Is there still a dropping the ball rule?

[Bodicifer]

Is there still a dropping the ball or incorrect disposal rule? If there is, why do they only pay about 1 in 20? I try and watch as many games as possible and so many times I see blokes get tackled and just drop the ball but the umpire calls play on. If you grab the ball and get tackled without prior opportunity but just drop it, is it a free kick? Obviously if you get tackled and you've had the ball for a bit and just drop it, it should be, but it is very inconsistent. I'm not trying to have a go at the umps, I reckon they have a very tough job to do, but it just seems this rule is very ambiguous.

 

[Dennis]

Suggest you get a copy of the rules book and take a read.

It is very simple.

1) No prior opportunity - Must make an attempt to dispose. As long as you literally don't throw it away, everything else is ok. eg ballpinned, ball spills free from the tackle contest without a proper lick or handball, etc

2) Prior opportunity - You must dispose of it legally.

There are no other options.

 

[dylza]

Is there still a dropping the ball or incorrect disposal rule? If there is, why do they only pay about 1 in 20? I try and watch as many games as possible and so many times I see blokes get tackled and just drop the ball but the umpire calls play on. If you grab the ball and get tackled without prior opportunity but just drop it, is it a free kick? Obviously if you get tackled and you've had the ball for a bit and just drop it, it should be, but it is very inconsistent. I'm not trying to have a go at the umps, I reckon they have a very tough job to do, but it just seems this rule is very ambiguous.

Go through this process

Step 1. The player has cleanly taken possession of the ball
Step 2. Has the player had prior opportunity? (That is, an opportunity to dispose of the ball)
If yes - If the tackle was legal and the player has made no attempt to dispose of the ball, then its holding the ball
If no - And the player had made an attempt to dispose the ball then it's not holding the ball

There are alot more elements to this, but I've tried making it simple for you to understand. Especially with the comment you made that has been highlighted

 

[borgsta2006]

DROPPING THE BALL never existed, it was one of those rules that people invented.

It is INCORRECT DISPOSAL. And read the above post because I'm pretty sure not many people have ever read the rules related to this, therefore they are confused at the interpretation of the rule.

 

[Dennis]

Is there still a dropping the ball or incorrect disposal rule?

borgsta...did you even read the 1st post?

 

[borgsta2006]

borgsta...did you even read the 1st post?

yeah, I have always been frustrated that people even call it DROPPING THE BALL though Dennis. Hence, my minor rant.

 

[Scroater]

I think the misconception of "dropping the ball" comes from the crowd that yell "ball" whenever a player with it gets tackled.

If he gets caught it's a shortened version of holding the BALLLLLLLL.

If it spills, hence the drop, it's a shortened version of dropping the BALLLLLLL.

Just makes it easier to yell than incorrect disPOSALLLLLLLLL.

 

[ManInWhite]

Dylza is spot on with his sequence of "things to think about". Basically there are about 5 questions you're asking yourself and it's only the last question which decides if it's holding the ball or not - so statistically there is more chance of another decision being made which supports the "1 out of 20 being paid".

One aspect of the sequence that a lot of players much up is that instead of:

- was the tackle legal?
- did the player dispose of the ball correctly?

they get it around the wrong way. They'll shove a player into the ground screaming "but how did he get rid of it" when a free for in the back is paid.

 

[SellarStardom]

Is there still a dropping the ball or incorrect disposal rule? If there is, why do they only pay about 1 in 20? I try and watch as many games as possible and so many times I see blokes get tackled and just drop the ball but the umpire calls play on. If you grab the ball and get tackled without prior opportunity but just drop it, is it a free kick? Obviously if you get tackled and you've had the ball for a bit and just drop it, it should be, but it is very inconsistent. I'm not trying to have a go at the umps, I reckon they have a very tough job to do, but it just seems this rule is very ambiguous.

The correct interpretations and rules definitions are spot on, but I will agree with Bodicifer in regard to the correct interpretation ofthe rule. At the Fre Adelaide game in round 1, there were numerous examples of players being tackled soon after taking the ball, or having the pack jump on top, make an attempt to dispose of the ball and be called for holding the ball. Likewise, players who had taken possession, taken a few steps through the pack and had the ball spill out or dropped the ball were followed by a "play on" call.

I was quite disappointed and frustrated watching this and other games during round 1 and part of round 2. But to the umpires credit they performed quite well in the patches of the Geelong/Hawthorn match that I saw. One incident in which Franklin clearly dropped the ball in a tackle, was paid for holding the ball, prior opportunity was correctly applied, and overall they interpreted well.

The one remaining issue I have is when players hand ball the ball away prior to or during a tackle and are subsequently held by the tackling opponent without the opponent being penalised

 

[caitsith01]

Actually, prior opportunity doesn't have much to do with it, contrary to what some posters and apparently the umpires believe. The relevant rules state as follows:

15.3 FREE KICKS RELATING TO DISPOSAL OF THE FOOTBALL

15.3.1 Correct Disposal

A Player Correctly Disposes of the football if he or she Kicks or
Handballs the football.

15.3.2 Incorrect Disposal and Payment of Free Kick

When the football is in play, a Free Kick shall be awarded
against a Player who hands the football to another Player
or throws the football.

Other relevant rules include:

15.2.3 Holding the Football — Prior Opportunity/No
Prior Opportunity

Where the field Umpire is satisfied that a Player in possession
of the football:

...

(b) has not had a prior opportunity to dispose of the football, the
field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against that Player if,
upon being Correctly Tackled, the Player does not Correctly
Dispose or attempt to Correctly Dispose of the football after
being given a reasonable opportunity to do so.

And then there are a list of specific occasions where play can continue:

15.2.4 Application — Specific Instances where Play
shall Continue

For the avoidance of doubt, the field Umpire shall allow play to
continue when:

(a) a Player is bumped and the football falls from the
Player’s hands;

(b) a Player’s arm is knocked which causes the Player to
lose possession of the football;

(c) a Player’s arms are pinned to his or her side by an opponent
which causes the Player to drop the football, unless the
Player has had a prior opportunity to Correctly Dispose of
the football... (etc etc etc)

The difficulty is that players have learnt to drop the ball in such a way that it appears to have been knocked out of their hands or otherwise unintentionally left their hands. The rules have way too much overlap and grey area in them - they invite any player who gets tackled and realises he is stuffed to just let the ball spill free and make it look 'accidental'. Rather than applying rule 15.2.3(b) above, umpires almost inevitably apply one of the 'get out of jail' 15.2.4 rules.

IMHO it would be better, and clearer, if a free kick was awarded in the event that the ball leaves the possession of a player via any method other than a handball or kick. You could then create an exception to allow play to continue where the ball has clearly only left the player's possession due to the force of contact from another player. This would mean:

1. prior opportunity plus failure to dispose correctly = free kick
2. no prior opportunity plus ball held in = no free kick
3. no prior opportunity plus failure to dispose correctly = free kick
4. no prior opporunity plus ball clearly knocked out by force of contact = no free kick

But of course the AFL is more concerned with "continuous play" than rewarding effort, so the rules will remain largely useless in this regard.

 

[SydCrow]

15.2.3 Holding the Football — Prior Opportunity/No
Prior Opportunity

Where the field Umpire is satisfied that a Player in possession
of the football:

...

(b) has not had a prior opportunity to dispose of the football, the
field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against that Player if,
upon being Correctly Tackled, the Player does not Correctly
Dispose or attempt to Correctly Dispose of the football after
being given a reasonable opportunity to do so.

the one I hate is where a player gets the ball in a pack and is then tackled onto the ground. His arms are pinned so he has no way to attempt to dispose of the ball but the umpire pings him.

 

[samkelly]

holding the ball is the most frustrating rule for sure, seeing as each week certain umpires tend to force their own interpretations of it.

the problem i see with it is, umpires are turning every contest into a free-kick decision. rarely do we see a fought-to-a-draw situation. if there is a stoppage in the game, the primary focus of the umpire seems to be "give a free kick". what this is doing is rewarding the 2nd player at the ball, as has been stated, because as long as you put on a legal tackle, you're likely to win a free kick.

do we really think its fair that, with no prior opportunity, you should be pinged for "not making an effort to get rid of the ball"? it pains me to see players go in hard to get the ball, get tackled within 1 second, have the ball pinned to them with no way of getting it out, and the umpire penalises them.

it has basically removed the facet of the game where a player might be outnumbered 1v3 on a wing, and could win the ball, be tackled and force a bounce. these days, you'd be made to try and win the ball in an outnumbered situation, and it saddens me that this sort of desperation play that we used to see a lot of has basically died out

 

[Blommy]

Unfortunately the way the rules are interpreted with Holding the Ball, we are seeing second to the ball getting rewarded and some players even sitting back, waiting for their opponent to take possession before going in and tackling. When playing footy, we were always told get in there first, now the advice that I'd be giving is get in second if there is a pack around...

The other ruling that is bad at the moment is the player diving on the ball to get it, is then dived upon, crashed and bashed and then pinged for holding the ball... I think a player in the diving on the ball situation should be given an opportunity to dispose of the football as well...

In short, don't blame the umpires - blame the rules committee...

 

[Roughies Boys]

Is there still a dropping the ball or incorrect disposal rule? If there is, why do they only pay about 1 in 20? I try and watch as many games as possible and so many times I see blokes get tackled and just drop the ball but the umpire calls play on. If you grab the ball and get tackled without prior opportunity but just drop it, is it a free kick? Obviously if you get tackled and you've had the ball for a bit and just drop it, it should be, but it is very inconsistent. I'm not trying to have a go at the umps, I reckon they have a very tough job to do, but it just seems this rule is very ambiguous.

I'm with ya. The umpire's should clean there eye's out and there shouldn't e advantage unless the team that is getting the free kick has ball in the control and I think you should have a go at the umpir these last 3 weeks have been crap! Scott Mclaren don't let him umpire any more!

 

[mcuzzy]

noticed many tacklers don't realise the opponent has dropped it and continue to tackle and get done for holding the man