Umpires

[Adelaide Hawk]

Very good post LEH, I agree with each point you made. I will add this to the "rewarding the second man in" debate. In the AFL, we are now seeing players tackle opponents in anticipation that they receive the ball. In other words, the player is about to take possession and is already being tackled by his opponent. It should be a free for holding, but is not being paid that way.

It is creeping into SANFL, and I saw several incidents Thursday night were players were tackled prior to receiving the ball. It has to be stamped out because the ball winner is being given absolutely no time at all to dispose of the football. This is leading to ridiculous tackle counts and more stoppages.

[Adelaide Hawk]

There has been a particular focus on one particular interpertation of the holding the ball rule this year as shown in the AFL laws dvd.
it states that even if a player has no prior oppotunitythat if correctly tackled, then they must make an ATTEMPT to dispose of the football. if the player just absorbs the tackle or holds the ball in without making any attempt then he will be pinged.

And that is what I am referring to in my above post. No prior opportunity, must make an attempt. Hard to do when you are being tackled a split second prior to taking possession. It gives you no time whatsoever to weigh up how to get rid of the ball. Why would anyone take possession when the ball is hot these days?

[footy1992]

There has been a particular focus on one particular interpertation of the holding the ball rule this year as shown in the AFL laws dvd.
it states that even if a player has no prior oppotunitythat if correctly tackled, then they must make an ATTEMPT to dispose of the football. if the player just absorbs the tackle or holds the ball in without making any attempt then he will be pinged.

And that is what I am referring to in my above post. No prior opportunity, must make an attempt. Hard to do when you are being tackled a split second prior to taking possession. It gives you no time whatsoever to weigh up how to get rid of the ball. Why would anyone take possession when the ball is hot these days?

As long as you make an attempt to knock the ball free (may only be a little pump of your arm towards the footy) the ball will be balled up. But as you mention in split second situations it is quite hard to get your arms free at all to even 'make an attempt'

As for the large number for 25 and 50m penalties, from what i have seen, it looks like they are trying to crack down on the opposition player being able to "hold up" the player. IMO i think its fair enough the player should be able to play on without being held if he wants.

both of the rules i think are aimed at making our game faster and faster like the AFL

[whufc]

There has been a particular focus on one particular interpertation of the holding the ball rule this year as shown in the AFL laws dvd.
it states that even if a player has no prior oppotunitythat if correctly tackled, then they must make an ATTEMPT to dispose of the football. if the player just absorbs the tackle or holds the ball in without making any attempt then he will be pinged.

And that is what I am referring to in my above post. No prior opportunity, must make an attempt. Hard to do when you are being tackled a split second prior to taking possession. It gives you no time whatsoever to weigh up how to get rid of the ball. Why would anyone take possession when the ball is hot these days?

As long as you make an attempt to knock the ball free (may only be a little pump of your arm towards the footy) the ball will be balled up. But as you mention in split second situations it is quite hard to get your arms free at all to even 'make an attempt'

As for the large number for 25 and 50m penalties, from what i have seen, it looks like they are trying to crack down on the opposition player being able to "hold up" the player. IMO i think its fair enough the player should be able to play on without being held if he wants.

both of the rules i think are aimed at making our game faster and faster like the AFL

I don't think the players being slightly held after taking a mark is a huge issue. it evens itself out when you take into account the amount of times players play on while the umpire is setting the defender on the mark, or when the ump plays advantage and everyone has stopped except for one player.

There are also alot more players using the umpire as a screen when playing on as well, just leave the rules the way they are imho.

[Dutchy]

Can anyone tell me a season when we were happy with the umpires?

[whufc]

Can anyone tell me a season when we were happy with the umpires?

Im not to upset with the umpires as long as they are umpiring the SANFL style and not being too influenced by the AFL.

The only interpretation that is annoying me at this stage is the 25m penalty after a player takes a mark for a small grab, especially on the smaller SANFL grounds the penalty is extremly harsh. They were real harsh on this a few years ago but then eased of as the season went on maybe the same will happen again.

Must say though umpiring in the SANFL is way better than the AFL and a million miles better than the amatuer umpires in the amatuer league. We don't have alot to complain about.

[hottie]

Spot on dutchy,thats the point i was trying to make initially.Footy has changed at a frantic rate the way its now coached,played and umpired.As i stated umpires have always been bagged since i remember and it wont change,they make mistakes just as players do,part of being human,we will still go and watch and enjoy.

[Wedgie]

I can provide one positive piece of feedback to the umpires on yesterday's performance.
Well done to the 1 umpire that eventually cottoned on to Sturt's No 25 for continuously (and dangerously) taking out Gills legs from under him after every mark Gill took. Only got the 1 25 metre penatly (probably the only one of a dozen deserved for the day) for it but I hope its something other umpires pick up on earlier in the future as its a bloody dangerous and gutless practise IMHO. It infuriated me.

[UK Fan]

I don't think it is the umpires, I think it's the way they're directed to umpire mainly but I could be wrong.

Nah i think you are correct Wedgie. Something has changed with the umps and it isnt for the better.

[dedja]

Can anyone tell me a season when we were happy with the umpires?

give the man a cigar ...

[FlyingHigh]

There has been a particular focus on one particular interpertation of the holding the ball rule this year as shown in the AFL laws dvd.
it states that even if a player has no prior oppotunitythat if correctly tackled, then they must make an ATTEMPT to dispose of the football. if the player just absorbs the tackle or holds the ball in without making any attempt then he will be pinged.

And that is what I am referring to in my above post. No prior opportunity, must make an attempt. Hard to do when you are being tackled a split second prior to taking possession. It gives you no time whatsoever to weigh up how to get rid of the ball. Why would anyone take possession when the ball is hot these days?

As long as you make an attempt to knock the ball free (may only be a little pump of your arm towards the footy) the ball will be balled up. But as you mention in split second situations it is quite hard to get your arms free at all to even 'make an attempt'

As for the large number for 25 and 50m penalties, from what i have seen, it looks like they are trying to crack down on the opposition player being able to "hold up" the player. IMO i think its fair enough the player should be able to play on without being held if he wants.

both of the rules i think are aimed at making our game faster and faster like the AFL

It's a pretty fine line between rewarding the chasers effort and not encouraging them to sweat off waiting for someone else to take possession. In the past the SANFL umpires seem to have done this reasonably well, even if it occassionally makes for a slightly less exciting game - at least it was being umpired with the players in mind. Watching the Eagles/Port, admittedly on telly, they seemed to go to far in rewarding the player sweating off.

Disagree with you footy1992 about the "holding-up-the-player" How many times do we see umpires calling play-on for the player just blinking sideways? All the time in the AFL, now creeping into the SANFL. Yet when a player legitimately tries to play on and the bloke on the mark anticipates it, the defender gets penalised.

[footy1992]

There has been a particular focus on one particular interpertation of the holding the ball rule this year as shown in the AFL laws dvd.
it states that even if a player has no prior oppotunitythat if correctly tackled, then they must make an ATTEMPT to dispose of the football. if the player just absorbs the tackle or holds the ball in without making any attempt then he will be pinged.

And that is what I am referring to in my above post. No prior opportunity, must make an attempt. Hard to do when you are being tackled a split second prior to taking possession. It gives you no time whatsoever to weigh up how to get rid of the ball. Why would anyone take possession when the ball is hot these days?

As long as you make an attempt to knock the ball free (may only be a little pump of your arm towards the footy) the ball will be balled up. But as you mention in split second situations it is quite hard to get your arms free at all to even 'make an attempt'

As for the large number for 25 and 50m penalties, from what i have seen, it looks like they are trying to crack down on the opposition player being able to "hold up" the player. IMO i think its fair enough the player should be able to play on without being held if he wants.

both of the rules i think are aimed at making our game faster and faster like the AFL

It's a pretty fine line between rewarding the chasers effort and not encouraging them to sweat off waiting for someone else to take possession. In the past the SANFL umpires seem to have done this reasonably well, even if it occassionally makes for a slightly less exciting game - at least it was being umpired with the players in mind. Watching the Eagles/Port, admittedly on telly, they seemed to go to far in rewarding the player sweating off.

Disagree with you footy1992 about the "holding-up-the-player" How many times do we see umpires calling play-on for the player just blinking sideways? All the time in the AFL, now creeping into the SANFL. Yet when a player legitimately tries to play on and the bloke on the mark anticipates it, the defender gets penalised.

I see what your saying but once the player starts moving off his line, he is playing on and generally the umpire will call play on straight away, but in some case player creep around the mark, instead of moving on a horizontal line to the mark and thats generally when the umpire pick the player up for encroachment of the mark.

[Tiger Couple]

I think with a change to the positioning the umpires would do a lot better job. Pretty much every sport either umpires from the outside and looks in or has people on the outside to help the official in the middle. Basketball, Hockey, Netball are all umpired from the outside and Rugby Union, Rugby League, Soccer have one umpire on the field and then two on the sideline helping out.

I think Football umpires need to have there system changed to something that allows them to cover more angles rather than all standing in a straight line.

I thought the umpires were alright at Richmond. Hardly any 25m penalties to either team.

The one interesting call was the West player getting collected by his own player and Colin Rowston playing a free kick from 60 metres away to West. Still we all make mistakes.

(Fixed my long weekend brain faid)

[am Bays]

Ahh Richard wasn't at Richmond it was Colin Rowston who paid that. Personally wasn't that fussed with that decision.

[CK]

I think with a change to the positioning the umpires would do a lot better job. Pretty much every sport either umpires from the outside and looks in or has people on the outside to help the official in the middle. Basketball, Hockey, Netball are all umpired from the outside and Rugby Union, Rugby League, Soccer have one umpire on the field and then two on the sideline helping out.

I think Football umpires need to have there system changed to something that allows them to cover more angles rather than all standing in a straight line.

I thought the umpires were alright at Richmond. Hardly any 25m penalties to either team.

The one interesting call was the West player getting collected by his own player and Richard Williams playing a free kick from 60 metres away to West. Still we all make mistakes.

Richard has pretty good vision, but to pay that from around 8km's away at Woodville is pretty impressive

[Adelaide Hawk]

I think Football umpires need to have there system changed to something that allows them to cover more angles rather than all standing in a straight line.

All that needs to change is for umpires to just watch the game, when they see a free kick according to the written rules, just pay it. Don't interpret the hell out of it, just pay it. Don't worry about what the player's motivation is, and all these other silly things they factor into it, if a player ids grabeed high, pay it. If a player is holding the ball, pay it. Umpiring is nowhere near as difficult as it is made by umpiring coaches, etc.

And I think the thing that annoys me more is it appears to matter most what part of the ground the infringmenet occurs. The free kick Norwood were able to pick up with regularity across half back and full back (to get the free kick numbers up) is suddenly no longer a free kick when we get the ball ahead of centre. I've always wanted to know why that is.