Head high tackles

[Impatient Sainter]

You are right CQ Saint, but the umpires seem to have completely over looked any liability on the ball carrier. I cant remember the last time they called ducking and play on, it is just a thing of the past.

[The_Dud]

No. If someone dives at you, you have a right to avoid prohibited contact. Using you hands to avoid that contact is a secondary outcome. Driving low with your head is illegal.
Go have a look at the 4 or 5 they missed.

So you’re saying, our blokes kept whacking/grabbing Adelaide players high as a method of trying to evade them repeatedly diving for their legs…?

The rules are pretty clear, your imagination is getting away on you.

18.6.2 Free Kicks - Holding the Ball: Prior Opportunity
Where a Player in Possession of the Football has had Prior Opportunity (see below), a field Umpire shall
award a Free Kick if that Player does not Correctly Dispose of the football immediately when they are Legally Tackled (see below).

Prior Opportunity: a designation to a Player in Possession of the Football who:
(a) is balanced and steady; or
(b) attempts to evade or fend an opponent; or
(c) has taken a Mark or been awarded a Free Kick; or
(d) has driven their head into a stationary or near stationary opponent.

Legal Tackle or Legally Tackled: a tackle by a Player where:
(a) the Player being tackled is in possession of the football; and
(b) that Player is tackled below the shoulders and above the knees.
For the avoidance of doubt, a Legal Tackle may be executed by holding (either by the body or playing uniform) a Player from the front, side or behind, provided that a Player held from behind is not pushed in the back.

You’re getting held up on the first part of ‘holding the ball’ but forgetting the second. Prior opportunity is irrelevant if there’s no legal tackle. And as you can see in the definition of ‘legal tackle’, there’s nothing about being allowed to whack/grab someone high for any reason. Actually the part I’ve highlighted is pretty clear.

No. What I'm saying is clear. If you duck into a tackle, it's play on.

Well to put it simply, that is said nowhere in the AFL rule book. You’ve just constructed this narrative and are glued to it.

[CQ SAINT]

No. If someone dives at you, you have a right to avoid prohibited contact. Using you hands to avoid that contact is a secondary outcome. Driving low with your head is illegal.
Go have a look at the 4 or 5 they missed.

So you’re saying, our blokes kept whacking/grabbing Adelaide players high as a method of trying to evade them repeatedly diving for their legs…?

The rules are pretty clear, your imagination is getting away on you.

18.6.2 Free Kicks - Holding the Ball: Prior Opportunity
Where a Player in Possession of the Football has had Prior Opportunity (see below), a field Umpire shall
award a Free Kick if that Player does not Correctly Dispose of the football immediately when they are Legally Tackled (see below).

Prior Opportunity: a designation to a Player in Possession of the Football who:
(a) is balanced and steady; or
(b) attempts to evade or fend an opponent; or
(c) has taken a Mark or been awarded a Free Kick; or
(d) has driven their head into a stationary or near stationary opponent.

Legal Tackle or Legally Tackled: a tackle by a Player where:
(a) the Player being tackled is in possession of the football; and
(b) that Player is tackled below the shoulders and above the knees.
For the avoidance of doubt, a Legal Tackle may be executed by holding (either by the body or playing uniform) a Player from the front, side or behind, provided that a Player held from behind is not pushed in the back.

You’re getting held up on the first part of ‘holding the ball’ but forgetting the second. Prior opportunity is irrelevant if there’s no legal tackle. And as you can see in the definition of ‘legal tackle’, there’s nothing about being allowed to whack/grab someone high for any reason. Actually the part I’ve highlighted is pretty clear.

No. What I'm saying is clear. If you duck into a tackle, it's play on.

Well to put it simply, that is said nowhere in the AFL rule book. You’ve just constructed this narrative and are glued to it.

Are you saying you've never heard an umpire say 'you ducked, play on? If so, you are full of s***.

[CQ SAINT]

18.7 ROUGH CONDUCT
18.7.1 Spirit and Intention
Players shall be protected from unreasonable conduct from an opposition
Player which is likely to cause injury.
18.7.2 Free Kicks - Rough Conduct
A field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against a Player when that Player engages in
rough conduct against an opposition Player which in the circumstances is unreasonable,
which includes but is not limited to:

Ducking your head into a tackle is dangerous and unreasonable, particularly in a high paced, contact sport. The tackler should be protected from this as well.

Importantly, rough conduct is not limited to the examples the rule provides.

Some fools, leading with their heads, need to be protected from themselves.

[saynta]

The umpires last night were blind or just plain ignorant.

Our players were just tackling, not whacking anyone. You made that up for emphasis.

Bit of both I might venture.

[Saintmike65]

Why are we giving away so many head high tackle free kicks? I have noticed this creeping into our games over the last few weeks, and of the 31 frees the Crows got tonight 90% of them would have been for high tackles. Adelaide are a shorter team and dove forward with the ball, but we have to improve our tackling technique its that simple.

Im all for fierce physical pressure, but we need to limit the number of these dumb frees we are giving away, they will end up costing games!

Interesting you bring this up.
I mentioned this very issue up with a saints friend today after watching the replay.
I reckon we gave away about a dozen high tackle frees at least.
They may need to get Billy Slater back down to the club for a tackling refresher.
Seems to be a technical issue, with numerous players culprits!

[The_Dud]

No. If someone dives at you, you have a right to avoid prohibited contact. Using you hands to avoid that contact is a secondary outcome. Driving low with your head is illegal.
Go have a look at the 4 or 5 they missed.

So you’re saying, our blokes kept whacking/grabbing Adelaide players high as a method of trying to evade them repeatedly diving for their legs…?

The rules are pretty clear, your imagination is getting away on you.

18.6.2 Free Kicks - Holding the Ball: Prior Opportunity
Where a Player in Possession of the Football has had Prior Opportunity (see below), a field Umpire shall
award a Free Kick if that Player does not Correctly Dispose of the football immediately when they are Legally Tackled (see below).

Prior Opportunity: a designation to a Player in Possession of the Football who:
(a) is balanced and steady; or
(b) attempts to evade or fend an opponent; or
(c) has taken a Mark or been awarded a Free Kick; or
(d) has driven their head into a stationary or near stationary opponent.

Legal Tackle or Legally Tackled: a tackle by a Player where:
(a) the Player being tackled is in possession of the football; and
(b) that Player is tackled below the shoulders and above the knees.
For the avoidance of doubt, a Legal Tackle may be executed by holding (either by the body or playing uniform) a Player from the front, side or behind, provided that a Player held from behind is not pushed in the back.

You’re getting held up on the first part of ‘holding the ball’ but forgetting the second. Prior opportunity is irrelevant if there’s no legal tackle. And as you can see in the definition of ‘legal tackle’, there’s nothing about being allowed to whack/grab someone high for any reason. Actually the part I’ve highlighted is pretty clear.

No. What I'm saying is clear. If you duck into a tackle, it's play on.

Well to put it simply, that is said nowhere in the AFL rule book. You’ve just constructed this narrative and are glued to it.

Are you saying you've never heard an umpire say 'you ducked, play on? If so, you are full of s***.

Of course I've heard it, because it's a thing, just not in the circumstances you are giving.

[CQ SAINT]

No. If someone dives at you, you have a right to avoid prohibited contact. Using you hands to avoid that contact is a secondary outcome. Driving low with your head is illegal.
Go have a look at the 4 or 5 they missed.

So you’re saying, our blokes kept whacking/grabbing Adelaide players high as a method of trying to evade them repeatedly diving for their legs…?

The rules are pretty clear, your imagination is getting away on you.

18.6.2 Free Kicks - Holding the Ball: Prior Opportunity
Where a Player in Possession of the Football has had Prior Opportunity (see below), a field Umpire shall
award a Free Kick if that Player does not Correctly Dispose of the football immediately when they are Legally Tackled (see below).

Prior Opportunity: a designation to a Player in Possession of the Football who:
(a) is balanced and steady; or
(b) attempts to evade or fend an opponent; or
(c) has taken a Mark or been awarded a Free Kick; or
(d) has driven their head into a stationary or near stationary opponent.

Legal Tackle or Legally Tackled: a tackle by a Player where:
(a) the Player being tackled is in possession of the football; and
(b) that Player is tackled below the shoulders and above the knees.
For the avoidance of doubt, a Legal Tackle may be executed by holding (either by the body or playing uniform) a Player from the front, side or behind, provided that a Player held from behind is not pushed in the back.

You’re getting held up on the first part of ‘holding the ball’ but forgetting the second. Prior opportunity is irrelevant if there’s no legal tackle. And as you can see in the definition of ‘legal tackle’, there’s nothing about being allowed to whack/grab someone high for any reason. Actually the part I’ve highlighted is pretty clear.

No. What I'm saying is clear. If you duck into a tackle, it's play on.

Well to put it simply, that is said nowhere in the AFL rule book. You’ve just constructed this narrative and are glued to it.

Are you saying you've never heard an umpire say 'you ducked, play on? If so, you are full of s***.

Of course I've heard it, because it's a thing, just not in the circumstances you are giving.

Ok, Dud.

[Sainter_Dad]

Just because you’re going low to win the ball doesn’t give the opposition free reign to whack you high.

Tackling technique was poor and didn’t adapt throughout the game.

If you take possession then dive into the on coming tackler it’s not supposed to be a free. Not my rule the AFLs.

Nothing to do with technique

Show me.

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/docume ... ooklet.pdf

·
6 hr. ago
Umpire's Call
I've said before when people ask me "where in the rulebook is x"...the laws of the game is a terribly sloppy, unprofessional document that often is not entirely aligned with what umpires are taught. This is a problem - but all interpretations are handed down by the AFL, umpires aren't making them up.

This from an ex-AFL umpire in the r/afl thread

[CQ SAINT]

Just because you’re going low to win the ball doesn’t give the opposition free reign to whack you high.

Tackling technique was poor and didn’t adapt throughout the game.

If you take possession then dive into the on coming tackler it’s not supposed to be a free. Not my rule the AFLs.

Nothing to do with technique

Show me.

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/docume ... ooklet.pdf

·
6 hr. ago
Umpire's Call
I've said before when people ask me "where in the rulebook is x"...the laws of the game is a terribly sloppy, unprofessional document that often is not entirely aligned with what umpires are taught. This is a problem - but all interpretations are handed down by the AFL, umpires aren't making them up.

This from an ex-AFL umpire in the r/afl thread

But its not in the rule book. Hey dud!