Kicking backwards in back half ruled play on?

Would you support making kicking backwards in back half of ground as play on ?

  • Yes

    Votes: 11 36.7%
  • No

    Votes: 19 63.3%
  • Undecided or not care either way

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    30
  • Poll closed .
Aug 27, 2014
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41,193
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Carlton
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there are no other teams worthy
Interested to see poll result on this.

When players kick backwards in backline it is generally to maintain possession of ball for their team or kill time off clock when you got a 1 to 2 goal lead late in a game and do not want to risk other team having any chance of getting ball and scoring. From time to time it would have happened in any era of football but since late 1990's it has become more common and is a regular coached team thing.

If the admin of the game changed it that when you kick backwards in back half to another player on your team it is play on and they can be tackled immediately like when you handball to a mate on your team are you happy for this to be the ruling going forwards from 2019 season?
 
Aug 27, 2014
38,196
41,193
spacetime
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Carlton
Other Teams
there are no other teams worthy
Hardly complicated. Be one of easiest things to rule on. Less work for umpire as does not need to call a mark. Players just know to move it on from back half.
 

hcd199

Club Legend
Apr 29, 2009
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Hobart
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North Melbourne
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Daft idea, and always have been every other time it's been proposed. Most players kicked backwards to in defence are loose anyway (so it's not going to deter passing to them), and they play on fairly rapidly as well; if they do choose to stop, they've only got six seconds before play on will be called anyway. So the rule change wouldn't have any meaningful positive effects, but would add new grey areas to adjudicate; I hardly see what calling play on on a near-sideways kick just behind the centre of the ground adds to the sport, and why diminish one of the sport's fundamental rules (the mark) for literally no benefit?
 

Simon_Nesbit

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 26, 2001
11,716
8,211
Tasmania
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Hawthorn
Kicking backwards being play on just encourages teams to flood even more as it forces the team in possession into an 'in-play' position and then pressurize for turnover. Defensively teams will leave that option open, knowing they can force rushed disposal.

We want to be encouraging teams to stretch out the field, creating more open play and less congestion. This will lead to far greater one-on-one contests and more importantly, an advantage to teams to pursue those options as a means of attacking.

Whilst the best way to score is still on turnovers and fast breaks, teams will focus on defensive positioning and avoiding turnovers offensively.
 

Substance

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 6, 2012
9,770
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Western Bulldogs
We need less rules, not more. This is just another thing the umpires have to remember. Too complicated already and that's why it's a turn off.
 

Rusty Brookes

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 9, 2001
6,702
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Preston
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Hawthorn
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What year did they do that ?
Be interesting to see if any games on youtube to watch a quarter of a game from then to double check.

I think it was 2006. All I remember was they all kicked backwards and played on when they took a mark (which wasn't a mark).

It didn't change a thing other than a few players getting confused.
 
Oct 8, 2009
29,705
27,614
AFL Club
Carlton
Well everyone seems to whinge about Richmond making games messy and they’d have a field day if teams had to deal with extra pressure all the time.

Could only imagine it leading to more panicked kicks which lead to more stoppages and more congestion.
 

Scanlens Man

Senior List
Aug 10, 2017
291
526
AFL Club
GWS
Dont mind the suggestion. The one thing I always hated about soccer and yet it crept into our game too
 
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