The AFL should be giving themselves a pat on the back for these new rule changes

[YeOldTiger]

What a terrible thread, the AFL is clawing back some of the excitement it lost by making changes to the rules a few years back, essentially. Enforcing rules for things that clubs used to have a method of doing before they disallowed them.

Want to get some extra ground from your kick? Have a player shepherd the man on the mark. AFL makes a rule change that says you can't do that now, ball movement suffers and so they make another rule change so that the man on the mark can't move. You've taken it from being a gamble by the attacking team due to having one less player down the ground, to a complete disadvantage for the defending team because their man on the mark is rendered almost useless.

Want an advantage in protecting against goals and rebounding? Sit a spare player in defense and they can help you move the ball more effectively the other way. AFL removes it, teams still need the spare so instead the coaches force more players into the contest at the centre bounce to get another stoppage before settling as the spare man in defense. More stoppages and the spare man is still there just a few seconds later.

Want to be able to clear the stoppage to avoid being gummed down in contested situations? Gamble with a third man going up to hit the ball to your blokes on the outside. If it doesn't come off you could be in trouble the other way, you've got one less bloke at the fall of the ball. AFL decides nope, disallows the third man up and creates a nomination system that stops the ball from being immediately thrown up and allows players to flood the stoppage. More repeat stoppages. AFL makes another rule change so that taking the ball from the ruck is no longer prior opportunity in an effort to get the ball out from stoppages more, has the opposite effect, rucks can simply grab the ball and create another stoppage with no penalty.

The only rule change I agree with the AFL having made in the past few years is the ability to play on directly from the goal square. All of the rest, the man on the mark rules, the 6/6/6 rules, the third man up rules have all contributed to the congestion and lower scoring nature of the game that the AFL then makes additional rule changes to try to offset.

Right on the money. Good post.

Meanwhile all the sheep bleat - but, but, but all the goals, goals, goals. It's pathetic. Wake up !

Be very careful what you wish for because footy is being structurally changed for base ideological reasons and for worse. SHocking is spoiling our beautiful game.

 

[LoungeLizard]

Ok genius. Here's the future of footy, it's called netball. Enjoy yourself:

David Teague joins calls for new VFL rule change to be shelved

"I think, hopefully, some common sense will come into play and they might get rid of that for a while."

www.sen.com.au

Well we could merge netball and rugby then.

And as for enjoying myself, footy is close to unwatchable now, so i really don't care less what they do.

 

[gingernuts]

Huge high-scoring games tonight. 32+ goals scored so far in the Sydney-Brisbane game.

Gil is a God.

"au pair" me please

 

[Custard Guts]

Oh, don't worry ... if you've consumed any mainstream football media in the past week, they are.

 

[The 747]

The only rule change I agree with the AFL having made in the past few years is the ability to play on directly from the goal square. All of the rest, the man on the mark rules, the 6/6/6 rules, the third man up rules have all contributed to the congestion and lower scoring nature of the game that the AFL then makes additional rule changes to try to offset.

Could you please explain how?

 

[KermitJagger]

Could you please explain how?

There are literally 3 paragraphs prior to the one you quoted that explain how. Obviously the latest man on the mark rules haven't, but the change a few years back around not being able to shepherd the man on the mark until play on was called definitely did.

The main point is that the AFL introduce rule changes that require more rule changes to offset and essentially bring the game back to where it was prior to their original changes.

 

[The 747]

There are literally 3 paragraphs prior to the one you quoted that explain how. Obviously the latest man on the mark rules haven't, but the change a few years back around not being able to shepherd the man on the mark until play on was called definitely did.

The main point is that the AFL introduce rule changes that require more rule changes to offset and essentially bring the game back to where it was prior to their original changes.

You made the statement, how does 6/6/6 contribute to congestion?

 

[KermitJagger]

You made the statement, how does 6/6/6 contribute to congestion?

And it is explained in the original post if you read it.

Want an advantage in protecting against goals and rebounding? Sit a spare player in defense and they can help you move the ball more effectively the other way. AFL removes it (enforces 6/6/6 zones at centre bounces), teams still need the spare so instead the coaches force more players into the contest at the centre bounce to get another stoppage before settling as the spare man in defense. More stoppages and the spare man is still there just a few seconds later.

Coaches obviously implement strategies that are going to be protective to their system. If you can't have a spare in defense from the get go, clubs will slow the game down until they can put one there.

There were also clubs that used the spare in defense as an attacking option and not a defensive option, which allowed them to have an outlet to move the ball and rebound more fluently.

 

[Masotiger]

All because one ex Geelong flog thinks it should be so, under pressure from the ad men at Ch7 for MORE GOALS YAY.

Absolutely 200% on the money!! It's all about creating more goals to create more advertising space.

Had to laugh at some in the game complaining that quarters ran beyond 31, 32, 33 minutes. Of course, you have a 50 second advertising gap between all clear and the resumption of play. Do the maths.

In the past when quarters ran for 25 minutes plus time on they were ending at around the 30 minute mark because the game wasn't waiting for the ads to finish (and plenty of games were high scoring).

 

[Always Ballin]

15 goals, not even halfway through the 2nd quarter tonight.

Explosive football.

 

[InFaganWeTrust]

The game is now ping-pong. Defence no longer exists. Higher scoring != better.

 

[Always Ballin]

19 goals in a half.

Wow.

 

[mxett]

The game is now ping-pong. Defence no longer exists. Higher scoring != better.

Defense certainly does exist. Moore has looked very impressive down back as a defender. It's not the higher scoring alone that makes the game more interesting, it's the skill on display when the players have room to move and dispose.

 

[RUNVS]

The game is now ping-pong. Defence no longer exists. Higher scoring != better.

People said the game was better in the 80's and 90's and in decades the ball did move a lot faster around the ground.

 

[mxett]

Carlton are 5 goals down but a few quick goals could see them right back in this game. You couldnt say that last year when 5 goals could be a side's score for the entire game

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

The game is now ping-pong. Defence no longer exists. Higher scoring != better.

Not worse than 80/90s defence. Seriously what are people whinging about, much better game we're seeing at the moment

 

[HTT]

It will be extremely difficult for teams to come from behind in the last 5 minutes given how easily you can move the ball forward without even taking a risk.

 

[shaqsuns]

Only saw the last quarter, however, how much better is footy when the ball is moving, the man on the mark and less rotations has changed the game for the better. Hopefully next year we will be down to 40 rotations or less.


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[Always Ballin]

Only saw the last quarter, however, how much better is footy when the ball is moving, the man on the mark and less rotations has changed the game for the better. Hopefully next year we will be down to 40 rotations or less.


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Don't forget 6-6-6 and the kick-in rules. Forward pressing and flooding are much harder to implement now.

 

[nobbyiscool]

The game is now ping-pong. Defence no longer exists. Higher scoring != better.

THIS!!!

I keep hearing how amazing this season's rule changes are... I hate it. What happened to the physical contest? Half the games last weekend reminded me of that ridiculous bruise-free training run "origin" game we got a year ago.

 

[HTT]

THIS!!!

I keep hearing how amazing this season's rule changes are... I hate it. What happened to the physical contest? Half the games last weekend reminded me of that ridiculous bruise-free training run "origin" game we got a year ago.

It will return mostly to what football was like in 2019 soon enough I reckon. Teams just need a few weeks to adjust.
Then rinse and repeat for 2022.

 

[richcogs]

Seeing one v one duels is fantastic. Much more entertaining footy!

 

[nobbyiscool]

It will return mostly to what football was like in 2019 soon enough I reckon. Teams just need a few weeks to adjust.
Then rinse and repeat for 2022.

You're right of course - it happens every year. But until it reverts to a physical contest I think I'll only be watching Eagles games and the NRL, which has started out with a cracking season.

 

[Always Ballin]

Seeing one v one duels is fantastic. Much more entertaining footy!

I agree, hence why I've "liked" your post.

 

[mike123]

- Interchange rules (sweet as)

Interchange cap only slows the game