Dropping the ball

[mightytiges]

Is it just me or are more and more players now just dropping the ball as soon as they feel the contact from a tackle when in trouble?

The Pies today were doing this regularly to avoid being pinged for holding the ball. I thought dropping the ball was illegal disposal  ???.

[tigersalive]

Is it just me or are more and more players now just dropping the ball as soon as they feel the contact from a tackle when in trouble?

The Pies today were doing this regularly to avoid being pinged for holding the ball. I thought dropping the ball was illegal disposal  ???.

It's backwards now.  If you drop the ball you are okay but if you hold it in it's holding the ball.

[mightytiges]

It's backwards now.  If you drop the ball you are okay but if you hold it in it's holding the ball.

So back to the old KB rule  ???

[Judge Roughneck]

Is it just me or are more and more players now just dropping the ball as soon as they feel the contact from a tackle when in trouble?

The Pies today were doing this regularly to avoid being pinged for holding the ball. I thought dropping the ball was illegal disposal  ???.

the AFL change the rules every F*cking 4 weeks.

[Mr Magic]

Is it just me or are more and more players now just dropping the ball as soon as they feel the contact from a tackle when in trouble?

The Pies today were doing this regularly to avoid being pinged for holding the ball. I thought dropping the ball was illegal disposal  ???.

Glad it's not just you who noticed it.
I find the lack of officiating on this really frustrating.
However, the interpretation of the current rule is explained below:

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Holding the Football—Prior Opportunity/No Prior Opportunity

Where the field Umpire is satisfied that a Player in possession of the football:

(a) has had a prior opportunity to dispose of the football, the field Umpire shall award a free kick against that Player if the Player does not kick or handball the football immediately when he or she is correctly tackled; or

(b) has not had a prior opportunity to dispose of the football, the field Umpire shall award a free kick against that Player if, upon being correctly tackled, the Player does not correctly dispose or attempt to correctly dispose of the football after being given a reasonable opportunity to do so.

Application — Specific instances where play shall continue for the avoidance of doubt, the field Umpire shall allow play to continue when:

(a) a Player is bumped and the football falls from the Player’s hands;

(b) a Player’s arm is knocked which causes the Player to lose possession of the football;

(c) a Player’s arms are pinned to his or her side by an opponent which causes the Player to drop the football, unless the Player has had a prior opportunity to correctly Dispose of the football, in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply;

(d) a Player, whilst in the act of kicking or handballing, is swung off-balance and does not make contact with the football by either foot or hand, unless the player has had a prior opportunity to correctly Dispose of the football, in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply; or

(e) a Player is pulled or swung by one arm which causes the football to fall from the Player’s hands, unless the Player has had a prior opportunity to correctly dispose of the football, in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply.

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The main problem with the highlighted areas in the application of the rule that I can see is too often of late we see good tackles go unrewarded when the ball comes loose from the tackled opponent.
Once the ball hits the deck it's then generally in a 50/50 contest and often goes to the tackled players team's advantage.
That's very unfair on the player who has made the tackle.
At the point of contact if you drop the footy, you should be penalised if you have had prior opportunity.

Bring back dropping the ball.

[Penelope]

I disagree with you there Mr Magic. I find it extremely frustrating to see blokes getting pinned for holding/dropping the ball when they have had no opportunity to get rid of it. The game is about going in and getting the pill, and the bloke who makes the play should be looked after. Sometimes I wonder now if you would be better off to not attack the ball, but to wait for someone else to get it and tackle them.

Remember that if your opponent beats you to the ball and you lay a tackle, thus preventing them from getting a clean disposal, then that is reward in itself.

When a player has had prior opportunity to dispose of the ball, then yes they should be penalised for incorrect disposal.

Whith the trend MT mentions, I think that has come about because of the way they are interpreting the law at the moment. The umpires are under instructions to ping the bloke with the ball if he makes no attempt to get rid of it, regardless of prior opprtunity, but the umpires have obviously never played the game because they are pinging blokes who physically can not make an effort to get of it because of the tackle. So now if the players feel any contact as they take possesion they are letting the ball go. Not the direction I want to see the game going in.

Watching last nights game, at times I was reminded of Rugby union, where the pack forms and the player with possession is trying to release the ball to advantage of their teammates. Keep this up and they will soon be able to play a hybrid international series against the british lions

[Mr Magic]

I disagree with you there Mr Magic. I find it extremely frustrating to see blokes getting pinned for holding/dropping the ball when they have had no opportunity to get rid of it.

At the point of contact if you drop the footy, you should be penalised if you have had prior opportunity.

[Penelope]

Sorry MM, I missed that part. Fell into the trap of not reading the whole post properly. Pretty common on here, but do I try not to do it.

[HD]

One of the biggest problems with that rule is the umpires' varying definitions of "prior opportunity". Some umps will allow unfair amounts of time or distance to go by without considering that as prior opportunity.

Is there any definition in the rules of what "prior opportunity" actually is? If you ask me, prior opportunity is two steps or two seconds - within two steps/seconds you could have handballed or kicked the footy, if there was no-one around to actually kick or handball to then your teammates have let you down and a tackler in that situation should be rewarded.

And dropping is an illegal disposal, prior opporunity or no - unless an opposing player deliberately interferes with the ball (chops the arm or bats the football out of the players hands) it should be up to the tackled player to handle and dispose of the ball correctly.

In junior footy kids are taught to wrap up a players arms to prevent him getting a clean disposal, similarly they are taught to raise their arms before getting tackled to keep them free for a clean disposal - in all of that if "professional" footballers can't keep their hands on the footy and dispose of it cleanly they should be penalised and the tackler rewarded.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Ambiguity in the rule much like the holding the ball rule.

A better team tends to have more luck than a struggling team.

Remember a game at the G in 07 against the Weagles where Judd and Kerr were tackled on numerous times by our players on rotated 360 degrees et weren't called for holding it by the umps yet Jacko got pinned by an ambiguous one that day. All in the umps interpretation which more often than not benefits the much higher placed side.

[Mr Magic]

Ambiguity in the rule much like the holding the ball rule.

A better team tends to have more luck than a struggling team.

Remember a game at the G in 07 against the Weagles where Judd and Kerr were tackled on numerous times by our players on rotated 360 degrees et weren't called for holding it by the umps yet Jacko got pinned by an ambiguous one that day. All in the umps interpretation which more often than not benefits the much higher placed side.

Too true.
Reckon Judd and Ablett get afforded more time than most by the maggots.

Imagine if they'd been penalised like Whitey in that first NAB cup game?
There would be an umpiring inquisition.

[Penelope]

The worst one i saw was last year or the year before. Mcguane was leading his opponent to the ball who grabbed one of Mcquanes arms before he took possession, yet Mcquane got pinned for incorrect disposal, even though he tried to kick it straight away. 

[mightytiges]

Ambiguity in the rule much like the holding the ball rule.

A better team tends to have more luck than a struggling team.

Remember a game at the G in 07 against the Weagles where Judd and Kerr were tackled on numerous times by our players on rotated 360 degrees et weren't called for holding it by the umps yet Jacko got pinned by an ambiguous one that day. All in the umps interpretation which more often than not benefits the much higher placed side.

Too true.
Reckon Judd and Ablett get afforded more time than most by the maggots.

Imagine if they'd been penalised like Whitey in that first NAB cup game?
There would be an umpiring inquisition.

Yep they are very lenient with 360s for the likes of Judd. It's as though because they can clear the ball if given time the umps let it go to keep the game moving whereas your average sod is pinged to avoid a stoppage.

Cheers Magic for posting the list. On reading them again as Hadyn mentioned the grey area is what each ump on the day classes as "prior opportunity". Still IMO deliberately just letting the ball drop from your hands as soon as you feel contact (that is the ball hasn't be knocked out by the tackler) should still be classed as illegal disposal irrespective of how much time you've had as it is a cheat way to gain a free from the tackler going through with the tackle. I'd rather that be scruntised more while holding onto the ball in a tackle where you've had little prior opportunity and you're the only one making the play be let go more as al mentioned.

[Smokey]

Yep they are very lenient with 360s for the likes of Judd. It's as though because they can clear the ball if given time the umps let it go to keep the game moving whereas your average sod is pinged to avoid a stoppage.

Cheers Magic for posting the list. On reading them again as Hadyn mentioned the grey area is what each ump on the day classes as "prior opportunity". Still IMO deliberately just letting the ball drop from your hands as soon as you feel contact (that is the ball hasn't be knocked out by the tackler) should still be classed as illegal disposal irrespective of how much time you've had as it is a cheat way to gain a free from the tackler going through with the tackle. I'd rather that be scruntised more while holding onto the ball in a tackle where you've had little prior opportunity and you're the only one making the play be let go more as al mentioned.

Yep, what he said. 

[HD]

Yep they are very lenient with 360s for the likes of Judd. It's as though because they can clear the ball if given time the umps let it go to keep the game moving whereas your average sod is pinged to avoid a stoppage.

Cheers Magic for posting the list. On reading them again as Hadyn mentioned the grey area is what each ump on the day classes as "prior opportunity". Still IMO deliberately just letting the ball drop from your hands as soon as you feel contact (that is the ball hasn't be knocked out by the tackler) should still be classed as illegal disposal irrespective of how much time you've had as it is a cheat way to gain a free from the tackler going through with the tackle. I'd rather that be scruntised more while holding onto the ball in a tackle where you've had little prior opportunity and you're the only one making the play be let go more as al mentioned.

Yep, what he said. 

It seems so simple to everyone else, why can't the AFL and the Umpires get it right