Bold Decisions Are Needed

We all whinge and moan about umpiring and the new rules that filter in on a yearly basis, why don't we start thinking how to make the game easier to umpire? And maybe get a few more kids playing as well.

1: abolish the throwing the ball rule, make it open slather, why do we care so much about handballs? There are at least a dozen throws not paid every game, makes it easier for umpires and makes it easier for imports-kids taking up the sport.

2: Bouncing the ball, why are we doing this? What purpose does it serve? Would make our game much easier for imports.

3: If the ball hits the post and goes through the goals it's a goal, would make life much easier for goal umpires especially in the lower ranks and rid us of ridiculous reviews at the top level.

4: Incidental touches that go through the goals to remain a goal, see above.

So you want to make it easier to umpire and those are your choices?

1 - simply enforce the written rules on what constitutes a legal disposal ... you didn't handball or kick the ball and you had the ball for long enough to have done one = give the ball to the other team.

2 - I don't believe I have seen anyone have an issue with the umpiring when it comes to bouncing the ball ... I will admit that the *length* you can run without bouncing it is a bit fluffy but the bouncing itself is not an issue.

3 - No one has an issue with umpiring hit post = point or out on the full ... whether it actually hit the post sometimes but that is not affected by your suggestion.

4 - So you want to make it easier to umpire by changing 'touched = point' to ok-it-was-touched-but-was-it-a-*meaningful*-touch???

If you are trying to improve the game of Australian Rules Football perhaps you might consider ways to celebrate the things that make that game unique ... not the things that will make it more like some other game.

If you are truly interested in making it easier for imports to understand then you would be looking at killing off the gray areas / umpire discretion elements so that when someone gets a free you know exactly why as opposed to the current looking at eachother to see if the other guy knows what the free was for and getting an equally blank look back!
 
Jul 6, 2015
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Sign him up

murali.jpg
 

caspian

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Jan 6, 2019
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Gotta give him some credit, the first sentence before he laid out his points was good. The rest a Pol Pot-esque atrocity.. 1/10
 

caspian

Team Captain
Jan 6, 2019
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Yeah it's a start. Next time round I'm hoping for two sentences at the start that don't make me wanna kill myself. Daring to dream big!
 
Sep 21, 2002
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Norwood
Throwing the ball over your head is already allowed.

Handball, pfft, that is a thing of the past.

Yes. Younger supporters may be amused to learn that to effect a legal handball years ago, your fist had to be clenched, the hand holding the ball had to be stationary, and you had to punch the ball in order to dispose of it. Incredible, I know. Like all sports, it has evolved into making the game quicker. Less skilful, but quicker.
 

Scroater

Club Legend
Apr 29, 2003
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InLarry6'sbulldogphotos
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With those changes players would start throwing the ball overarm to their fastest players and it'll be a sprint to the goals...the sport would completely change

Imagine that. Teams would start recruiting ex basketball players. Not sure why they haven't already.
 
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