I dont think the rolling mauls where 15 players gather around the ball is good for the game.
IMO Rule changes are NOT necessary. Heres my answer.
If a rolling maul of ( over 10 say) players develop, umpire immediately awards a free kick for the first infringement seen.
Simple.
But it does require some adjustment from umpires. Here is the reasoning.
The umpire has discretion to not award free kicks when technical breaches of the rules occur. The reason is mainly to make the game "flow" otherwise every time a forward was hit on the head by a defender, a free kick would be awarded etc etc.
However, in a congested situation , many players are out of position. If a free kick is awarded, the ball could be quickly moved into space which could be very damaging. Thus players would be less likely to join in these rolling mauls .
Actually the effect of the possibility of an instant free kick would be to spread the players back into their positions ( because they go back to one on ones and make the game flow ). Its just the reverse of the umpires normal thinking, but for the same reason.
I don't want to see them change the fundamentals of the game.
What I think is worse than the mauls is teams chipping the ball around the back half and not moving it forward. To improve this aspect of the game, the AFL wouldn't even have to introduce a rule. Just call "play on" when the ball is marked from a kick less than 15m. Currently marks from 10m kicks are typically paid. I wouldn't be opposed to increasing the required distance for a mark to 20m either.
Perhaps if umpires rewarded the tackler first up rather than letting the player with the ball incorrectly dispose of it which allows 15 other players to dive in, then these "mauls" won't happen as often.
Yes well Roos statement about changing the rules to correct the rule change that corrects the rule change is a good point .
Umpires have enormous power to interpret when free kicks are paid, and usually at the start of the season they issue guidelines about how they will change interpretation of the rules. Some of these become controversial, they can have a big effect, but they are not rule changes.
Perhaps if umpires rewarded the tackler first up rather than letting the player with the ball incorrectly dispose of it which allows 15 other players to dive in, then these "mauls" won't happen as often.
This is an excellent point.....also penalise the third man in that simply jumps on the other two.
Don't wait 30 seconds to blow the whistle. Do it quickly ball it up. Move on.
This. As soon as the ball is tied up ball it up. Don't wait for 15 blokes to swarm on the pack and then ball it up.
Interestingly they brought in the change that umpires would seek to not blow the whistle so quickly so that they could keep the game flowing. Yet it is only creating ugly rolling Rugby mauls where incorrect disposal is allowed as long as the ball comes out of the pack.
Don't wait 30 seconds to blow the whistle. Do it quickly ball it up. Move on.
This. As soon as the ball is tied up ball it up. Don't wait for 15 blokes to swarm on the pack and then ball it up.
Interestingly they brought in the change that umpires would seek to not blow the whistle so quickly so that they could keep the game flowing. Yet it is only creating ugly rolling Rugby mauls where incorrect disposal is allowed as long as the ball comes out of the pack.
That is also a problem. If you drop the ball you give away a free. The amount of time players just let go of the ball is crazy
3. Pay free kicks for incorrect disposal (including placing the ball on the ground, releasing the ball, holding the ball, throwing)
4. Do not pay free kicks for ducking into a tackle (sorry off topic but I couldn't resist)
Back to the future.
I would go back to 4 on the bench. No subs. No rotations.....yes players will be rotating on and off the bench, and injuries do hurt, but that's bad luck. Agree with umpires paying a free kick for incorrect disposal. And IMO that is the main reason we have rolling mauls as umps to afraid to pay a free kick, and not paying free kick encourages players to release the ball without correct disposal as it "came out during the tackle".
The days a CHF stayed home at CHF all day are long gone.
The better teams will beat the zones/presses/etc.
The weaker teams will continue to zone/press/etc to maximise their teams advantage..ie Inside body strength/elite field kicking/ stoppage work/ keepings off uncontested marks etc.
