Collingwood rule exploit/breach vs Eagles?

Remove this Banner Ad

Cluesy

Draftee
Apr 20, 2016
8
24
AFL Club
West Coast
Noticed at the game on the weekend everytime Nicnat was rucking, Sidebum would start at the side of the square and run to the back of the square prior to the ball being bounced.

Can acknowledge the tactic of cutting off the big smack by Nicnat, was well implemented all game.

Steele runs by the umpires everytime and my question is - does the movement prior to the bounce breach the starting position rules?

Starting positions this year have changed, one player must start on each wing in the shaded area.

A free kick under 17.2.2 (a) stipulates that if a player is in breach of the starting area when the ball is bounced or thrown up then a free kick is to be given.

Have a look at the GIF and have a say, I may be missing something :/

What's the point of starting positions if movement before the bounce is allowed out of there??
20190712_185330_1.gif
Screenshot_20190717-120523_Drive.jpeg
Screenshot_20190717-120309_Drive.jpeg
Screenshot_20190717-121116_Drive.jpeg


On SM-G965F using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Apr 8, 2016
1,723
3,909
Vietnam
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
East Perth
It seems fine because it says, when the field umpire commences their approach to the center circle to bounce or throw up the ball etc... It seems he doesn't commence his run until the field umpire approaches the circle. That said, it may not be the spirit (i.e. intent) of the rule. Well played I say. Smart coaching exploits rules to advantage.
 

Cluesy

Draftee
Apr 20, 2016
8
24
AFL Club
West Coast
My theory is he has moved to a non starting position though, therefore when the ball is bounce and play commences, he is infact in breach of the starting position.

The shaded areas don't extend down, the line east west is the guide.

I believe the 'commences their approach' line is in specific to someone trying to run back to a position to start and therefore a free kick is awarded if they're not there by that time the ump walks in.

Here Steele is starting there yes, but then intentionally moving to a non starting position. Should be a free and 50 metres ;)
"When the field umpire commences their approach"

If he doesnt move until the ump does, he's not breaking any rules.

On SM-G965F using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Coasters7

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 27, 2014
9,261
15,320
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Chelsea
"When the field umpire commences their approach"

If he doesnt move until the ump does, he's not breaking any rules.
Not technically against it so well played to Collingwood.. but it defeats the purpose of the entire 6-6-6 if you allow something like that to happen. Similar if you wanted a spare back. Just line your quickest defender up on the corner of the square and get him to start running back as soon as the umpire moves, Crippa type small forward run from half forward to cover the wing. Spare back successful.

Thought something like this would come up when they introduced the rule last year. Players and coaches are going to try and find ways around it.. they aren’t going to just play by the rules and sit a player in the middle of the wing at every centre bounce like I assume the rule was designed to do.
 

woosha24

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 5, 2015
6,677
11,135
AFL Club
West Coast
Sidebottom starts his run outside the square when the umpire starts his bounce action and only enters the square when the bounce happens.

Yeah this. Seems to be within the interpretation (if not the "spirit") of the rules. Hope we do it too.
 
Regardless of the technicalities, it was appalling coaching to allow someone with Sidebottom's talent a free run at every centre bounce all f*^$ing game like that.

Still ropeable we allowed it to happen.
It leaves us with a spare on the wing though - be interesting to analyse the centre bounces to see how often Sidebottom disrupted us vs how often we were able to utilise the spare
 

Doashuey

Premiership Player
Sep 13, 2017
4,787
11,463
AFL Club
West Coast
Probably borderline but within the rules. Why a player like Sidebottom was allowed acres of space like that though is bewildering. Wouldnt have happened on Hutch's watch!
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Rowan18

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 20, 2018
7,246
14,577
AFL Club
West Coast
It's only a matter if centimeters isn't it? I don't think it makes any material difference.

What did make a material difference was leaving sidebottom unattended- that is appalling vision. Our coaching staff messed up big time losing site of how important it is to shut him down. I thought we learnt that lesson in the qualifying final last year.
 
The rule is that you have to be in set positions as the umpire approaches the bounce. You can move once they start the approach. It may be a pointlessly AFL grey area rule, but it’s the rule. Similar happened at the final centre bounce of the Carlton/Freo game.

There’s no issue with it and, given they did it from the first bounce, the problem becomes us failing to address it defensively.

Similarly, the result was we had a winger standing alone at nearly every centre bounce, nothing stopping us from capitalising on that more.

Non issue, clever coaching by Bucks.
 

Antzzz

Club Legend
Sep 26, 2018
1,890
4,892
AFL Club
Richmond
Regardless of the technicalities, it was appalling coaching to allow someone with Sidebottom's talent a free run at every centre bounce all f*^$ing game like that.

Still ropeable we allowed it to happen.
The Tigers have allowed him to much space as well....he needs to be manned up
 

Benji85

Club Legend
Aug 22, 2013
1,978
3,721
AFL Club
West Coast
"When the field umpire commences their approach"

If he doesnt move until the ump does, he's not breaking any rules.
Does it not mean that a player has to be in the shaded area as the umpire is starting his approach?

"When the field umpire commences their approach, then the following shall apply: 13.1 (e)"

What Sidebottom did is EXACTLY how we used Liam Ryan last year to great success, He would run off the bottom of the square to prevent the run down the middle. I specifically remember Simmo say they could no longer use that because of 6-6-6, and it had negated some of the strategy they used from last year (to our detriment). In saying that, I have no ******* clue really. You're probably right...I just don't know what's allowed in the game anymore. MRO, rule changes, interchange changes, soft caps, draft trading, mid-season drafts, it's gotten so subjective and confusing lately.

I just can't ******* work out why 6-6-6 was ever introduced anyway considering last year was a stellar year for footy in the H+A season, from a viewing perspective it was amazing. Get's me furious that they change the rules the year after WC win, but not when Hawthorn 3 peats, or when Victorian clubs have literally dominated the last 9/10 grandfinals. Nah change the rules after a gritty interstate win, knowing that it will shut down most WC tactics from the previous year, that were geared to supporting the midfield and getting the ball forward accurately. I know It's a bit tinfoil but its still a pretty ******* amazing coincidence.

Or maybe I just needed to rant and rave. Hump day...you know?

TL;DR Dear Gillan: Place thy solo betwix thine cheeks, pray do not unseal it.
 

MrKK

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 11, 2012
6,740
16,665
City of churches
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Sturt, Southampton FC, LSU
I'm sure our coaches noticed it but figured we'd at least break even having our player (usually Masten) free to come in off the wing. We just never seemed to utilise that by hitting in the right direction, particularly when NN was dominating hit outs.

Typical grey area rule making by the AFL though to leave that loophole to exploit.
 

Trouto

Premiership Player
Jul 3, 2007
3,378
3,451
Bunbury
AFL Club
West Coast
I'm sure our coaches noticed it but figured we'd at least break even having our player (usually Masten) free to come in off the wing. We just never seemed to utilise that by hitting in the right direction, particularly when NN was dominating hit outs.

Typical grey area rule making by the AFL though to leave that loophole to exploit.
lol
 
The AFL made a new rule they didn't fully explain, with deliberate grey areas as Chris Scott alluded to on AFL 360 the other week.

In the Carlton/Fremantle game Fremantle should have been awarded a free kick for a 666 violation for this exact situation, but the AFL came out and said it vaguely fell under the rules in some way because now it's as the umpire "approaches the bounce" not the bounce itself.

A few weeks later and teams are already exploiting that to essentially run a man off the back of the square in a move that shouldn't be possible under 666.

Basically coaches are smarter than the AFL.

And while the Eagles should have addressed this, we were winning for most of the night and backing our players in is how Simpson tends to coach. We hold on for a win and it doesn't matter, lose and it seems like a blunder. Much less grey in those distinctions than the AFLs onces.
 
Basically coaches are smarter than the AFL.

Who saw this coming, apart from everyone. Good coaches will always find a loophole or angle to exploit in any ill conceived, untried rules. Bringing these in quickly (especially on the back of no trials) was always a mistake even if you like the rule.
 

MrKK

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 11, 2012
6,740
16,665
City of churches
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Sturt, Southampton FC, LSU
The AFL never learns that the smartest minds in football are employed by the clubs. Every idea they come up with triggers coaches/strategists to immediately think of ways to exploit it.

This rule is stupidly worded. Section 13 says the players must be in position when the umpire commences their approach to bounce, but 17 talks about contravening section 13 at the point the ball is bounced/thrown.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back