One substitute & 3 interchange in for 2011

[one-eyed]

Split bench mooted

  * Mark Stevens and Jackie Epstein
  * Herald Sun
  * July 30, 2010

A SWITCH to three interchange players and a single substitute has emerged as an option as debate rages about capping rotations.

The move is one of several scenarios the AFL will put to clubs as it seeks stuff on the issue.

A drop from the four to three "live" players on the bench would restrict rotation options.

Any substitute could only replace a player who is off the ground for the rest of the game.

Injury would obviously bring the substitute into play, but it is unclear whether a player could be "subbed" off early if he was having a bad day.

Some clubs feel it is more likely the AFL will place a straight cap on bench moves.

But there is concern there could be a combination of a cap and three/one split on the interchange bench.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson did not rule out the three interchange/one substitute option when the Herald Sun put it to him, but he stopped short of saying it was in the mix ahead of next month's Laws of the Game Committee meeting.

Anderson simply said there were many options under consideration.

Coaches continue to speak out on the cap debate, with Richmond's Damien Hardwick yesterday declaring the future of Ben Cousins could hinge on whether there is a limit.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott condemned the cap, warning it could turn the game into a "circus".

Hardwick said he wanted to know now what changes the AFL would implement so he can plan for next year.

"That's something we'll have to weigh up (about Cousins) and that's why we'd like to know earlier rather than later," Hardwick said.

"The four interchange players has allowed you to play guys a little bit older but the speed of the game can also take that away.

"It's on a knife edge either way. From our point of view all we want is to be informed about which way it's going."

The AFL is set to restrict the number of interchange rotations teams can make, despite the opposition of other coaches including Carlton's Brett Ratten, Collingwood's Mick Malthouse and the Western Bulldogs' Rodney Eade.

Cousins, 32, is hoping to play on and has bounced back well after a health scare.

Scott said the AFL had presented North with evidence that he described as "flimsy at best" relating increased interchanges to more injuries.

"We could get into a situation where it's really, really messy," he said.

"If we pluck an arbitrary figure of 80 rotations per game, which is 20 a quarter, and if we get to the 25 minute mark in a quarter and we've had our 20 rotations and there's a guy limping around in the forward pocket, what do we do?

"Do we take him off, do we leave him on, if we take him off what penalty do we get for going over our 20?

"If they allow for an injury, what's an injury? He could get a knock (and) we're not sure whether he's injured or not. It will be an absolute nightmare."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/split-bench-mooted/story-e6frf9jf-1225898708789

[one-eyed]

Substitutes in for 2011
By Adam McNicol
12:15 PM Mon 04 Oct, 2010


AFL TEAMS will have three interchange players and one substitute on their benches in 2011 after the League acted to curb the dramatic rise in the number of rotations during matches.

The new rule, which was trialled in the 2009 and 2010 NAB Cup competitions, will allow clubs to introduce their substitute into games at any time, but the player who is replaced cannot return to the field.
 
"Interchange numbers per club have doubled from an average of 58 per game in 2007 to 117 per game in 2010," AFL football operations manager and chairman of the laws of the game committee Adrian Anderson said.

The AFL has cited three reasons - congestion, fairness and injuries - for changing the interchange rules for the first time since the fourth bench player was added in 1998.
 
"The use of interchange has created more congestion, more stoppages, more defensive pressure and has contributed to a drop in disposal efficiency," Anderson said.
 
"The laws committee was also concerned about the increasing effect of the interchange on match fairness.

"The interchange was originally designed to help teams when they had an injury, but was increasingly a disadvantage to a team with an injury, because it was unable to rotate their players as much as the opposition.
 
"The medical advice was also telling us that a restriction should be applied to try to arrest the current injury trend."


 
The league has made two other changes for the 2011 season.

The advantage rule trialled in this year's pre-season NAB Cup competition, whereby the player not the umpire determines whether there is an advantage in playing on after a free kick, will be introduced.
 
In addition, the rule on head high bumps has been clarified.

A player who elects to apply a bump in any situation can now expect to be reported if he makes forceful contact with the head, unless:

- the player was contesting the ball and did not have a realistic alternative way to contest the ball
-  the contact was caused by circumstances outside the control of the player which could not be reasonably foreseen.

The laws committee did not recommend any change to the game's scoring system, nor any change to the length of quarters.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/103656/default.aspx

[tugga]

Interesting. The club was certain they would go with 2-2.

[Stripes]

This is a rediculous decision which would have been recommended on by the very clubs that have most abused the interchange process. Reducing the amount of players that can interchange will reduce the amount of interchanges initially but will not curb the frantic process at all. In fact it could be argued it will increase it with fewer players able to swap during the game so the more changes that would need to be made. If the AFL was serious about changing the way the interchange is being used they should have placed a cap on the amount of interchanges made and/or more substitutes ie 2/2 split.

I can't see this changing much at all other than add an extra interesting dimension to the game as to what type of player to have as a substitute and when they will be introduced. This is a similar rule to Soccer.

Stripes

[Infamy]

You never know, this may be part of a plan to phase into a 2+2 arrangement, they will dip their toe in the water with 3+1 and see how it goes from there.
In a way, given they were always going to make a change, this is probably the best of the methods provided

[the claw]

does not go far enough as usual anderson lacks the courage of his convictions. im sure malthouse and maguires bleating had them only do half a job.

[torch]

WHAT A JOKE!

THIS WILL CAUSE MORE INJURIES!

BIG poo IF INTERCHANGES ARE OVER 150 PER MATCH!

BIG stuffing poo!

WHAT HAPPENES IF TWO PLAYERS GET INJURIED DURING THE MATCH?

stuffing JOKE AFL! THIS IS A RULE THAT DID NOT NEED TO BE CHANGED!

PLAYERS WILL NOT ENJOY THIS RULE!

THOSE PLAYERS THAT ARE A SUB, THEY WILL NOT ENJOY PLAYING 20-30 MINUTES PER MATCH!


Edit: swearing

[1965]

WHAT A JOKE!

THIS WILL CAUSE MORE INJURIES!

BIG stuffing poo IF INTERCHANGES ARE OVER 150 PER MATCH!

BIG stuffing poo!

WHAT HAPPENES IF TWO PLAYERS GET INJURIED DURING THE MATCH?

stuffing JOKE AFL! THIS IS A RULE THAT DID NOT NEED TO BE CHANGED!

PLAYERS WILL NOT ENJOY THIS RULE!

THOSE PLAYERS THAT ARE A SUB, THEY WILL NOT ENJOY PLAYING 20-30 MINUTES PER MATCH!

They use one of their interchange players.

 

[torch]

WHAT A JOKE!

THIS WILL CAUSE MORE INJURIES!

BIG stuffing poo IF INTERCHANGES ARE OVER 150 PER MATCH!

BIG stuffing poo!

WHAT HAPPENES IF TWO PLAYERS GET INJURIED DURING THE MATCH?

stuffing JOKE AFL! THIS IS A RULE THAT DID NOT NEED TO BE CHANGED!

PLAYERS WILL NOT ENJOY THIS RULE!

THOSE PLAYERS THAT ARE A SUB, THEY WILL NOT ENJOY PLAYING 20-30 MINUTES PER MATCH!

They use one of their interchange players.

 

Yes, correct.

However, they brought this rule in, not just for the interchange, but they (The AFL) want "fairness".

That would still make it 2 v 3. My point is that it is really something that did not need changing.

That situation of 2 v 3 will happen during match reguardless.

The AFL are worring about stupid things like this instead of worring about how to expand our great game everywhere around Australia and the world.

Plus, that poor player who will only play 20-30 minutes of a Grand Final, come 2011!
Leave the game how it was!

[dizza]

why not just have 4 on the bench still and 3 "subs" who were previously the emergencies? so what if teams are doing 100+ interchanges per game, if it keeps the players fresh then so be it.

[tony_montana]

should have just capped it.

[Tigermonk]

AFL Football has become a joke. Next we will see a breakaway league 

[Smokey]

Should've have been 2 + 2.

[mightytiges]

Goodbye specialised 2nd ruckman. You won't be able to carry two anymore. In the old days when there was only subs you could as back then the ruckman was plonked in a forward pocket or even two/three interchange in the 80s/90s with in defence a kick behind the play. Now days with forwards needing to chase and apply forward defensive pressure a lumbering 2nd ruck is a liability. A 2nd ruck could be the "sub" as a spare ruckman but then they are just a back-up whereas going with a small "sub" is more flexible and could be used as a damaging burst player in the second half when the game slows down.

Interesting to see who we eventually use as our "sub". Maybe a skillful young ballwinner who hasn't yet built up his full endurance yet to play 4 quarters.

[one-eyed]

The AFL's red-vest rule
By Jennifer Witham
1:57 PM Mon 31 Jan, 2011



CLUBS will not have to wait for a break in play or an injury to occur before activating the new interchange rule when it is introduced in the 2011 home and away season.

Coaches will be able to make their one substitute per game, which replaces the fourth member of the interchange bench, at any time during play.

Clubs will need to officially name their substitute - who will wear a green vest while on the bench - when the final teams are lodged 90 minutes before the bounce.

"It's not required that there's an injury; there will be three interchange players as per normal and one will be the substitute," AFL general manager of operations Adrian Anderson said on Monday.

"When the substitute comes onto the ground, the player that comes off - the substituted player - can no longer take any part in the game."

The teams, spectators and media will be informed of an activated substitute via the scoreboard and the player coming off will don a red vest.

Penalties will apply to teams that don’t follow the procedures that were outlined to clubs on Monday morning.

"It depends on the nature of the error but if for example like with the normal interchange there are too many players on the ground or they haven't notified the interchange steward, then a free kick and a 50m penalty can apply," Anderson said.

"If it’s a procedural error, then financial sanctions can apply."

The rule was announced at the start of October after the Laws Committee decided to tackle growing concerns surrounding congestion, fairness and increasing injuries.

Anderson said he expected the clubs to positively accept the details of how the rule would be enforced.

"The main news has already arrived in terms of the guts of what's going to happen and how it's going to work," he said.

"This is really about the details of operationally how it's going to work on match day so I'm sure the clubs will work through that in the professional manner they usually do."

The Toyota AFL Premiership Season gets under on Thursday March 24 with Carlton versus Richmond at the MCG.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/107121/default.aspx