Umpires Joke

[WASwansFanatic]

The AFL is a @@@@ing joke and must be stopped they are ruining the game.
It is turning into bloody netball. No contests no physicallity. The umpires are trying to make a name for themselves.
Bloody joke.

[NMWBloods]

I thought this thread was going to go more like...

* Why did the umpire cross the road?
* An umpire walks into a bar...
* How many umpires does it take to screw the Swans...

[WASwansFanatic]

Well if an umpire did walk into a bar he'd get king hit!
I am just totally over the AFL and what they are doing to the game.
Matthew Richardson's push in back tonight prime example.
absolute crap.
something has to be done. Demetriou has to go. Forget bloody Howard v Rudd. Get rid of Demetriou before he kills the game.

[swantastic]

Agree that bloody HITB rule is utter crap some of the free kicks are a joke,it seems even if you just touch some one ITB in passing you give away a free

[Cher]

Well if an umpire did walk into a bar he'd get king hit!
I am just totally over the AFL and what they are doing to the game.
Matthew Richardson's push in back tonight prime example.
absolute crap.

I agree with you there, you can't touch anyone these days. These new rules are just spoiling the game so much
And I'm real angry as I picked Richmond to win!!!

[ScottH]

I thought he only held his position, until the last second where he launched away to tak ethe mark. It wasn't a blatant push in the back like some others.

Very unlucky Richo/Richmond.

[Xie Shan]

Robert Walls made the point after the game that out of the 15 years Richo has been playing footy, that would have been a mark in the first 14 years, but not this year. (I feel so dirty after agreeing with Walls!!)

It's a free kick according to the new rule, but it's a stupid rule to begin with. To use an example, Hall and MO'L in particular have taken countless marks similar to Richo's in the past, often they've been allowed where the contact is incidental, but other times quite rightly called back for a push. Yes, the umps still often got it wrong under the old push in the back rule (so what else is new?!) and the AFL probably thinks that by making the rule clear-cut they are making it easier for umpires to defend their decisions, but Richo has a point when he says it's not in the spirit of the game. Source

As for the 50m penalty, well, Richo was unlucky there. It seemed like he genuinely did not hear the whistle, and besides, by the time the umpire blew the whistle he was already well into his kicking action.

[Nolie]

It's a free kick according to the new rule, but it's a stupid rule to begin with. ,

Unfortunately the umpires are making the decisions "robotically". As soon as a hand is merely touching the back they award a free. There is no weighing up of whether the contact moves a player out of position or unfairly affects his going for the ball. As mentioned further down in Xie's post the rue is not being applied in the "spirit of the game".

[goswannie14]

Every week there are more complaints about this new interpretation of the push in the back rule. Exactly what we had talked about at the start of the year is what Richo was penalised for, protecting himself.

Change dangerous hand-in-back rule: Tiger chief

EDIT: I posted this in another thread, but thought this was more appropriate.

[cruiser]

For as long as this rule exists, players are going to have to try to use their arms rather than their hands to steady themselves in these types of marking contests.

[Industrial Fan]

I agree with you there, you can't touch anyone these days. These new rules are just spoiling the game so much
And I'm real angry as I picked Richmond to win!!!

I tipped Richmond AND Melbourne this week....

Oh so close....

[cruiser]

I tipped Richmond AND Melbourne this week....

Oh so close....

Hmm, I suspect you're in the bottom half rankings of your tipping comp and in need of tipping a few upsets to catch up.

[reigning premier]

And I'm real angry as I picked Richmond to win!!!

Regardless of the result, that was a pretty silly thing to do in the first place.

[Chow-Chicker]

Well there you go. I've been saying it for ages. Now they're all in a fit of rage over the new interpretation of a rule that doesn't exist. Well, Richmond can thank one of their favourite son's (Kevin Bartlett) for the most idiotic interpretation of a rule that doesn't even appear in the Laws of the game! The game is in good hands, my friends....

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

I agree with you there, you can't touch anyone these days. These new rules are just spoiling the game so much
And I'm real angry as I picked Richmond to win!!!

I can only agree. I think the adage of "no easy frees" should be undertaken by the umpires. Let the players earn their frees, knowing that buy going full boar at the footy that they will be able to use their bodies legally. The new rules not only create more stoppages in play, they take the physically bodywork out of marking contests.

My adage is that if 2 players are wrestling for front position in a marking contest, as Richardson was doing on Saturday night, LET THEM NUT IT OUT THEMSELVES. PLAY ON FFS! The contact Richardson made whilst technically being there was so marginal that he can feel hardly done buy.

Let players feel comfortable in the fact that they can still get involved in physical contests with their opponents. These rules which were created to speed the game up have actually backfired. Because free kicks are picked out meaning players have to go back and take a kick. Which in this day and age means players take ages then chip it laterally to somebody not marked.

We need to encourage one-on one contested possession, not dissuade them due to stupid rules.

JF
PS:- If you want footy the way it used to be, watch the SANFL tonight on ABC 2. They can still cream each other and the umpires seem to not be so slap-happy with the technical frees such as the push in the backs we see every week in the AFL these days.