Change of interpretation re: Head high tackles

[ManWithNoName]

Inb4 complete and utter farce

 

[Power Raid]

I don't mind players not getting a free for leading with the head and would prefer a free against them

 

[I Lost My Keays]

lindsay thomas dislikes this

 

[pjcrows]

Great. More s**t for them to get wrong.

 

[Hawkers]

Just don't give them a free kick - that's all it takes
And stop giving a free to those that raise their arm to create high contact as well.

The AFL has gone and made something simple into a complicated farce

 

[Registered User]

it was just mentioned on 3aw that the rule has been altered so that if a player with the ball leads into a tackler with their head they will be pinged because the "head-driving" act will be deemed as their prior opportunity. So the tackler is much more likely to get the free, obviously

 

[maelcoluim]

It makes sense that players who drive with the head get done for holding the ball, there usually looking for a free kick rather than getting the ball out.

 

[ManOfClay]

Just singled out Lindsay Thomas on talking footy

 

[sedders]

Just singled out Lindsay Thomas on talking footy

poor Lindsay. I wonder if they will also use this against players who bend their knees lowering their whole body, or lean into the tackle or use the arm lifting technique to draw the high contact

 

[pjcrows]

Just don't pay the free. So now it's a free AGAINST? They will botch that up completely.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Great. Bout time.

Saw a Richmond player do the old lead into tackle lift arm twice on the weekend.

Chappy did it last week too after Christensen tried it a handful of times.

Rule will be a killer for North.

 

[Torz]

Just don't pay the free. So now it's a free AGAINST? They will botch that up completely.

Not necessarily. The driving motion is now deemed 'prior opportunity', so they still have the chance to handball or kick before they give HTB.

 

[Benno_900]

Third rule change that Lindsay Thomas has been responsible for.

Pioneer of the game.

 

[Borderline]

Watching this on AFL 360 and I'm none the wiser, looks like Roos and Buckley think the same.

 

[Benno_900]

Yeah, I'm completely confused.

 

[Struggle]

We don't change the rules mid season.....Except every 2nd year when we do

 

[Anoncomment]

Isn't this kind of missing the bigger issue? Blokes leading with their heads is clearly not on, but the majority of head-high frees are from lifting the arm to draw the contact. This still doesn't solve the Selwood/Shuey/etc. issue.

 

[Struggle]

Whether you agree with the new interpretation or not, changing the rules mid-season is ******* amateur.

Post it notes to the interchange steward?

 

[Oxirane]

Would this be a free kick or still a boundary throw in?

 

[Torz]

Would this be a free kick or still a boundary throw in?

Throw in. Tackle was completed after the ball went over the line.

 

[Ancient Tiger]

Isn't this kind of missing the bigger issue? Blokes leading with their heads is clearly not on, but the majority of head-high frees are from lifting the arm to draw the contact. This still doesn't solve the Selwood/Shuey/etc. issue.

True. Miles and now Grimes (on Saturday) are doing it at Richmond. I guess it is a skill but I'd rather not encourage it to become commonplace amongst players. May as well call it ducking and not pay the free but the umpires have a split second to make sure the player has or hasn't dropped their whole body down and lifted their arm up to draw the high tackle. Their job is hard enough as it is. Selwood and Thomas are the grand masters at it but it does take quite a bit of skill to pull it off consistently.

 

[Admiral Byng]

This isn't the rule change we were looking for.

From http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-06-01/duck-season-is-over :
Evans said there would be no change to stop awarding free kicks if a player shrugs or drops his knees into a tackle and the action causes high contact to occur.

What I really wanted, was for them do something about dropping the knees and lifting the arm. What they've done here was not the problem. they are just going to encourage dropping the knees and lifting the arm now.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

Lets get a new market going: how many qtrs of footy before they

A * this up
B relax the the rule

 

[sprockets]

Pretty soon anyone actually going in and getting the ball will be pinged for something. May as well use a round ball while we're at it and call the game 'football'.

 

[Wild Bill]

Great. Bout time.

Saw a Richmond player do the old lead into tackle lift arm twice on the weekend.

Chappy did it last week too after Christensen tried it a handful of times.

Rule will be a killer for North.

We have 1 player that does it - not sure it's any worse for us than ess or the rest of the comp.

The rule will create greater confusion and errors.