No chopping allowed

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  • Troy G
    On the Rookie List
    • Jan 2003
    • 527

    No chopping allowed

    The AFL Umpiring Department today issued a note to all 16 clubs clarifying the instructions for senior AFL umpires when assessing a potential free kick under Law 15.4.5 (d), where a player deliberately interferes or 'chops' the arms of a marking player, following a number of enquiries.

    AFL Umpiring Director Jeff Gieschen confirmed that umpires were being instructed that the prime consideration for a free kick under this Law was whether the spoiling player 'deliberately interfered with the arms of his opponent'.

    "For the particular free kick of interfering with the arms of a marking player, the umpire has a number of points to consider to help him decide if the spoiling player has infringed or not," Gieschen said.

    "We tell the umpires to consider:

    has the spoiling player made a genuine attempt to spoil the ball;
    has the spoiling player got his eyes on the ball or the arms of his opponent;
    has the spoiling player made contact near the ball and;
    has the marking player been unfairly infringed to the extent he can't make an ordinary attempt to mark."
    Gieschen said the umpires were instructed that the essence of the Law was that the spoiling player had to be trying to play the ball, and not take the marking player out of the contest.

    A number of video examples have also been forwarded to clubs and these are to be posted on the AFL website, afl.com.au.

    Gieschen said the umpiring department wished to stress there would be no change to interpretation in 2005 and all clubs and players are referred back to the umpiring decisional DVD that was presented pre-season. The DVD is also available on the AFL website, afl.com.au.
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