Has there been any discussion about how the AFL can improve the ground markings to make life easier on the players and umpires? I'm continually baffled at how hard the AFL makes things for all involved by having rules that ask everyone involved to estimate odd distances.
One common sense change was marking with a dot the spot the man on the mark has to stand for kick ins, but surely there are some others that would also take a level of estimation away from players and umpires:
Forgive my MS paint and colours for demonstration only. Could be a lot more subtle in reality
Orange: Exclusion zone
One common sense change was marking with a dot the spot the man on the mark has to stand for kick ins, but surely there are some others that would also take a level of estimation away from players and umpires:
Forgive my MS paint and colours for demonstration only. Could be a lot more subtle in reality
Orange: Exclusion zone
- Currently any players defending the kick-in at their own goal (or an intercept mark) have to go 'back to the 9' (i.e. beyond this line) if the other team take a mark in this zone.
- Often there is either confusion or uncertainty about where the imaginary line actually is (or players intentionally overrunning it to block off options, though umpires are better at paying 50s these days for that)
- Having an actual line would mean there is no uncertainty from players or umpires
- Also could allow for a potential future rule change to make it a complete exclusion zone for the defending team after a kick-in (or after an opposition mark), and to balance could be 'play on' if the attacking team kick it to a teammate in that zone
- So many 'not 15' calls around kick outs now
- Make it easy: if you are kicking from the square and you kick it to a teammate within the arc, it's play on
- If you run out of the square and play on, umpire has a visual reference point for 15m
- If you kick back across goal after the kick out, umpire also has a visual reference for 15m
