Leigh Matthews: contact below the knees only a free when the player slides

[the big lebowski]

You heard it here first. From the mouth of the guy on the rules commitee.

 

[Nikolai P]

You heard it here first. From the mouth of the guy on the rules commitee.

As long as it is umpired that way !?!

 

[the big lebowski]

As long as it is umpired that way !?!

My point is that a head first dive into the legs is a free kick. Matthews doesn't know the rule. For a guy on the rules commitee that concerns me.

 

[Nikolai P]

My point is that a head first dive into the legs is a free kick. Matthews doesn't know the rule. For a guy on the rules commitee that concerns me.

Apparently not tonight though , slide in head first , get a free and a 50 .

 

[caitsith01]

Don't know how one of the hardest players ever can live with himself with the rubbish he spouts in defence of these appalling rules. Should not commentate, has a clear conflict of interest.

 

[Scottland2007]

Horrible rule. Be 2nd to the ball, initiate contact below the knee, fall over. Free kick. KB should be fined for bringing the game into disrepute!

 

[longsuffreosupp]

What about for players like Luke Hodge that dive head first?

 

[Seth]

Well we just saw the perfect example of the free kick where Hodge slid in and slammed into the legs of OBrien. Free kick to OBrien - of course not. Head slides into obriens legs who stayed upright and hodge gets the free. The AFL are stuffing it up once again and no one knows what is correct. Too many rules and these umpires are dumbarses who can't adjudicate properly.

 

[eddiesmith]

Well we just saw the perfect example of the free kick where Hodge slid in and slammed into the legs of OBrien. Free kick to OBrien - of course not. Head slides into obriens legs who stayed upright and hodge gets the free. The AFL are stuffing it up once again and no one knows what is correct. Too many rules and these umpires are dumbarses who can't adjudicate properly.

Plus O'Brien gets reported

 

[Dragz]

Maybe cause Hodge got to the ball first? No idea though. Random decision.

 

[Visions]

You heard it here first. From the mouth of the guy on the rules commitee.

If only they told the rest of the footballing world before the season began, it might have helped. Not coming out with the nuances into the season proper.

 

[Chewy]

What about for players like Luke Hodge that dive head first?

Under the new rule, you're supposed to be penalised for sliding into an opponent's legs.

Luke Hodge dived in head first, got the ball and copped a knee in the head
Typical of the Collingwood morons to boo this decision (at the game)
It was free kick every day of the week.

 

[Chewy]

It was so predictable this new rule would cause uproar by round 3

One of the problems is that the muppet commentators are jack-asses and they add to the confusion, instead of explaining the rule properly to viewers

It's a new rule - the umpires are bound to make a few mistakes and go overboard at times. People need to ease up instead of blowing a gasket about the umpiring. The real reason people are mad is because their football is not going as well as they'd like.

Whinge whinge whinge. They're ruining the game, etc, etc, whinge whinge.

 

[D-N-R]

Under the new rule, you're supposed to be penalised for sliding into an opponent's legs.

3. LAWS OF THE GAME CHANGES FOR 2013 PREMIERSHIP SEASON

3.1 Forceful contact below knees

A free kick will now be awarded against any player under existing Law 15.4.5 a (ii) Prohibited
Contact, who makes forceful contact below the knees of an opponent (this does not apply to
smothers with the hands or arms).

There is a serious injury risk associated with forceful contact below the knees, as has been evident in
a number of examples from recent seasons where such contact has caused serious lower limb
injuries such as broken legs, ankles and knee ACL injuries (refer examples below).

There are still instances where forceful frontal contact below knees is resulting in injuries, where a
player dives head first or goes to ground from the side into an opposition player’s legs. The change,
supported by several player leadership and coaching groups, the AFL Medical Officers Association
and AFL Physiotherapists Association, is that a free kick will now be awarded for any forceful contact
below the knees (regardless of whether head, feet or knees first).

Rule 15.4.5(a)(ii) already states a free kick can be awarded for contact below knees, and as such a
rule change is not required, but rather a stricter interpretation of the current law.

Aside from the injury prevention benefit, it is hoped that by encouraging players to keep their feet
and discouraging players from going to ground in this way, it will also assist in reducing congestion.

The law says nothing about 'sliding' but about forceful contact below the knees. The term 'slide rule' is a misnomer, so it's hardly surprising then that the fans (including yourself and myself) are a bit confused as to what the rule is meant to police.

The commentators should know this, (especially Leigh Matthews), but in his defence I think he was suggesting that the rule was brought in for those types of situations (sliding forcefully), and not the situation he was watching at the time.

I'm not sure if this was the incident Lethal was referring to, but a Carlton player who was scrambling after the ball on all fours yesterday was penalised for making contact below the knees. He was hardly posing a danger to the player he made contact, which was the reason the rule was brought in, and I didn't think the contact was forceful, merely incidental.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the O'Brien incident. He looked to be bracing for a bump, so I think he is gone, but I'm sure Collingwood will challenge any charge. Maybe they can argue that he was just protecting himself from serious leg injury by a player recklessly throwing himself low into a contest?

 

[Chewy]

The law says nothing about 'sliding' but about forceful contact below the knees. The term 'slide rule' is a misnomer, so it's hardly surprising then that the fans (including yourself and myself) are a bit confused as to what the rule is meant to police.

The commentators should know this, (especially Leigh Matthews), but in his defence I think he was suggesting that the rule was brought in for those types of situations (sliding forcefully), and not the situation he was watching at the time.

I'm not sure if this was the incident Lethal was referring to, but a Carlton player who was scrambling after the ball on all fours yesterday was penalised for making contact below the knees. He was hardly posing a danger to the player he made contact, which was the reason the rule was brought in, and I didn't think the contact was forceful, merely incidental.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the O'Brien incident. He looked to be bracing for a bump, so I think he is gone, but I'm sure Collingwood will challenge any charge. Maybe they can argue that he was just protecting himself from serious leg injury by a player recklessly throwing himself low into a contest?

I've watched a replay of this incident and I've changed my mind.

My posts from last night were based on what I saw at the game. I was sitting nearby, just 30m-40m away, but directly behind Hodge, not side-on. I thought I saw Hodge threw himself at the ball, beat O'Brien to it, and then cop a knee to the head.

My understanding of the new rule is that it was designed to penalise players who were "second in" and dived into an opponents legs while they were standing over the ball. Apparently not. It's a blanket rule. Nobody is allowed to dive on the ball and forcefully dive into an opponent's legs.

Hodge should've been penalised.

Every new rule brings with it an opposite reaction from players who attempt to milk a free kick.

My big fear with this new rule is that players who make the ball their objective will no longer be given a free kick. Other players will deliberately charge in and knee them in the head, hoping to draw a free kick (and inflict damage)

It seems crazy, but this is what will happen.

Another side-effect is that desperate courageous players such as Luke Hodge and Lenny Hayes will stop diving on the ball. Everyone will hang back from the contest and not go in as hard.