Novice question about “play on”

[Finn Jim]

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to ask native football fans about the nuances of the rules. Particularly with regards to marking and “play-on”

Assume this situation: the ball transitions quickly and a player of team A kicks a ball outside of 50 towards his attacking goal square. The ball isn’t going to make it to the goals and a player of A and B run under it and player A takes an over-the-shoulder mark. The mark is taken in the goal square.

A: momentum from the contest carries both players crashing through the goals out of the field. For sake of exactness, the umpire intends to pay the mark in center of the goals, 3-4m in front of the goal-line. So A dusts himself off, sees B has taken a tumble into the wall around the field, runs to the goal line, turns around and taps the ball off his foot. Good goal?

B: A tumbles through the goals, but B stays in the field of play and goes where he expects the mark to be paid, A again reenters through the goals and does as he did above. Good Goal?

C. A takes the mark, as the players crash to the ground the ball spills, but the mark is paid and the ball comes to rest on the goal line. A dusts himself off and rugby-style plays-the-ball over the line as he passes it.
Goal?

D. As in C, but A picks up the ball from the line and fumbles it over the line.
Behind? Or does A still get to go back to take a kick

E. Both players re-enter the field and the umpire runs to indicate the mark for B as A retreats for his shot at goal. Is there any point in this process where it is illegal or ungentlemanly for A to play-on and kick for goal?

My primary curiosity stems from the idea that in general play people play on in almost any direction at their leisure, but I’m curious about the peculiars near the attacking goals.

 

[Aussie_boy]

I'm a little confused by the scenarios above but A-D would all not be allowed as you cannot play in on front of the mark.

As for E, I think most the time if he kicks the goal the umpire would allow it as is a kick that is goaled 99.9% of the time but you do sometimes see umpires not allowing players to play on whilst talking to an opposition player.

 

[Finn Jim]

I'm a little confused by the scenarios above but A-D would all not be allowed as you cannot play in on front of the mark.

As for E, I think most the time if he kicks the goal the umpire would allow it as is a kick that is goaled 99.9% of the time but you do sometimes see umpires not allowing players to play on whilst talking to an opposition player.

Thank you, I guess not playing on from in front of the mark is the critical thing, but in open play it seems players will catch the football in stride and just keep going, playing on (seemingly from in front of the mark)

If it were just player A running to an open goal, catching the ball, continuing to run and goaling, that would be fine, wouldn’t it?

 

[Aussie_boy]

Thank you, I guess not playing on from in front of the mark is the critical thing, but in open play it seems players will catch the football in stride and just keep going, playing on (seemingly from in front of the mark)

If it were just player A running to an open goal, catching the ball, continuing to run and goaling, that would be fine, wouldn’t it?

Yes you can choose to play on as you please, but in your scenario play has stopped as the mark has been called and the bloke taking the mark has tumbled over the mark/goal line anyway. I suppose the easy way to explain it is it is 'play on' if the umpire believes the player wants to do so.

Say a player takes a mark on the wing and is in space so decides to keep running, he hasn't really played on from in front of the mark, he's just played on from the mark itself.

 

[Finn Jim]

Yes you can choose to play on as you please, but in your scenario play has stopped as the mark has been called and the bloke taking the mark has tumbled over the mark/goal line anyway. I suppose the easy way to explain it is it is 'play on' if the umpire believes the player wants to do so.

Say a player takes a mark on the wing and is in space so decides to keep running, he hasn't really played on from in front of the mark, he's just played on from the mark itself.

So when the player tumbles through the goals, he could theoretically he be awarded a behind, but the umpire will give him the benefit of the doubt and he gets to come back and take a kick, but if he does so, he must come back behind the mark.

(In theory he could tell the umpire he intended to play on from the mark if he were in desperate want of a behind, no?)

Again thank you guys for helping me out.

 

[Boxhead_31]

If the umpire sets the mark. Player A needs to go behind it before playing on

 

[The Swert]

Evidentially umpires do interpret the rules a bit differently near the goal square.

Where an umpire would call back a player and force them to kick over the mark at half back, they rarely have the balls to do it in the attacking goal square.

Just like they never disallow a goal because of sheparding/holding on the goal-line.

It could be seen as umpires succumbing to the crowd's cheers, or maybe it's a directive from the AFL to give the benefit of the doubt to attacking teams to encourage more scoring.

 

[Delair]

I'm not quite following your scenarios, but generally speaking, if play has come to a temporary halt, you will not be allowed to play on from in front of the mark. You will have to go back behind the mark and take your kick.