Umpiring Making the game easier to umpire

[fargothegreat]

Here are some rule changes that would make umpiring the game easier and the rules easier for casual fans to understand:

1. Abolish the stand rule

It makes it harder for teams to pressure the ball carrier to make a rushed disposal, so they've resorted to flooding forward lines, which has made scoring even more difficult — especially for key forwards.

2. Replace the bounce with throw-ups

Throwing the ball up is quicker and easier for umpires. Open to keeping it for the start of every game provided 25% of umpires could do it properly 95% of the time.

3. Replace 'insufficient intent' with 'last touch' out of bounds

Pay a free kick against the last player to touch the ball before going out of bounds, unless the ball was touched in a contest (e.g. spoil or smother).

4. Redefine 'prior opportunity' to simplify holding the ball.

Rather than being up to each umpire's interpretation, prior opportunity is simply a three second window starting from the moment a player takes clean possession of the ball.

• If a player is tackled after 3 seconds of possession, a holding the ball free is immediately paid against them.
• If a player is tackled before the 3 seconds have ended and the tackler holds the tackle until after the three seconds have ended, then a holding the ball free is also paid against.

There's no 'genuine attempt' or ball held to the player rule. The player must dispose of the ball to avoid a free being paid against them.

5. Enforce incorrect disposal

Free kick against if a player throws or drops the ball at any time, including while being tackled.

6. Remove 'unrealistic attempt' in marking contests

If a player makes contact with an opponent's back with their leg in a marking contest and doesn't touch the ball, then a free kick is paid against.


All of these rules are about reducing individual interpretation in umpiring and creating more black and white rules so that the game is easier to umpire. They should hopefully also open the game up and increase scoring.

 

[zyzzbruh]

Here are some rule changes that would make umpiring the game easier and the rules easier for casual fans to understand:

1. Abolish the stand rule

It makes it harder for teams to pressure the ball carrier to make a rushed disposal, so they've resorted to flooding forward lines, which has made scoring even more difficult — especially for key forwards.

2. Replace the bounce with throw-ups

Throwing the ball up is quicker and easier for umpires. Open to keeping it for the start of every game provided 25% of umpires could do it properly 95% of the time.

3. Replace 'insufficient intent' with 'last touch' out of bounds

Pay a free kick against the last player to touch the ball before going out of bounds, unless the ball was touched in a contest (e.g. spoil or smother).

4. Redefine 'prior opportunity' to simplify holding the ball.

Rather than being up to each umpire's interpretation, prior opportunity is simply a three second window starting from the moment a player takes clean possession of the ball.

• If a player is tackled after 3 seconds of possession, a holding the ball free is immediately paid against them.
• If a player is tackled before the 3 seconds have ended and the tackler holds the tackle until after the three seconds have ended, then a holding the ball free is also paid against.

There's no 'genuine attempt' or ball held to the player rule. The player must dispose of the ball to avoid a free being paid against them.

5. Enforce incorrect disposal

Free kick against if a player throws or drops the ball at any time, including while being tackled.

6. Remove 'unrealistic attempt' in marking contests

If a player makes contact with an opponent's back with their leg in a marking contest and doesn't touch the ball, then a free kick is paid against.


All of these rules are about reducing individual interpretation in umpiring and creating more black and white rules so that the game is easier to umpire. They should hopefully also open the game up and increase scoring.

You can't get rid of prior opportunity otherwise there will be instances where the player has no incentive to take possession of the footy. You'd essentially be penalising players left right and centre for taking possession with no genuine opportunity to dispose of it.

Easier to just accept that it is just one rule that comes down to interpretation. It's not that difficult of a thing to umpire and i think for the most part it's done well. People just need to learn to not let themselves get too worked up over the touchy ones. Rule changes need to be based on positive vs negative outcome - sometimes 'easier' umpiring doesn't necessarily result in better footy, and better footy should always take precedence.

And i don't know about your stand rule assessment. Not sure i agree that there is evidence to suggest teams are flooding forward lines as a direct result of it. I would a say a big contributor to that is focus on team defence, so it would be happening regardless. The stand rule allows teams to move the footy quicker and direct which probably helps to counter that.

 

[fargothegreat]

You can't get rid of prior opportunity otherwise there will be instances where the player has no incentive to take possession of the footy. You'd essentially be penalising players left right and centre for taking possession with no genuine opportunity to dispose of it.

Easier to just accept that it is just one rule that comes down to interpretation. It's not that difficult of a thing to umpire and i think for the most part it's done well. People just need to learn to not let themselves get too worked up over the touchy ones. Rule changes need to be based on positive vs negative outcome - sometimes 'easier' umpiring doesn't necessarily result in better footy, and better footy should always take precedence.

And i don't know about your stand rule assessment. Not sure i agree that there is evidence to suggest teams are flooding forward lines as a direct result of it. I would a say a big contributor to that is focus on team defence, so it would be happening regardless. The stand rule allows teams to move the footy quicker and direct which probably helps to counter that.

I'm not proposing getting rid of prior opportunity. I'm proposing giving it a black and white definition of 3 seconds. This would incentivise players to actually dispose of the ball, rather than holding onto it to try and force another stoppage. Stoppage after stoppage means less attractive footy to watch. You want the ball in motion.

Yes, the stand rule results in faster and cleaner ball use between the arcs, but then players get to the 50 and can't find a target to kick it to, because the oppo that used to be up around the ball pressuring them can't do that any more so they all fold back and clog up space inside 50. The role of a key forward has become more about bringing the ball to ground because it's incredibly difficult to take a mark inside 50 now.

 

[matthew_s]

Here are some rule changes that would make umpiring the game easier and the rules easier for casual fans to understand:

1. Abolish the stand rule

It makes it harder for teams to pressure the ball carrier to make a rushed disposal, so they've resorted to flooding forward lines, which has made scoring even more difficult — especially for key forwards.

2. Replace the bounce with throw-ups

Throwing the ball up is quicker and easier for umpires. Open to keeping it for the start of every game provided 25% of umpires could do it properly 95% of the time.

3. Replace 'insufficient intent' with 'last touch' out of bounds

Pay a free kick against the last player to touch the ball before going out of bounds, unless the ball was touched in a contest (e.g. spoil or smother).

4. Redefine 'prior opportunity' to simplify holding the ball.

Rather than being up to each umpire's interpretation, prior opportunity is simply a three second window starting from the moment a player takes clean possession of the ball.

• If a player is tackled after 3 seconds of possession, a holding the ball free is immediately paid against them.
• If a player is tackled before the 3 seconds have ended and the tackler holds the tackle until after the three seconds have ended, then a holding the ball free is also paid against.

There's no 'genuine attempt' or ball held to the player rule. The player must dispose of the ball to avoid a free being paid against them.

5. Enforce incorrect disposal

Free kick against if a player throws or drops the ball at any time, including while being tackled.

6. Remove 'unrealistic attempt' in marking contests

If a player makes contact with an opponent's back with their leg in a marking contest and doesn't touch the ball, then a free kick is paid against.


All of these rules are about reducing individual interpretation in umpiring and creating more black and white rules so that the game is easier to umpire. They should hopefully also open the game up and increase scoring.

3 seconds is a very long time. Watch a game with a stopwatch, guarantee unless a player is running with the ball and bouncing, 99% of possessions don’t last that long.

Also, umpires can’t adjudicate 15m, how are they going to be accurate with 3 seconds?

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Agree with replacing prior opportunity with holding and dropping the ball.

It shocks me that you are allowed to drop the ball and not be punished due to no prior opportunity.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

You can't get rid of prior opportunity otherwise there will be instances where the player has no incentive to take possession of the footy. You'd essentially be penalising players left right and centre for taking possession with no genuine opportunity to dispose of it.

No issue with that. Better than what we see with rucks being able to take possession and drop the ball without penalty. It'll force players to swat, hit, punch the ball and keep it in motion.

 

[zyzzbruh]

No issue with that. Better than what we see with rucks being able to take possession and drop the ball without penalty. It'll force players to swat, hit, punch the ball and keep it in motion.

That'll just make it scrappy. The whole ball in motion making the game better thought is a myth imo. And players will still be naturally inclined to take possession of the footy which means you'll see freekick after freekick Everytime the ball bobbles out of their grasp. Constant freekicks is frustrating to watch as it doesn't allow the game to play out naturally, you end up with constant umpire contrived set plays. The ugliest sight in footy is when the ball goes from one end of the ground to the other resulting in a goal on the back of 3 or 4 freekicks. That's not footy. On the other hand, the best sight in our game is seeing two teams hammering each other in the contest trying to win it whilst letting it play out. That's footy.

Great examples of this are most grand finals, usually the teams are going ham at each other and the umps put the whistle away naturally for the occasion. It's epic watching it play out, players getting tackled instantly, ball bobbling out, and again and again until someone can get a clean possession with prior opportunity. It's grouse to watch. You'll essentially lose that because the second a player gets tackled it's going to result in the play resetting and a team given free possession. Boring.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

I dont think there is a need to make it easier to umpire, they seem to get decisions right more often than not.
The issue seems to be when the 2 teams are umpired differently so missed calls or unnecessary calls appear and create confusion.
And whilst the grey area in most rules allow it, why would they change it.
They literally admitted they're monitoring scores and using umpiring to keep it tight, that can only mean turning a blind eye in one passage of play and finding a reason to pay a free in another.

Look at the Port/Hawks game in GR, Port blew Hawks off the park in the 1st qtr, so suddenly Hawks get 12 unanswered frees. You cant tell me there were no instances where Port should have been awarded a free, they just paid what they could 1 way to tighten the margin and ignored anything in Ports favour.
Thats not poor umpiring, or that its too hard, its simply selective umpiring which is apparently a directive from AFL house.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

3. Replace 'insufficient intent' with 'last touch' out of bounds

Pay a free kick against the last player to touch the ball before going out of bounds, unless the ball was touched in a contest (e.g. spoil or smother).

They brought this rule into the SANFL several years ago, and it works like a charm. No controversy, no umpire interpretation, the players understand it, the supporters understand it, no problems. I cannot understand why the AFL haven't introduced it my now. Probably annoyed that a lesser competition brought it in before they did.

 

[fargothegreat]

They brought this rule into the SANFL several years ago, and it works like a charm. No controversy, no umpire interpretation, the players understand it, the supporters understand it, no problems. I cannot understand why the AFL haven't introduced it my now. Probably annoyed that a lesser competition brought it in before they did.

I believe the SANFL went from the lowest to highest scoring state league as a result too.