55 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Agree. Stop radically changing the rules and nature of the game.

I know someone will probably tell me the boundary umpires were only introduced in 1955 or something, but the ball has been allowed to be knocked out of play one way or the other on the bounce without an automatic free kick for the entirety of the time I've been watching (which doesn't date back anywhere near as far as 1955).

Moving to this rule won't take the subjectivity out of out of deliberate bounds decisions. It will just replace those errors with umpires not being able to decide which player touched it last, players trying to hit it out off the other player basketball style etc.

If they want to make the game more free flowing, start tightening up on the holding the ball decisions again. I see way too many players practically diving on the ball or letting themselves get wrapped up without attempting any disposal and or doing a 720 degree tour while getting takled etc without getting penalised it's not funny. Just go back and look at how the rule was generally adjudicated in general play in the 80s and I think that's the standard that should be replicated.

Edited 19 hours ago19 hr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Game is way too slow

34 minute quarters for 20min of football with perhaps ten minutes of action.

I've taken to watching on delay and heavy use of the move forward button.

It's not at NFL level but there's way too much dead time

Its a great rule, works amazing in the SANFL, and takes a bit of the "me time" away from the umpires

Should have been in 5 years ago.

As a regular viewer of the SANFL over the years I would say it's been one of the best rule changes I have seen in the game of Aussie rules.

Long overdue.

Has worked wonders in the SANFL and just cuts out all the BS with a deliberate handball or kick to the boundary line.

The crowd know instantly that is the rule and cuts out all the immediate frustration in the crowd and one less thing for the umps to worry about.

If the ball is spoiled over the line or a player is tackle over the line then it is thrown back in like normal.

If it is parried over the line in a deliberate motion or a player takes it over then it is a free kick like normal.

Simples.

This is a good rrule and needs to be introduced, I am all for it.

4 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Agree. Stop radically changing the rules and nature of the game.

I know someone will probably tell me the boundary umpires were only introduced in 1955 or something, but the ball has been allowed to be knocked out of play one way or the other on the bounce without an automatic free kick for the entirety of the time I've been watching (which doesn't date back anywhere near as far as 1955).

Moving to this rule won't take the subjectivity out of out of deliberate bounds decisions. It will just replace those errors with umpires not being able to decide which player touched it last, players trying to hit it out off the other player basketball style etc.

If they want to make the game more free flowing, start tightening up on the holding the ball decisions again. I see way too many players practically diving on the ball or letting themselves get wrapped up without attempting any disposal and or doing a 720 degree tour while getting takled etc without getting penalised it's not funny. Just go back and look at how the rule was generally adjudicated in general play in the 80s and I think that's the standard that should be replicated.

This, then a pause in play whilst waiting for the replay.

Mmmmm nah I’m not about it. I’d rather see umpires throwing the ball back in quicker at throw ins and bounces. If a ruck isn’t there, too bad. I see that as stretching the field out as you HAVE TO have players get to the ball faster. No nominating rucks, 1 player from each team goes up, free kick if more than 1 goes up. Creates a bit more chaos and will probably force coaches to change their game plans a bit.

6 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Moving to this rule won't take the subjectivity out of out of deliberate bounds decisions. It will just replace those errors with umpires not being able to decide which player touched it last, players trying to hit it out off the other player basketball style etc.

It's the Last disposal out of bounds, not touch, so that won't happen. If you kick or handball it into a player and it goes out of bounds, you will still be the last one that disposed of it and will give away the free kick. Thread title is incorrect in that regard.

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by John Demonic

Question: Is AFL perfect? Maybe somewhere in the 80s / 90s it was. But these days it is too stop-start. It's interesting to see SANFL viewers endorse it. I'm guessing this will make games flow a bit better, get rid of the howler "insufficient intent" decisions and lessen the importance of excelling at winning stoppages. Anyway if thats the biggest rule change for next year I doubt many will end up disappointed.

2 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

Last disposal out of bounds, not touch

So not from spoils? How about tap on's similar to Harmes' famous GF one, but along the boundary?

21 minutes ago, Go Ds said:

So not from spoils? How about tap on's similar to Harmes' famous GF one, but along the boundary?

That would be a throw in. Not sure about Harmes one? But perhaps the AFL need to clarify every instance via video, but here is the sanfl one:

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by John Demonic

5 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

That would be a throw in. Not sure about Harmes one? But perhaps the AFL need to clarify every instance via video, but here is the sanfl one:

I just mean that players can use their hands legally to punch or tap along the ball. I'm assuming if a players punches the ball forward near the boundary they can get away with it if not very obviously deliberate.

10 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

That would be a throw in. Not sure about Harmes one? But perhaps the AFL need to clarify every instance via video, but here is the sanfl one:

13 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

That would be a throw in. Not sure about Harmes one? But perhaps the AFL need to clarify every instance via video, but here is the sanfl one:

It looks like a player deliberately tapping, punching or glancing the ball towards a teammate won't be penalised. You're not Victorian? The Harmes tap-on has become the stuff of legend. The best part was the resultant goal had Collingwood lose by just a few points and lose yet another GF!

https://youtu.be/xyxSIh6h_zk?si=eP6sep0bCIVNjWjS

Call me crazy but I've watched boundary throw ins for my whole life and never had a problem with them. At what point is the sport I grew up watching no longer the same sport?

1 hour ago, John Demonic said:

It's the Last disposal out of bounds, not touch, so that won't happen. If you kick or handball it into a player and it goes out of bounds, you will still be the last one that disposed of it and will give away the free kick. Thread title is incorrect in that regard.

You are misinterpreting the rule. It is only if a kick or handball goes out of bounds between the arcs. In other words, less need for "was that insufficient, a shank or is there a near enough player". For me this is a very good change. It will make the game easier to umpire, will incentivise trying to keep the ball in, and it won't meaningfully effect the amount of boundary throw-ins which generally come from spoils and contests down the line.

1 hour ago, Go Ds said:

Question: Is AFL perfect? Maybe somewhere in the 80s / 90s it was. But these days it is too stop-start. It's interesting to see SANFL viewers endorse it. I'm guessing this will make games flow a bit better, get rid of the howler "insufficient intent" decisions and lessen the importance of excelling at winning stoppages. Anyway if thats the biggest rule change for next year I doubt many will end up disappointed.

Anecdotally it seems to me that around the ground throw-ins are the least important area for stoppage mids. There will still be plenty of ball-ups until they resolve holding the ball.

Footballers are far fitter than they were 20 years ago, never mind 50 years ago, and the field hasn't gotten any bigger. The rolling maul that damaged the spectacle in the early - mid 2000s has led to lots of convoluted rule changes to try and open the game up again. This rule is a far better way than zones to get the ball moving quicker between the arcs.

19 minutes ago, Chook said:

Call me crazy but I've watched boundary throw ins for my whole life and never had a problem with them. At what point is the sport I grew up watching no longer the same sport?

I'm pretty sure if next year you watch some of a 1960s GF and then part of a live game you'll have no trouble seeing it's the same sport.

Edited 11 hours ago11 hr by Go Ds

Another layer to add to the ever growing rules lexicon.

But could this one actually help? Would be nice to get rid of some insufficient intent guesswork.

3 hours ago, Go Ds said:

Question: Is AFL perfect? Maybe somewhere in the 80s / 90s it was. But these days it is too stop-start. It's interesting to see SANFL viewers endorse it. I'm guessing this will make games flow a bit better, get rid of the howler "insufficient intent" decisions and lessen the importance of excelling at winning stoppages. Anyway if thats the biggest rule change for next year I doubt many will end up disappointed.

I’m not sure how they get these decisions so wrong.

the estimate is that this will result in another 2 free kicks per game

no more cries of 'deliberate!' or 'insufficent intent!' but instead 'do the lasso!'

12 hours ago, monoccular said:

Last touch is a horrible idea - last touch only encourages the will be beneficiary to not try to keep it in. Maybe if the boundary umpire threw in from 5 or 10 meters in from the boundary there would be far fewer repeat OOB. And if boundary throw ins required ruckman to be separated by 10 meters as the ball is thrown it would stop the gorilla wrestling and enhance the game.

Stand is absolutely counterintuitive and worse because the umpires never force the kicker to go over the mark. Often they run wide and the poor defender has to look by stupidly until play on is called.

IF insufficient intent is to stay, surely it should only apply when the kicker is free - whenever the kicker is in a tackle there should be no insufficient intent paid. I can't remember who, but at the weekend some poor guy was 360 degrees into a tackle, got his kick or handball away and was pinged. No feel for the game. The most absurd one of which I can recall the detail was Angus in the dying seconds of the 2021 game at Geelong - Dees were trailing and desperate to go forward, and the 1d10t called deliberate which would be the last thing on Angus' mind. Fortunately the undeserved free went OOB and the rest is history.

Centre bounce - umpires require just one technical skill and many don't master it. When recalled there is usually a loss of 2 seconds which can be crucial in a close game. If the bounce persists, and is recalled, the clock needs to reset.

A lot I agree with there. Separating ruckmen by 10m at boundary throw-ins would be a pleasure to watch. And as I posted elsewhere, the stand rule is an abomination. I defy anyone to deduce what the rule actually is by watching what happens in a game. Monoccular is right on. But it's even worse because of inconsistent application.

The following won't be popular in the desperate pressure to increase scoring these days, and a concern it will slow play, but....:

What about abandoning all these out of bounds rules entirely. No penalty if a defender kicks it out on the full or otherwise or deliberately. Just part of the game's tactics to boot it out however and whenever you like. No need for umps to read players' minds anywhere on the field or for fans to get frustrated.

If you combine this with Monoccular's suggestion about 10m separation for rucks or just throw it in quickly and allow any (single) player from each team to go for the ball, that might mean play wouldn't be slowed by allowing more throw-ins.

Too radical?

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by sue

3 hours ago, BoBo said:

I’d rather see umpires throwing the ball back in quicker at throw ins and bounces.

this. chuck it up around the ground the second the ump gets the ball in their hands.

38 minutes ago, layzie said:

Another layer to add to the ever growing rules lexicon.

But could this one actually help? Would be nice to get rid of some insufficient intent guesswork.

i'm definitely in the "wait and see" camp on this change

Again: haw/gws final

Stoppage every minute.

Every. Minute.

Let’s do this and the next thing.

Can we please let the player on the mark either exit backwards or enter forwards? I don't see how this is slowing the game down. If you want to ping them for lateral movements off or onto the mark, by all means, but let's be sensible about this yeah?

Very happy with last touch out of bounds

It is completely ridiculous that players can get pinged for insufficient attempt off a miskick or bad disposal. But players holding the ball can just walk it out of bounds with no penalty.