Umpires influencing games: Exhibit 1 Car v Fre

[PAFC_1870]

You know who has a chance to influence the game more than the umps? The players. For four quarters. Get over it, umpires make mistakes but they aren't influencing results.

Cough *Grand Finals*

 

[Bald]

Cough *Grand Finals*

I can't remember how the umpires impacted the 2007 grand final. Can you remind me how they influenced the biggest Grand Final defeat in history?

 

[Oxirane]

Also, does anyone know why references to free kicks after disposal or downfield free kicks are no longer in the current Laws of Australian Football?

 

[Roddy]

The most obvious explanation is Vic Bias

I presume you're being sarcastic, but in case you're not, we absolutely SMASH the 'Vic bias' thing, as far as umpiring's concerned, and have done for decades. Oh, and the #freekickhawthorn bollocks too.

AFL Tables - Free Kicks

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

I thought the umpire influenced the game with the two Freo gimmies in the first quarter directly in front.

Not close enough to the final siren to cause outrage though.

 

[Worm4]

If ever anyone was in any doubt that umpires can influence games, watch the last 5 minutes of this game.
Downfield frees ignored, deliberate OOB’s, clear HTB’s ignored, then the absolute joke of a free to Car with 17 seconds left.
Magnificent kick by Newnes, but if he’d missed I’m sure the umpires would have found a way to give him another go.
Just disgraceful, and almost worthy of match fixing investigations. (Late edit: crossout, unfair on my part)
(and no, I don’t gamble, there‘s no ulterior motive here)
How on earth has our game come to this?

Exhibit 1 - west Coast v Carlton last week.

 

[Blueboys11]

You need context. Watch the game. The umpiring wave was evident as the game and esp the last quarter went on and Freo refused to fold.

I can only assume you turned on after 1/4 time and missed the charity offered to freo that ended up being 40% of there goals for the night

 

[greennick]

I think people are getting caught up in the moment go and rewatch the two Fremantle pushes in the back they were both pushed before they kicked the ball that’s the reason they weren’t payed down field a bit different to the last one were the Carlton player was knocked over after kicking the ball hence the down field!

This makes no sense to me. So, we're saying it's ok to push a player that is kicking it, but once he's kicked it, that's an issue. It makes no sense.

 

[Tasmanian saint]

You might have to accept wins like that because your mob isn't winning another game this year.

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Hell no they weren't. Particularly since there is no downfield when you kick it out on the full.

you might want to re read the rule book champyour % wrong on this!

 

[Struggle]

Don't forget the ball being given back to Jones to take a shot after throwing it to Betts. How was that not a straight up free kick against

 

[Eshay187]

some guy on fox footy said he has seen the social media chatter about it not being downfield but according to him its always downfield if its late. whatever that means

Thanks for this insight, case closed.

 

[PAFC_1870]

I can't remember how the umpires impacted the 2007 grand final. Can you remind me how they influenced the biggest Grand Final defeat in history?

That's OK, selective memory is very selective

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Except for the fact you cant pay a downfield free kick when it goes oof.

Wrong.

Point of greatest penalty - where the ball lands or where it crossed the boundary.

 

[Foucault1989]

The most obvious explanation is Vic Bias

Must be, even when it's not Vic Bias it is

 

[Tasmanian saint]

This makes no sense to me. So, we're saying it's ok to push a player that is kicking it, but once he's kicked it, that's an issue. It makes no sense.

That’s how the rules have been for a long time

 

[Big Crow]

What else is new?

Inevitably favours the Victorian side as well.

 

[Foucault1989]

I'd be disgusted to accept a win like that.

Eh, I've accepted worse

 

[chinggis77]

18.1.2 Awarding Free Kicks Unless otherwise stated in these Laws, a Free Kick can be awarded at any location on the Arena and shall be taken where it is awarded or where the football is at the time, whichever is the greater penalty against the offending Team. For the avoidance of doubt, Free Kicks awarded outside the Playing Surface will be taken at the nearest location on the Boundary Line or where the football is at the time, whichever is the greater penalty against the offending Team.

Where is this in the current laws of the game?

Lots of people are also referring to the wikipedia entry for the rules of AFL and quoting " ""The free kick is awarded at the spot where the kick or handpass lands or is first possessed, to the nearest player to the spot (unless the disposal is backwards, or the ball lands out of bounds or through for a behind, in which case the free kick is awarded to the infringed player at the spot of the infringement"

However neither of the above are in the current laws of the game:

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2019/12/04/d8d5f2cf-04eb-4530-b2d5-5cc799ff625c/2019-Laws-of-Australian-Football.pdf

I give up. There's not even an objective set of rules I can find to sort this out. What a mess the AFL has become.

 

[Lolbert]

You could see it clearly. #VICBIAS is real. Gil was communicating to the umps via the ear pieces. WA and SA clubs should leave this corrupt league in protest.

But then who would keep the VFL afloat?

 

[Eshay187]

Free kicks get given to the wrong player all the time

yeah, it’s not like the ump had a premonition that Newnes was the chosen one who was most likely to kick the goal.

the free kick was dubious, but otherwise everything was fine, I’ve got no problem with the down field being taken from where the ball crossed the line, makes sense.

 

[Dazza the Viking]

The player jumped in the air to smother the ball, it was incidental contact, free kick was a disgrace and then they don’t even know the down the field rules and then they get suck in with the wrong player kicking it.

Longuir said basically the same thing about the free kick, Brayshaw was trying to smother ball and made contact

 

[footy75]

Disguating decision at the end.
That umpire should be shot.

But I love him because he has kept our finals chances alive.

He's a hero.

Up the Baggers!!

 

[Bearded Clam]

The ball left the field of play after ThE contact was made. It’s Beside the point anyway. It’s about the WHEN the player made contact with Docherty, which was after he kicked it. That alone is what determines the whether it is downfield or “as he kicked it”.

Downfield is paid to where the ball landed Or, in this instance, where it exited the field of play.

It was adjudicated correctly.

have a look at the replay and then tell me where the ball went out of bounds.. pretty much right over top of the 50m arc and boundary line..

a carlton player (no.40) was right at that point and watched it go out... he even stands the mark thinking it is a freo free kick from there for oobotf..

then when the ump says its a downfield free all of a sudden the mark for newnes’s kick is set 10-15m closer to goal... he shouldve been kicking for goal from outside 50 with a freo player manning the mark on the 50m arc.

its clear as day if you watch the replay.

 

[DirtySandman]

Those last few minutes were comedy gold, the chances Carlton fluffed, to win the game legitimately, and then.....that....wow

 

[Tasmanian saint]

The player jumped in the air to smother the ball, it was incidental contact, free kick was a disgrace and then they don’t even know the down the field rules and then they get suck in with the wrong player kicking it.

For an example If I go to punch a ball and miss the ball and hit a player in the head instead the fact it was incidental or accidental makes no difference it’s still a free kick!