Piss off AFL and your pathetic 'umpire descent' rule

[X_box_X]

Surely the AFL has to come out and admit they got this one wrong. They won't cause they have too much pride, but this bloody 'rule' is doing more harm than good. They will lose fans and deter young kids taking up the game if they don't loosen their interpretation.

 

[DirtySandman]

Did your blokes get pinged for a throw?

 

[HairyO]

I will donate $1,000 to charity if a 50m penalty for dissent is paid in the Grand Final in the forward half of the ground if the score is close.

There is simply no way we will see this rule treated the same in a Grand Final as during H & A season.

 

[adogsfan5]

The De Goey one was embarrassing. How hard is it.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

The De Goey one was embarrassing. How hard is it.

They were both a complete embarrassment to the sport and moreso to Brad Scott who should be sacked immediately.

 

[Burtman]

The worst thing about it is the players are right to question these decisions. Khamis copped a huge push in the back and thought he had the free kick, puts the arms out and cops a 50 against, when the umpire clearly ballsed up the decision. Just doubling down on the poor standard of umpiring

 

[bc27]

Agree.

 

[Running Dog]

You can understand why the rule exists- the game needs to attract and retain umpires, and if you see what umpires have to endure in minor leagues it's any wonder that a person would even consider umpiring. The ones that press ahead with this ambition seem to have authoritarian personalities.

But surely you can only pay a free kick for dissent if a player's reaction is unequivocally dissenting. That means where the umpire has been challenged, which can only occur if a player says something, which is objective. Body language, on the other hand, is subjective. Body language could indicate confusion as much as anything, or a question- where's the nark? Whose kick is it? Did the ball go over the line? How can an umpire know a player's state of mind? They would need a double degree in behavioural psychlogy and ESP. Or else they would need to be Razor Ray.

 

[BF Tiger]

Does “umpire descent” refer to falling standards?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I'm convinced there must be a cash incentive to the person who comes up with the most ridiculous rule change each season. What other sport feels the need to introduce new rules every damned year?