Its Official - basketball with an Oval ball.

[bornadog]

It has been happening for years now, the AFL meddling with the rules. The bump is gone, contact is almost completely outlawed and now umpires will no longer bounced the ball around the ground, instead it will be thrown up. This is topped up by ruckman unable to touch each other during a throw in.

I don't know about others but this changes AFL dramatically and I am slowly getting to a point of complete disinterest.

[AndrewP6]

Don't like the ruck rule change. Not fussed about the other one though, doesn't change the game that much IMO. maybe they finally realised the umps are hopeless at bouncing it.

[chef]

Glad their getting rid of the bounce.

The incidental contact frees are the ones the give me the shits.

Gotten to the stage where I would rather watch the soccer.

[Remi Moses]

The game's getting more and more like netball, fair dinkum!

[Eastdog]

The rules are being constantly changed no wonder why everyone has a problem understanding certain aspects of play in the game. The more consistency the less confusion.

[The Coon Dog]

Don't like the ruck rule change. Not fussed about the other one though, doesn't change the game that much IMO. maybe they finally realised the umps are hopeless at bouncing it.

Pretty ill informed comment there Andrew. The vast majority of bounces are pretty good. Its a bloody difficult skill & one that inhibits potential umpires from taking up the caper.

Mark Fraser was seen as a supposedly good umpire who got most of the decisions right, just lacked the ability to bounce the ball & it cut his umpiring career short.

If this change can get better umpires into the system then surely its a good thing.

[Remi Moses]

I'd dispense with the bounce of the ball.
What sport does an official need a skill?
We're losing umpires, and we're having trouble getting them!
Falls under the guise of the AFL's occasional "tradition" line.

[craigsahibee]

Agree with getting rid of the bounce around the ground . Ok to start the game with the traditional bounce but just throw it in the air around the ground.

What about even getting the umpires the throw it up and out in front of them around the ground? In doing so they can create the ruck contest about 5 metres in front of where they are standing which negates the need to back out backwards. They can remain in the one spot avoiding contact with players and also keep their eyes raised and potentially see more indiscretions. Just a thought.

By taking the need to bounce the ball it may keep the likes of Mark Fraser in the umpiring ranks as TCD suggested, which should improve the overall standard.

[jeemak]

Pretty ill informed comment there Andrew. The vast majority of bounces are pretty good. Its a bloody difficult skill & one that inhibits potential umpires from taking up the caper.

Mark Fraser was seen as a supposedly good umpire who got most of the decisions right, just lacked the ability to bounce the ball & it cut his umpiring career short.

If this change can get better umpires into the system then surely its a good thing.

Tend to agree with this. I can't think of any sports that requires its officials to master such a difficult skill, and for me it will remove a significan't amount of unnecessary pressure from them.

Now if they could just put a rule in place where players aren't allowed to appeal for free kicks as if they're appealing for a wicket I'd be happy! Players appealing for deliberately out of bounds or rushed behinds, and high contact in a wrestle irritate me no end and don't make the umpires jobs any easier.

The boundary throw in rules are a little bit silly, because incidental contact will happen when two large and lumbering players are going towards a ball in the air. More and more players in contests are being penalised because they're stronger than their opponents, and I can't see this reducing.

[Scraggers]

It has been happening for years now, the AFL meddling with the rules. The bump is gone, contact is almost completely outlawed and now umpires will no longer bounced the ball around the ground, instead it will be thrown up. This is topped up by ruckman unable to touch each other during a throw in.

I don't know about others but this changes AFL dramatically and I am slowly getting to a point of complete disinterest.

(Not often I do this but ...) I completely disagree with you Bornadog !!

I think the changes made this year are for the betterment of the game. The 'clenching' of the rucks at bounces around the ground and boundary throw-ins were deterring from the game, and a lot of the time lead to a re-bounce. The same goes for the bounce around the ground ... how often did the ball have to be re-bounced because the umpire was unable to bounce it straight? (not a shot at the umpires ... I can't do any better)

Last year's head-high bump and sliding in under the players knees; also good rules.

The only one I'm still not sure about is the 'sub' rule ... not sure if it helps or hinders just yet.

The trial of restricted interchange during the pre-season next year is also one rule I'm not sold on yet ... happy to see how it plays out though.

[Cyberdoggie]

I don't have a problem with it, and i think once the season starts no one will even care because it just makes sense.

The ruck rule i also agree on as i have no interest in watching 2 large men grab each others arms all day, then all of a sudden one of them doesn't and falls or loses balance and that is considered a free kick.

It's a stupid situation and needs to be cleared up, it's not like the game is being robbed of anything as it's ugly to watch. It's like two men trying to wrestle but they are also not trying to.

[bornadog]

(Not often I do this but ...) I completely disagree with you Bornadog !!

I think the changes made this year are for the betterment of the game. The 'clenching' of the rucks at bounces around the ground and boundary throw-ins were deterring from the game, and a lot of the time lead to a re-bounce. The same goes for the bounce around the ground ... how often did the ball have to be re-bounced because the umpire was unable to bounce it straight? (not a shot at the umpires ... I can't do any better)

Last year's head-high bump and sliding in under the players knees; also good rules.

The only one I'm still not sure about is the 'sub' rule ... not sure if it helps or hinders just yet.

The trial of restricted interchange during the pre-season next year is also one rule I'm not sold on yet ... happy to see how it plays out though.

There are already rules in place to stop players wrestling in the ruck, its just the umpires don't enforce it.

I am sorry but as far as the bounce is concerned, this is really something that makes our game different to others. The game is becoming very clinical and moving more and more towards Gaelic type of football.

The bounce must stay, we are not playing basketball or netball. God umpires have been bouncing the ball for how many decades and all of a sudden they don't know how to??

[AndrewP6]

Pretty ill informed comment there Andrew.


No, perhaps just a poorly executed joke, I forgot the smiley face.

[gohardorgohome]

The ability to position your body and hold your position using body strength at a ruck contest is a skill within itself. It gives guys who are not as tall or do not have a great leap the opportunity win ruck contests.

This rule change brings things more in favor to players who are tall and can jump.

Not a great change to the game in my opinion.

The bounce should be completely removed. It does not improve the game at all. It limits the talent pool of people who can adjudicate our game and also be semi elite runners.

[KT31]

With this rule change we should get Skinner to ruck around the ground.

[bornadog]

The bounce should be completely removed. It does not improve the game at all. It limits the talent pool of people who can adjudicate our game and also be semi elite runners.

While we are at it lets get rid of bouncing the ball when you run or have zones you can't enter, or you can't kick backwards. Throwing the ball up compared to bouncing does effect the way ruckman ruck.

Your argument and others who have mentioned it doesn't stack up as the umpire still has to bounce the ball after a goal. My argument is we are changing a fundamental part of our game. May not change the game a lot but its something unique, its history its part of AFL.

[gohardorgohome]

I think you may have misread where I stated that I feel the bounce should be completely removed. It serves no purpose. Why further reduce the talent pool for umpires? It is criminal to lose umpires who have a good ability to adjudicate the game just because they cannot execute a skill.

It add nothing to our game and can give advantage to one side or the other if not executed correctly.

[bornadog]

I think you may have misread where I stated that I feel the bounce should be completely removed. It serves no purpose. Why further reduce the talent pool for umpires? It is criminal to lose umpires who have a good ability to adjudicate the game just because they cannot execute a skill.

It add nothing to our game and can give advantage to one side or the other if not executed correctly.

No, I said your argument is flawed because they still need the skill to bounce at the centre.

The AFL's reason for not bouncing is nothing to do with the skill. The AFL says by throwing the ball up the congestion around ball ups will not happen as often as the game will flow quicker. This is just utter rubbish.

[gohardorgohome]

I may have to spell this out better .... I want the umpires bounce completely removed. The AFL should also remove the bounce from both centre ball ups..... And around the ground stoppages....

My reasons were spelt out in my previous posts.


If this speeds up play as a by product I am happy.

[bornadog]

I may have to spell this out better .... I want the umpires bounce completely removed. The AFL should also remove the bounce from both centre ball ups..... And around the ground stoppages....

My reasons were spelt out in my previous posts.


If this speeds up play as a by product I am happy.

Ok, sorry that I misunderstood your position.

we will have to agree to disagree as we are throwing out 100 years of tradition. Just a joke that this game is constantly changed, because a couple of individuals want to change the way the game is played.

No rules will make the game what the AFL envisage it to be played like. Every rule they make is to fix a rule they changed previously.

[Hotdog60]

We'll be having kick offs to start the game next.