Opinion Holding The Ball

[Anzacday]

i heard a coach this week refer to "team holding the ball"

Bucks has been saying that for years or more accurately I think he called it team prior opportunity.

 

[Pie eyed]

The rule as it is written needs to be changed.

It should not read that a player who has had prior opportunity, when tackled must immediately dispose of the ball.

It should read that if a player who has had prior opportunity, when tackled, will have a free kick awarded against them unless they were tackled in the process of disposing of the ball, which resulted in a legal disposal.

Furthermore any player who has not had prior opportunity, when tackled, will be given a reasonable amount of time to dispose of the ball legally before a free kick is awarded to the tackler.

The rule gets messy because players are allowed to double dip. If you had prior opportunity, you shouldn’t then get an additional opportunity after the tackle to legally dispose of it. You’re gone. But that’s what umpires are allowing. Also, the ball being jarred free in the tackle doesn’t absolve the player of having to dispose of the ball legally. That opportunity came before the tackle. That’s what prior opportunity is.

If there’s no prior opportunity, then the player needs to be given time to dispose of it legally. If the ball is genuinely knocked out in this instance, play on. If the player is tackled with one arm pinned and they can only throw it, or drop it near their foot but miss the kick, incorrect disposal and you’re gone. If the player with no prior opportunity is tackled and ridden in to the ground, it’s a ball up as they were not given a reasonable amount of time.

If they can stop providing a prior and post-opportunity, and give one or the other, the rule is so much more straightforward. And as for the example given by the Age writers about fighting through a tackle, sure, but that’s for someone who didn’t have prior opportunity.

Now you would think that a professional Umpire would have a basic knowledge of the game, but unfortunately many seem not to.
The AFL has gone out of their way to ensure that this rule, like many others come down to personal "opinion" of umpires, who increasingly, for what ever reason have no clue. It has markedly increased since the AFL got into bed with organised gambling.

 

[JOELY]

Holding the ball is bad, but deliberate is the worst rule in world sport. 95% of the time it's paid its a skill error where the intention was to keep it in, then when someone finally makes no effort to keep it in by tapping it out or wandering over the line they don't pay it. Shocking and frustrates the fans and you have players holding their arms out like dopes every time the ball goes out.

 

[Mukesh]

Holding the ball is bad, but deliberate is the worst rule in world sport. 95% of the time it's paid its a skill error where the intention was to keep it in, then when someone finally makes no effort to keep it in by tapping it out or wandering over the line they don't pay it. Shocking and frustrates the fans and you have players holding their arms out like dopes every time the ball goes out.

The one that amuses me is when the guy handballs to a teammate who is obviously out of bounds. Surely that’s deliberate. Happens at least once a game. But everyone, including the umpires just s****** at the handballer for his lack of vision. Cue the throw-in….

 

[Countrypie]

i heard a coach this week refer to "team holding the ball" ...which i assume to be that the first guy gets a chance of priority opportunity etc because he is making the play but once the handball chains start, it's sudden death. The players need to get rid of it properly. If that's the case, then I've been thinking that for over a decade. Also change the kick out of bounds to all untouched kicks that go out..... clean up hands in the back, to stop the player at the back pushing his opponent. Any sort of push forward needs to be push in the back...

This ...so much this

 

[Maggie Greg]

Hardwick is right - prior opportunity is silly. It was brought in in the mid 1990s for silly reasons.

Once tackled you have a reasonable time to handball or kick - if you dispose of the ball in any other way (other than it being forced out of your hands) by the tackle (and not simply letting it go) it is a free kick against you. If the ball is trapped in the tackle then it is a ball up.

Worked well enough for 100 years.

 

[Lip Gallagher]

I remember when i played the ump would yell "he tried", IMO if you have prior and get tackled and don't dispose of it legally you're gone, how ****ing hard is it?

 

[Lip Gallagher]

i heard a coach this week refer to "team holding the ball" ...which i assume to be that the first guy gets a chance of priority opportunity etc because he is making the play but once the handball chains start, it's sudden death. The players need to get rid of it properly. If that's the case, then I've been thinking that for over a decade. Also change the kick out of bounds to all untouched kicks that go out..... clean up hands in the back, to stop the player at the back pushing his opponent. Any sort of push forward needs to be push in the back...

Out of bounds thing won't work, with the in the back, are you saying speccys are outlawed?

 

[Markfs]

i think something should be done about players lying on top of players keeping the ball in.....I think the "tackling" player needs to give the player with the ball an opportunity to get rid of it....a second maybe....and then holding the ball. Lying on the player with the ball is counterproductive to keeping the ball moving. It's also unfair to see the players on top keeping the ball under the player who is underneath them. Its an ugly look

 

[Markfs]

Out of bounds thing won't work, with the in the back, are you saying speccys are outlawed?

obviously not outlawed. we want them in the game. the out of bounds will work.

 

[Lip Gallagher]

obviously not outlawed. we want them in the game. the out of bounds will work.

Out of bounds won't work, you'll end up with opposition players sheparding kicks, players will become hesitant to take possession of the ball near the line, you would end up.having more throw ins.

 

[Markfs]

Out of bounds won't work, you'll end up with opposition players sheparding kicks, players will become hesitant to take possession of the ball near the line, you would end up.having more throw ins.

it is used by the women and a large percentage of untouched kicks are already free kicked with the men as they are deemed deliberate

 

[jmac70]

It should read that if a player who has had prior opportunity, when tackled, will have a free kick awarded against them unless they were tackled in the process of disposing of the ball, which resulted in a legal disposal.

Sorry, but that’s as clear as a hazy IPA.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Sorry, but that’s as clear as a hazy IPA.

You can get a disposal away at the same time as you are tackled, not after, and it has to be a legal disposal, i.e. not a throw or a fresh air swing. Otherwise if you had prior opportunity, it’s holding the ball.

 

[Black_White]

Watching a game tonight and it’s clear HTB is no longer a thing.
Just take it out of the rule book and make it clear for everyone.