Tactically using umpire contact to get a free kick

[Power King]

Serious question.

Why shouldn't players hold or obscurely push their opponent into an umpire's back? I think every team should use this as a tactic to get a free kick if in the correct position, because there is no rule existing to prevent it from occurring, so why not exploit it to get free kicks and send your opponent to the tribunal?

I'm being downright serious here.

And I say 'obscurely' because if you obviously push your opponent then you will give the free kick away yourself.

I think if the opportunity presents itself, then this should absolutely be exploited by the 16 clubs of the AFL.

 

[jonoman89]

Players already use the ump's at ball ups to shepard taggers, leading to some contact. I think it's treading a pretty fine line. I think the AFL will make a rule about it sooner rather than later.

I wouldn't support players doing it however. You don't touch umpires, or lead to their touching. Full stop.

 

[Power King]

^True, in terms of it not being in the spirit of the game, but will coaches really care if it will go unpunished? Similar to purposefully buckling your knees to getting a push in the back free kick, or getting three of your teammates to help bury a ball underneath an opposition player at the bottom of the pack to get a free for holding the ball.

Neither are in the spirit of the game, but all can be and are exploited to get frees for your team.

If the afl can't find a solution to the problem (or won't find a solution to the problem), then why not be a part of it yourself if you're not going to be punished? Otherwise you will only suffer by getting free kicks against your own team, but not getting free kicks for.

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Why shouldn't players obscurely push their opponent into an umpire's back?

Because they wouldn't get away with it and the umpires would pay a free to the dude who got pushed into the umpires and fine him... OH WAIT.

Poor Thomas.

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

I dont know that they always use it to get a free kick.
I think it is sometimes used to get space on the pesky tagger. Push them behind the umpire and run off in the other direction!
Personally i dont know why the tagger or otherwise chooses to stand there when these days it is such a risk.

 

[hawks_time]

I'm all for it, it might not be pretty but it's a tactic. Tagging isn't pretty either but not many people complain about that.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Been going on for years already.

 

[The Hobo]

Personally i dont know why the tagger or otherwise chooses to stand there when these days it is such a risk.

Because they go where the 'tagee' goes?

 

[jonesy86]

Imagine a player missing a GF for this... one day it will happen.

 

[Off The Couch]

Because they go where the 'tagee' goes?

Imagine a player missing a GF for this... one day it will happen.

You know the risks and you know the consequences


There are lots of things that aren't in the spirit of the game, but if it gives you even the slightest advantage, make the most of it, it's not as though taggers aren't without sin.

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

Because they go where the 'tagee' goes?

So stand on the other side of the tagee!

 

[The Hobo]

So stand on the other side of the tagee!

Never played the game before have you?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I'm all for it, it might not be pretty but it's a tactic. Tagging isn't pretty either but not many people complain about that.

Why is it that when a midfielder gets checked, it's "tagging", and yet key forwards get that treatment all day, every day?

The tactic some players are using to shake their opponents is like the "screen" process in basketball. You run past the umpire using him as a shield, and your opponent has to deviate, giving you a 5 metre break. It's simple but effective.

 

[worthy]

If a player puts himself in a high risk position and makes contact with the ump, then he has no-one to blame but himself, don't blame the player getting tagged, he has every right to push off to get some space.
Let's not get into the situation where the tagger knows he can't be pushed off.

 

[krusden]

Serious question.

Why shouldn't players hold or obscurely push their opponent into an umpire's back? I think every team should use this as a tactic to get a free kick if in the correct position, because there is no rule existing to prevent it from occurring, so why not exploit it to get free kicks and send your opponent to the tribunal?

.

because adrian anderson will look at it, hold a meeting, and then add another confusing, poorly worded rule to the game for umpires to interpret - THAT'S why

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I can't imagine the umpires looking at rules that assist tagging.

but then again, they do some crazy stuff.

Personally, I think 'sucked in' to all those taggers who get caught up in this s**t.

 

[The Hobo]

Using as a screen is one thing, and apparently, going by Boak's article the other day - happens every day and is used by most teams. However, twice this season, a Hawks player has either held another player in the path of the umpire, or pushed him into the path of the umpire, and that to me, is not on.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Using as a screen is one thing, and apparently, going by Boak's article the other day - happens every day and is used by most teams. However, twice this season, a Hawks player has either held another player in the path of the umpire, or pushed him into the path of the umpire, and that to me, is not on.

Oh great - now they want to introduce another anti-hawthorn rule.

 

[hawks_time]

Using as a screen is one thing, and apparently, going by Boak's article the other day - happens every day and is used by most teams. However, twice this season, a Hawks player has either held another player in the path of the umpire, or pushed him into the path of the umpire, and that to me, is not on.

Wait, what's the difference?

 

[skipper kelly]

The whole issues could have been cleared up by suspending Mitchell.

 

[Power King]

because adrian anderson will look at it, hold a meeting, and then add another confusing, poorly worded rule to the game for umpires to interpret - THAT'S why

Unless every team exploits this rule, you're gonna give away free kicks to the hawks whenever one of your mob tags hawthorn, OR whenever say sewell tags another opponent sewell might give away the free.

Exploit it or get exploited.

(i know your post was taking the piss out of the afl)

and tagging (ie matchups) are a part of the game. sometimes kornes tags people, sometimes burgoyne gets tagged. goes both ways for most teams. like someone said in here, matching up on a midfielder is bad, but matching up on a key player is accepted - right..... and last year people wanted to limit interchanges to MAINTAIN maatchups.......

 

[Tardus_]

I'm an umpire and if anyone touches me I'll knock them out.