Nathan MottonGieschen defends rules that are a blight on the game
April 2nd 2008 07:43
The AFL has backed its umpires this week amid growing concern over the enforcement of controversial rules, in particular defensive tactics.
Umpires director Jeff Gieschen made no excuses for umpires taking a stronger approach, and said they were focussed on protecting the ball carrier.
"I disagree (with those who believe the interpretations were making it too difficult for defenders), " Gieschen said. "I have said all along and our umpires will play it this way, we want the players to play the ball and not the man."
No one would argue that umpires have succeeded in making our game soft.
Melees, and the like have been stamped out over the years, as monetary penalties have increased dramatically to protect the games image and ensure it is kept as family oriented as possible.
This scribe has no problem with that, but the fans don't mind a bit of biffo and surely it doesn't tarnish the games image to maybe allow more of it.
But all this is another story.
Gieschen went on to say that "as a defender, if you are going to grab an arm, if you are going to chop an arm, if you are going to put an arm around their waist or put your arm over their shoulder, if you are going to hold their jumper, free kicks will be given."
A large number of free kicks have been paid already this year against defenders for wrapping up opponents in one-on-one marking contests. Often it is extremely difficult to establish who initiated the contact and who was holding who.
But somehow umpires always make the call.
The one-on-one contest between key forwards and defenders is increasingly being alienated from the game.
The leagues rule-makers need to stop getting so carried away with trying to legislate over every single aspect of the game.
The problem is not the umpires.
This scribe wishes that the umpires were given more allowance to make calls as they see it. The absurdity of many of the calls they make, are simply umpires carrying out the wishes of bureaucratic rule-makers, people who clearly have lost touch with the game.
And as for Gieschen's comment that rules are in place merely to protect the ball carrier. Rubbish.
The AFL's obsession with increasing the speed of the game, has led to an increasingly ridiculous increase in 'holding the ball' free kicks.
A players natural instinct is to chase and gather the ball, and too often they are pinged for doing just that.
Umpires are not protecting the ball carrier. They are in fact making it harder for players with the ball because they are making it so ridiculously hard for them to dispose of it in sufficient time, before the whistle blows.
And moreover, the technique of a tackle has advanced so that players have now mastered the art of pinning a players arm, so he has no reasonable way of getting rid of the ball.
The umpires need to wake up to this.
And Gieschen must stop trying to defend these out-of-touch rule makers and start trying to implement change, by where umpires are given more freedom to do their job.
Otherwise the loss of faith that players and coaches now have in the leagues officiators will continue.
Umpires director Jeff Gieschen made no excuses for umpires taking a stronger approach, and said they were focussed on protecting the ball carrier.
"I disagree (with those who believe the interpretations were making it too difficult for defenders), " Gieschen said. "I have said all along and our umpires will play it this way, we want the players to play the ball and not the man."
No one would argue that umpires have succeeded in making our game soft.
This scribe has no problem with that, but the fans don't mind a bit of biffo and surely it doesn't tarnish the games image to maybe allow more of it.
But all this is another story.
Gieschen went on to say that "as a defender, if you are going to grab an arm, if you are going to chop an arm, if you are going to put an arm around their waist or put your arm over their shoulder, if you are going to hold their jumper, free kicks will be given."
A large number of free kicks have been paid already this year against defenders for wrapping up opponents in one-on-one marking contests. Often it is extremely difficult to establish who initiated the contact and who was holding who.
But somehow umpires always make the call.
The one-on-one contest between key forwards and defenders is increasingly being alienated from the game.
The leagues rule-makers need to stop getting so carried away with trying to legislate over every single aspect of the game.
This scribe wishes that the umpires were given more allowance to make calls as they see it. The absurdity of many of the calls they make, are simply umpires carrying out the wishes of bureaucratic rule-makers, people who clearly have lost touch with the game.
And as for Gieschen's comment that rules are in place merely to protect the ball carrier. Rubbish.
The AFL's obsession with increasing the speed of the game, has led to an increasingly ridiculous increase in 'holding the ball' free kicks.
A players natural instinct is to chase and gather the ball, and too often they are pinged for doing just that.
Umpires are not protecting the ball carrier. They are in fact making it harder for players with the ball because they are making it so ridiculously hard for them to dispose of it in sufficient time, before the whistle blows.
And moreover, the technique of a tackle has advanced so that players have now mastered the art of pinning a players arm, so he has no reasonable way of getting rid of the ball.
The umpires need to wake up to this.
And Gieschen must stop trying to defend these out-of-touch rule makers and start trying to implement change, by where umpires are given more freedom to do their job.
Otherwise the loss of faith that players and coaches now have in the leagues officiators will continue.
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