I’m watching a game of AFL and watching the umpires give free kicks in the centre bounce ruck purely because of their inability to consistently bounce the ball. I’ve also noted this year far too many short throw ins later in quarters that result in goals (or frees) because of tired boundary umpires.

I’ve come to the conclusion that we expect far too much of umpires as ‘creators’ of the play - as opposed to adjudicators of the rules. If they simply had to throw the ball up (no bouncing), and we did away with throw ins and instead threw the ball up 20 metres in from the boundary I think we’d get rid of at least 5 free kicks a match. I’d also argue that of those 5 free kicks supporters don’t understand 4 of them - which is ruining the spectacle of the sport.

The AFL did away with third man up to create a purer ruck contest (so we know they aren’t purest), but then have created all these extra rules that would be cleaner if we always had consistency in how the ball enters play.

Am I missing something by trying to simplify the game in this way? I just see too much of the sport being based on umpires making a mistake to restart play, and not on players playing.

Enighten me.

I see where you’re coming from completely as I’ve felt bounces and throw ins have been rather pathetic for a while but seriously how many training wheels do we have to add to get people to do their job properly? To me this is in the same category as goal kicking. It is something that gets fixed with lots and lots of practice. I know it’s boring but do it with a friend at training, everything is more fun with a friend. Or better still go to a fricken park and bounce the ball and throw in for 30 mins a day I guarantee you will get better.

The number of short throw ins has gone to a new level. Botched bounces sort of make sense but throw in standard slipping down is just cringe, get better at it or just invent some kind of football tennis machine to throw in for them. A nice advertisement for when the AI takes over anyway.

We live in a time where cloud based, zoom meeting, app this app that is forefront. Let’s get back to the fundamentals of life and just sheer hard work at something to get better at it. 

It didn't bother me too much the bouncing of the ball and throw ins last night against Hawthorn.

What did annoy me was that inexplicable 50 metre penalty against Max Gawn and a lot of non-decisions of holding the ball.

Overall, I don't like to waste time complaining about the umpiring. Our tackling, pressuring and intensity around the ball was simply not up to standard last night.

The players should be treating the game like a loss as that is certainly what it feels like even if we did get 2 points because it was a draw.

Lift your game Demons!

Edited July 18, 20213 yr by Supreme_Demon

Possibly the only sport in the world where the umpire/ref is expected to have a skill in play.

Get rid of the bounce and throw it up.

Last touch over the line for a free. Would reduce throw ins and possibly the congested play along the boundary. This also removes the deliberate OOB rule. 

Get rid of ruck nominations, just penalise the 3rd man up.

Take those things away and suddenly it's a little easier to umpire the game

 

21 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

Possibly the only sport in the world where the umpire/ref is expected to have a skill in play.

Get rid of the bounce and throw it up.

Last touch over the line for a free. Would reduce throw ins and possibly the congested play along the boundary. This also removes the deliberate OOB rule. 

Get rid of ruck nominations, just penalise the 3rd man up.

Take those things away and suddenly it's a little easier to umpire the game

 

Ok cool. It’s not just me. I was trying to think of other sports where the umpire needs so much skill. ?

I tend to have an old fashioned view of the game. The umpires have been bouncing the ball since god knows when and is an integral part of the game. Getting rid of bouncing the ball would be taking something special in our game away.

1 hour ago, Stiff Arm said:

Possibly the only sport in the world where the umpire/ref is expected to have a skill in play.

Get rid of the bounce and throw it up.

Last touch over the line for a free. Would reduce throw ins and possibly the congested play along the boundary. This also removes the deliberate OOB rule. 

Get rid of ruck nominations, just penalise the 3rd man up.

Take those things away and suddenly it's a little easier to umpire the game

 

It won't work. They will require a stop play video review for half of them

The bounce was never intended to be straight up, that was the point of the bounce in the first place, give the ruckman some variation no one could control. 

13 minutes ago, Youngwilliam said:

The bounce was never intended to be straight up, that was the point of the bounce in the first place, give the ruckman some variation no one could control. 

Which I totally get. I just get so frustrated by umpiring decisions that are only fixing the problem of the bounce, and which don’t make sense to people who watch the game. It’s very difficult to stand under the ball and not give away a blocking free kick in the ruck. You only need to stand under the ball if the umpires stuffs up the bounce. 

A crooked and unpredictable bounce has been and remains a feature of our game.

There was a time when there was a single umpire who bounced the ball every time at all stoppages. They seemed to do it quickly and easily. What has changed? Is it the ball's characteristics, it it the condition of the super, sandy drainage underlay under the grass, is it that umpires try to bounce too hard and too high? I don't know but there is an answer.

Boundary throw ins are an embarrassment. They are too slow, too high and too often too short that ruin the chances for a fair contest. How many times has one ruckman been able to run forward and attack the ball uncontested at hip or ankle level.

Need a serous review of the training, and perhaps selection,  of boundary umpires to mandate low, longer and quicker throw ins.

It needs fixing that's for sure.

It's staggering that the AFL is a professional sport, but the umpires are not, they should, maybe look to change this in the future?

 

 

Watch old replays, the umps all bounced it all day long, all over the ground, dry or wet, grass or mud. And they were variable, both in direction and height. It made an "art" out of ruckwork, rather than having two beanpoles stand under a ball plummeting vertically from on high (only to then tap it to their feet). It really can't be as hard as it's made out to be.

The throw-ins. Why oh why the boundary umps can't just get the ball, turn around and throw it in. Any old height/distance/direction. They way they do it now, it's like they have to apply for a permit from the council first. All that waiting around. Coaches love it because their players can "set up". (Then they complain about long quarters.) Yes, I know ... ruckman nominations. Another ill-thought out rule to "fix" something which then created another issue.

Also, the umps are alleged to be unhappy about bouncing the ball because of potential for injuries. Slamming that ball into the hard ground. Funny, the boundary umps nearly dislocate their shoulders hurling it in like Olympic hammer throwers, but we don't hear about their shoulder issues. Could it be that umps just don't WANT to bounce it?