shoulder, whatever... My view is award against a push in the back affecting the opponent's position in the contest.

[Blues_Man]

Keep it ...why change a rule that has been around for many a year just because the umpires forgot how to enforce it .

Keep the rule and educate the umpires a little better

[scooter600x]

It's impossible to enforce properly. It probably happens 20 times a game and gets picked up three times.

My biggest gripe with this and the hitting the arms rule is that it's rendering defenders impotent. Any defender who's shorter than his opponent is in big trouble. Bruce Doull and Francis Bourke would never have been able to play CHB or FB today, they simply would have been umpired out of it.

[Butane]

SOS wouldn't have even been able to get a game for Carlton let alone be fullback of the century with this rule.

[Blues_Man]

SOS wouldn't have even been able to get a game for Carlton let alone be fullback of the century with this rule.

Chris Grant wouldn't have played in a premiership side with this rule ....oh wait :o

[carmi99]

The rule doesn't worry me at all.

Most players adapted to it except for a few players such as Rocca, Richardson etc.

[The_Young_Gun]

I don't really know, we can't ditch it because the AFL doesn't want to change it back which is descrace-full.

But it should definitly be downgraded. So that you can put your hands on the opponents back but you can't take the player out of the contest by pushing him out, but then you should be able to push them but without taking them fully out of the contest which would still give the defender a chance of spoiling.

Obviously there will be a no change for the rule in the future which is disapointing unless we have a new rules commitee placed in which won't happen for a lifetime and by then the game will be lost with new rule changes which really kills me inside because the real soul of the game will be lost by then and the game will turn into a business with demanding share holders, aahhh .

[Rockford]

I have to vote keep it by default, as I want a moratorium on any more rule changes.

[Astro_]

Chris Grant wouldn't have played in a premiership side with this rule ....oh wait :o

Gee dont take it personal Blues_Man

[Bomber Man]

Keep it ...why change a rule that has been around for many a year just because the umpires forgot how to enforce it .

Keep the rule and educate the umpires a little betterThe rule that always existed was push in the back. The Hands in the Back "interpretation" was brought in last year to give umpires an objective ruling point - if a hand is placed on an opponents back it is a free kick.

A push is a push and doesn't have to happen by a hand, it can be a forearm, hip, shoulder or body pushing in the back and forcing an opponent out of the contest. Resting a hand on a players back while making position or keeping touch does not and never did constitute a push as per the new "interpretation".

[BABYBOMBERS2007]

Ditch it. More contact the better.

[Bomber Man]

42 - 9 in favour of ditching... and at least 1 a default due to wanting no more changes. Pretty big margin.