Dropping The Ball/Incorrect Disposal Rule

[Crumpler83]

Am I the only one who has noticed these rules have gone completely by the wayside recently? It seems that in their ever growing quest to keep the game free flowing at insanely high speed the AFL and umpiring department are letting guys get away with dropping the ball when tackled and letting players simply hand the ball off to a team mate rather than have another stoppage occur. It's really starting to frustrate me. Some stoppages are now resembling a Rugby Union match where the tackled player simply places the ball on the ground behind him for another team mate to scoop up.

Throwing the ball seems to also be enforced less and less these days as well in stoppage situations (Jobe Watson was a massive benificiary of this in the third quarter last night which resulted in a Dons goal). Surely the AFL and the umps can't turn a blind eye to this simply because they want a better TV product?

Anyone else noticed this creeping into the game?

 

[TimmehJC"]

Comes from a small change. For the last few seasons if caught without prior opportunity an attempt to kick or handball is enough. Frustrating I know, but you eventually get used to it.

 

[Sport is Life]

There is no such rule as dropping the ball.
It's either holding the ball or play on.
If the player has prior, its holding the ball, if they don't kick or handball.
If they have no prior, the player must attempt to kick or handball at least, its play on and called knocked out in the tackle.
If they throw it then its called a throw and a free kick paid.

 

[Mr Lizard]

Absolutely shits me. A player like Brad Sewell is penalised for being strong and standing up in a tackle while looking for options, whereas someone more feeble just lets it go (or even throws it in the vicinity of a team-mate) when tackled, play on.

 

[Jabso]

There is no such rule as dropping the ball.
It's either holding the ball or play on.
If the player has prior, its holding the ball, if they don't kick or handball.
If they have no prior, the player must attempt to kick or handball at least, its play on and called knocked out in the tackle.
If they throw it then its called a throw and a free kick paid.

If you have prior opportunity, and drop the ball, it's called incorrect disposal of the ball. Although I think incorrect disposal in a tackle is often just called holding the ball. This includes throws, drops, hand-offs, bouncing the ball in a tackle etc.

 

[Sport is Life]

If you have prior opportunity, and drop the ball, it's called incorrect disposal of the ball. Although I think incorrect disposal in a tackle is often just called holding the ball. This includes throws, drops, hand-offs, bouncing the ball in a tackle etc.

No. With prior it's called holding the ball. Incorrect disposal in a tackle is knocked out in the tackle unless its thrown out. Bouncing the ball in a tackle is holding the ball. Dropping the ball does not exist!

Dropping the ball is the biggest myth in football.

 

[Mr Lizard]

No. With prior it's called holding the ball. Incorrect disposal in a tackle is knocked out in the tackle unless its thrown out. Bouncing the ball in a tackle is holding the ball. Dropping the ball does not exist!

Dropping the ball is the biggest myth in football.

If you drop the ball, you haven't disposed of it correctly. Whether this is paid as holding the ball, or incorrect disposal, it is still a free kick. No myth.

Are you saying that if a player drops the ball in a tackle, this is actually the ball being knocked out in the tackle?

 

[TimmehJC"]

No. With prior it's called holding the ball. Incorrect disposal in a tackle is knocked out in the tackle unless its thrown out. Bouncing the ball in a tackle is holding the ball. Dropping the ball does not exist!

Dropping the ball is the biggest myth in football.

Its the same as bouncing in a tackle, it may not be the name of the rule, but it is a free kick.

 

[Jabso]

Alright let's settle this from the laws of the game.

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:
(a) has had a prior opportunity to dispose of the football, the
field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against that Player
if the Player does not Kick or Handball the football
immediately when he or she is Correctly Tackled; or

I.e. the onyl way you can properly dispose of the ball is by handball or kicking, (b) spells it out further

(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.

Well part B is not enforced properly because

(c) Except in the instance of a poor bounce or throw, a Player
who takes possession of the football while contesting a
bounce or throw by a field Umpire or a boundary throw in,
shall be regarded as having had prior opportunity.

says nothing about the tackle until

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;

These are self explanatory.

(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, in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply;

Aha!
15.2.3(a) which states a player must kick or handball the ball, otherwise it's an incorrect disposal. HENCE, incorrect disposal is often quoted as a reason as to why umpires pay holding the ball decisions.

(d) a Player, whilst in the act of Kicking or Handballing, is
swung off-balance and does not make contact with the
football by either foot or hand, unless the Player has had
a prior opportunity to Correctly Dispose of the football,
in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply; or
(e) a Player is pulled or swung by one arm which causes
the football to fall from the Player’s hands, unless the
Player has had a prior opportunity to Correctly Dispose
of the football, in which case Law 15.2.3 (a) shall apply.

Again it refers to correct disposal.

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.

Often due to a tackle the player will end up throwing the football, this is when the free kick is outright incorrect disposal, as opposed to holding the ball with the explanation being that the player didn't get rid of the properly.

So basically, when you have prior opportunity and then get tackled, your defence that you dropped the ball because of the tackle is null and void.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I dont have a problem with not paying it, but i do have a problem with them paying frees against the tackler for holding the man after they have dropped it. come on, its either holding the ball or nothing

 

[Bob_vic]

Comes from a small change. For the last few seasons if caught without prior opportunity an attempt to kick or handball is enough. Frustrating I know, but you eventually get used to it.

Mate, that's been the rule for a 100 years... It hasn't been changed.

No prior opp - an attempt was good enough, is still good enough and always will be good enough.

N.B. Dropping the ball deliberately, or bouncing the ball is deemed not to be an attempt to correctly dispose, therefore, it's HTB. If the ball is knocked out in the tackle, it's play on.

The only changes have been to do with prior opp. There was no such thing as "prior opp" before these laws were introduced.

Prior Opp - Ball pinned in tackle (only). Free kick for holding the ball.

then later, in the 1990s..

Prior Opp - Ball must be correctly disposed. Free kick for incorrect disposal/holding the ball. An attempt is not good enough, only where there's prior opp.

 

[Bob_vic]

I dont have a problem with not paying it, but i do have a problem with them paying frees against the tackler for holding the man after they have dropped it. come on, its either holding the ball or nothing

Usually what happens is that the ball gets knocked out in the tackle, then the tackler holds on too long.

If the tackler drops the ball deliberately to his feet just before being tackled, it's still deemed to be HTB, because the player still deemed to have control of the the ball, therefore, he's still in possession.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Usually what happens is that the ball gets knocked out in the tackle, then the tackler holds on too long.

If the tackler drops the ball deliberately to his feet just before being tackled, it's still deemed to be HTB, because the player still deemed to have control of the the ball, therefore, he's still in possession.

It isnt always possible to know when the ball has come free

 

[Bob_vic]

It isnt always possible to know when the ball has come free

Umpires do give a reasonable amount of time to let go. They are also instructed to do that.

If the player doesn't know when to let go, then I guess that's the penalty for being second to the ball.