Major tackle rule change effective immediately

[Mr Miyagi]

AFL has informed all clubs that umpires will call holding the ball faster, giving players less time when tackled. Effective immediately. Bevo understandably going ape about it, gives the Doggies and us two days to prepare for it. AFL says players hold onto the ball too long when tackled, increasing concussion risk. I think it’s bonkers and will lead to MORE injuries as the pace of the game will increase.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/shock-afl-crackdown-looms-as-league-set-to-enforce-rare-midseason-rule-change/news-story/ed95f056ff120bdcc61707ed17a1cec6

[piffdog]

I am willing to accept it because it is a very rare admission from HQ that something they have done (clamping down on dangerous tackles etc) has created an issue.

If the pace of the game increases, but with less wrestling, tackling, dumping and general congestion than I think that would be astep in the right direction.

The most obvious outcome is of course that by round 21 there will be no noticeable difference as a result of this new directive.

[stui magpie]

The logic is sound and a few coaches were calling for it last weekend.

Players have been far more careful about taking players to ground in a tackle. As a consequence we've had this little dance happening where a player is tackled, the ball isn't pinned, they don't dispose of it incorrectly, so the umpire just waits while they spin around until the tackled player either disposes of it or drops it.

Expect Thursday night to be red hot on it, then over a couple of weeks, as players adapt, it will ease off a bit.

[Gerry Cooper]

What are the odds the incompetent yellow morons still manage to stuff it up?

[Pies4shaw]

^ Only against us - they'll do it just fine in all the other games.

[Culprit]

They had to do something. Now they will pay the slightest so get prepared for the BS.

[Skids]

Go back to 2 umpires, 3 was bad enough, 4 is a downright disgrace.

[Woods Of Ypres]

give it 4 weeks and back to usual 720 degree tackles

[qldmagpie67]

If the rule is applied correctly as now interrupted it will benefit teams with high pressure and tackling stats which would mean us
But I’m willing to bet we will be in the wrong end of this change

[qldmagpie67]

If the rule is applied correctly as now interrupted it will benefit teams with high pressure and tackling stats which would mean us
But I’m willing to bet we will be in the wrong end of this change

[Mr Miyagi]

[Mr Miyagi]

Ok so watching 360 right now and my old mate McBurney giving examples. The Curnow example is the ump giving him an eternity when the whistle should have been blown a lot earlier and holding the ball. I’m in complete agreement on this but surely it’s not a rule change but rather the umps getting told to pay holding the ball . The IQ tackle on the Adelaide player was holding the ball — no rule change needed just the umpire to do their bloody job properly! AFL messaging is a balls up, this is really just a kick up the umpires’ arses to pay holding the ball properly.

[lazzadesilva]

However they are still being incredibly stubborn by not blaming the maggot clowns who cause the problems and take us fans to be nincompoops 😡 Whatever happened to the promised transparency about issues and accountability from the maggots? On which planet are they practising this? 😳

[Uncle Jack]

Watching McBurney on 360 going through a dozen examples and it doesn't inspire confidence of seeing much change. One thing that could make a difference is sticking to the idea of the player with the ball being responsible for disposing of the ball correctly, not just attempting. "Incorrect disposal" should be payed if the ball comes loose in the tackle. It would certainly give players second thoughts about taking on the tackler.

[Mr Miyagi]

so after all that, umpires are just being told to adjudicate holding the ball correctly 😂