AFL says no to video umpire in 2011 despite NAB Cup trial * Matt Windley
* From: Herald Sun
* December 29, 2010 AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson says the league has no plans to introduce a video umpire for contentious goal umpiring decisions next season.
The league announced a fortnight ago that video replays would be tested in next year's NAB Cup competition in a bid to stamp out goal umpiring errors.
But Anderson has told the Herald Sun that video technology would remain on the sidelines for the season proper.
"We don't have any plans to introduce it for the 2011 season," Anderson said.
"This is our first conserted trial of video technology in the NAB Cup, so we'll see what we can learn, we'll consult with the broadcasters and I imagine that it would be something we would trial again before bringing it in for the home-and-away season."
Anderson said the goal umpires would be linked via radio to the official scorer in the stands who has access to television replays.
In a wide-ranging chat reflecting on 2010, Anderson said:
CHANGES to the bump rule making players liable if they make forceful contact with the head was introduced simply to "protect the welfare of players".
CHANGES to the tribunal system whereby tribunal members will be able to deviate from set penalties if a player has acted in self-defence or been provoked was about "clarifying circumstances in which players can argue exceptional and compelling cases".
THE AFL had no plans to follow the lead of the NRL and A-League and make it acceptable for coaches and players to criticise umpiring decisions after games.
THE relaxation of draft rules which allowed the likes of mature-aged rookies Michael Barlow and James Podsiadly to make their mark on the competition was "a real highlight of 2010".
Anderson said there were "wide range of views" in the AFL community in relation to the introduction of the one substitute and three interchange players rule next year.
Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade was one coach to publicly criticise the rule, saying the restriction meant teams could ill-afford to carry two ruckmen in games.
But on the basis of the research undertaken by the league, Anderson said he felt it was right to limit the interchange.
"We've implemented this rule to try to limit congestion, among other things," he said.
"The independent medical advice we've recieved is that it will prevent injuries from getting worse.
"And thirdly it will be fairer because the way the interchange is operating at the moment if you lose a player early in the game the likelihood of that impacting on a team's chances of winning the game are significantly higher than ever before."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-says-no-to-video-umpire-in-2011-despite-nab-cup-trial/story-e6frf9jf-1225978034449?from=public_rss
