TOPIC:

Heard yesterday that the WAAFL is adding the forced behind rule as per AFL this year to all grades.

Also opposing ruck men to be a metre a part at all throw ins and ball ups around the ground.

Has anyone else heard this and can anyone confirm it.

I didnt see it in the bylaws Disco, but you never know what your going to get with WAAFL and their umpires

Disco Knight wrote: Heard yesterday that the WAAFL is adding the forced behind rule as per AFL this year to all grades.

Also opposing ruck men to be a metre a part at all throw ins and ball ups around the ground.

Has anyone else heard this and can anyone confirm it.

I find this very hard to believe and would be a bad bad idea if it is to be implented especially if in all grades. Where clubs have to provide their own goal umpires it could and would be shambolic!!!

Goal umpires don't judge the deliberate rushed behind, it is the filed umpire. In saying that, I don't believe any of the beforementioned rule changes should be allowed to be introduced into the WAAFL.

The ruck rule is definately coming in, as is a 7 second rule for after a point has been kicked, I think you need to bring teh ball back into play within 7 seconds, otherwise it will result in a ball up.... will be interesting for zones and the huddle... will really need to make sure you get ready when you forwards are lining up!

The seven second rule doesn't make any sense as we don't have spare footys behind the goals. When the ball goes through for a point off a kick, do you have 7 seconds to get the ball and kick, or 7 seconds from when you get the ball or 7 seconds from when you get the ball back into the goalsquare?

People at HQ really need to think how these rules will actually work on the weekends.

Yeah we were told at our scratch match on the weekend by the umpires that both rules were coming in and were used on Saturday. The ruck rule was fully implemented although no free kicks were given.

The kick out rule was supposedly in force but I took a few kick outs and definitely took longer longer than that most times and was never cautioned so who knows.

My understanding is that the rushed behind will be coming in for Season 2013. As Shiz stated though it is the field umpires who will interpret,not the goal umpires.

Having said that, this rule will pose a problem in the lower grades, where they are self umpired. Umpires in these grades have a lack of knowledge of the actual rules (at the best of times).

Bringing in the new AFL rules to amateur football is a bad idea. Even in the higher grades the league supplied umpires struggle to enforce the current rules which have been around for 100 years. Inconsistencies in holding the ball, push in the back and advantage vary greatly from week to week, and umpire to umpire. Can’t see any value in further complicating the rules for both umpires and players.

What if you carnt cournt to sleven?