Have other Demonlanders noticed that players on the mark don't seem to notice when the ump yells " play on". ?

The guy on the mark could run forward, and possibly even spoil, but he waits back, allowing his opponent to kick easily over his head.

I only notice this when I'm watching the TV replay.

Perhaps the TV audience can hear a lot better than the players, because the umps are " miked up".l

The players often can't hear the call, think they need megaphones. The umpires that is...

The players often can't hear the call, think they need megaphones.

Players on the field have so many distractions and things going on that they have to shut out, and focus on that only people who have played the game at the highest level will ever understand.

I think I understood that, though I only played B grade amateurs!

I think I understood that, though I only played B grade amateurs!

no, what i mean is if they don't hear it there certainly is many reasons why!

From the thread title, I thought this was about us playing in New Zealand.

From the thread title, I thought this was about us playing in New Zealand.

I thought it was a forum based on wood working with thin woods.

Have other Demonlanders noticed that players on the mark don't seem to notice when the ump yells " play on". ?

The guy on the mark could run forward, and possibly even spoil, but he waits back, allowing his opponent to kick easily over his head.

I only notice this when I'm watching the TV replay.

Perhaps the TV audience can hear a lot better than the players, because the umps are " miked up".l

That is another reason why the play on decision should be made by the players and judged legal or not after the fact by the umpires.

From the thread title, I thought this was about us playing in New Zealand.

Can anyone tell me how to fix it when you make a typo in the topic heading!!??

I suspect the players hear but prefer to corral the player rather than attempting to attack him. If the player on the mark runs forward, momentum will take him past the player with the ball who will quite easily evade him thereby allow the player with the ball valuable metres forward. Just holding the position slows the play and allows the defender's team mates to run back to defend.

If I were coach, the only time I'd allow the player on the mark to run forward when play on is called would be when the player with the ball is hemmed in on the boundary line and has much less space to evade the oncoming defender.

I suspect the players hear but prefer to corral the player rather than attempting to attack him. If the player on the mark runs forward, momentum will take him past the player with the ball who will quite easily evade him thereby allow the player with the ball valuable metres forward. Just holding the position slows the play and allows the defender's team mates to run back to defend.

If I were coach, the only time I'd allow the player on the mark to run forward when play on is called would be when the player with the ball is hemmed in on the boundary line and has much less space to evade the oncoming defender.

I can see that it could be risky to run full pelt at the bloke with the ball when " play on " is called, but to move forward a few steps would make him either try to evade and kick quickly, or kick higher than usual to try to avoid the outstretched arms of the approaching man on the mark.

I'm always surprised in this current state of football, being a high pressure contest driven game, that we don't see more of the players who hesitate and dither with the ball being run down from behind as soon as play on is called.

Probably not an exact science, but by standing X metres away and beginning to run as soon as the opposition player marks the ball you should be able to reach the exclusion zone at full pelt as the umpire calls "play-on".

Could be high risk but bloody hell when it pays off then jackpot.

Good probability of taking possession as well as making the opposition crap their dacks.

I suspect the players hear but prefer to corral the player rather than attempting to attack him. If the player on the mark runs forward, momentum will take him past the player with the ball who will quite easily evade him thereby allow the player with the ball valuable metres forward. Just holding the position slows the play and allows the defender's team mates to run back to defend.

If I were coach, the only time I'd allow the player on the mark to run forward when play on is called would be when the player with the ball is hemmed in on the boundary line and has much less space to evade the oncoming defender.

I agree. It's becoming more and more a game of zones, rather than a directly attacking game. If you can hold that zone, and make sure they can only run backwards with any sort of confidence, it's far more valuable than attacking yourself, which puts the risk on you, rather than them. Playing to probabilities.

I expect we'll see more of this kind of play in the future. I already feel like we're going that way under Roosie. The constant handballing he's got our players doing is to nullify any direct attacks. The more players around the ball, the better you control that zone, and a zone can be dominated further down the field with a few players. If you can do this handballing ring-around-the-rosie correctly, you should draw in more players and give less the chance to quickly dash up forward...

You see similar moves in Gaelic football, which, for an absence of tackling, relies entirely on zone play. Very exciting to watch!

edit: fixed some spelling