TOPIC:

Was just watching an NBA game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls . Score was Phil 19 - Ch 18 when Phils player Korkmaz shot down a 3 but there was a lot of hand waving gestures by Chicago players and their coach. Turns out Philadelphia had 6 players on the court ( only for that play that lasted about as long as the shot clock (about 20 seconds).

After they reviewed the tape the refs waved off the three pointer, charged Philadelphia with a tech foul which gave Chicago free throws without anyone in the key and gave Chicago possession in their half. So then the score was 19 - 19.

In our game Aussie rules not NBL, the rules are the captain of the opposition has to ask the field umpires for a head count and if it’s found there are 19 players on the other team on the field their entire score is wiped. Firstly it is most likely someone off the field has picked up the discrepancy and by the time they get a message to the captain to call for a head count the other team might have realised it themselves and made the correction. Also nowadays runners are only allowed on after a goal.

The reason North Adelaide weren’t stripped of their grand final wins couple of years ago was no one noticed at the time and the opposition captain didn’t call for a head count before NA corrected it.

I’m thinking the penalty is too harsh and doesn’t fit the crime so why don’t we adopt a similar penalty where the umpires can wave off any score made while there has been an extra player on the field, give opposing team a free kick in the goal square and then award them a free kick in the centre circle to restart play? I reckon that’s a fair penalty.

What do others think?

DD I agree the penalty is very harsh and what you suggest or something like it is a much fairer penalty. With the NA incident while Trop was on the ground as the 19th man they scored more points than they won by, so just removing those points scored while he was on the field could well have changed the outcome. Of course any review of a claim of 19 men on the field could only work if every game was telecast, which will never be the case at WAFL level, not sure each clubs own videos would be accepted and may not be able to be made available in a timely manner. If the old rule applied for H & A games which are not all telecast and "your rule" applied for finals it could be workable.

The rule has changed slightly in that they don't wipe the whole score of the team on the day but leave it open for a tribunal to reverse the result later depending on the circumstances. See rule below from 2019 Laws of Australian Football

5.5.3 Players Exceeding Permitted Number
Where a Team has more than the permitted number of Players on the Playing Surface, the following shall apply: (a) a field Umpire shall award a Free Kick to the captain or acting captain of the opposing Team, which shall be taken at the Centre Circle or where play was stopped, whichever is the greater penalty against the offending Team; (b) a Fifty Metre Penalty shall then be imposed from the position where the Free Kick was awarded; (c) the Team shall lose all points which it has scored in that quarter up to the time of the count; and (d) the field Umpire shall report the circumstances to the Controlling Body, including the scores at the time. The Controlling Body may further determine the matter by way of a fine, reversal of Match result or other sanction as it deems appropriate, including overturning the loss of points prescribed by Law 5.5.3(c).

mikeh wrote: The rule has changed slightly in that they don't wipe the whole score of the team on the day but leave it open for a tribunal to reverse the result later depending on the circumstances. See rule below from 2019 Laws of Australian Football

5.5.3 Players Exceeding Permitted Number
Where a Team has more than the permitted number of Players on the Playing Surface, the following shall apply: (a) a field Umpire shall award a Free Kick to the captain or acting captain of the opposing Team, which shall be taken at the Centre Circle or where play was stopped, whichever is the greater penalty against the offending Team; (b) a Fifty Metre Penalty shall then be imposed from the position where the Free Kick was awarded; (c) the Team shall lose all points which it has scored in that quarter up to the time of the count; and (d) the field Umpire shall report the circumstances to the Controlling Body, including the scores at the time. The Controlling Body may further determine the matter by way of a fine, reversal of Match result or other sanction as it deems appropriate, including overturning the loss of points prescribed by Law 5.5.3(c).

Ok so sounds like the rule change is pretty similar to my idea which would almost guarantee the opposition a goal and the other teams score for the quarter is wiped. That sounds like a fair penalty although if a team that has offended has had a great quarter and their extra man blemish was only for a minute or two then that could be a harsh penalty. Probably any score they have made like in the NBA is wiped during the time they had a plus 1 would be fairer.

But if a goal is scored after taking the free kick and 50m penalty I would still award another free kick in the centre circle.