Frustration mounts over AFLW being used as a 'trial run' for new rules

[ad_1] AFLW participant Tarni White has voiced frustration over the ladies's competitors getting used as a trial run for brand new guidelines earlier than they're introduced into the lads's league.

It comes as criticism mounts over the brand new interpretation of the holding the ball rule this season, which coaches, gamers and followers have criticised for the inconsistency in its adjudication.

"It does really feel like we're a little bit of a trial run for the lads particularly, and I suppose different competitions which are under us as properly," White mentioned on ABC radio throughout the broadcast for the spherical 9 conflict between the Western Bulldogs and Essendon.

"Particularly that final contact lasso rule that they will implement with the lads's subsequent season."

The AFL modified the interpretation of the holding the ball rule forward of season ten, with umpires to be stricter on gamers who don't make a real try to eliminate the ball when tackled with no prior alternative.

Coaches, gamers and followers have criticised umpires being "too sizzling" on new holding the ball interpretations. ( Getty: Darrian Traynor )

Regardless of the general public pushback, the AFL is glad with the rollout of the brand new interpretation of the rule, with stoppages down and scoring up.

In the course of the first six weeks of the competitors, holding the ball frees had been up by 2.4 per match whereas common stoppage numbers had been down 34 per cent, from 67 per sport to 44.

Nevertheless, a number of coaches — together with Hawthorn's Daniel Webster, Geelong's Dan Lowther, Carlton's Mathew Buck and Richmond's Ryan Ferguson — voiced considerations concerning the inconsistencies with the rule throughout the first half of the season and umpires being "too sizzling" on the whistle.

Following this, final week the league despatched all golf equipment visible examples of the brand new guidelines to offer larger steerage.

Dan Lowther is considered one of 4 AFLW coaches to voice considerations over new holding the ball interpretations. ( Getty: Michael Willson/AFL Images )

AFLW commentator Chyloe Kurdas mentioned she heard and understood frustration concerning the AFL trialling guidelines within the girls's competitors.

Nevertheless, she mentioned the opposite aspect of that coin was innovating within the girls's competitors — together with introducing guidelines that had been completely different to the lads's sport — to assist enhance the product, which she believed the competitors needs to be open to.

But any changes wanted to be labored out within the VFLW or state leagues first to make sure they had been "down pat" earlier than they had been launched on the girls's high stage.

"When you're bringing in an innovation [to the top level] it needs to be ok … and I feel what we have seen with the holding the ball interpretation, the power to adjudicate constantly hasn't been ok," Kurdas mentioned.

In 2018, the 6-6-6 beginning positions at centre bounces had been trialled within the VFL earlier than they had been launched on the AFL stage a 12 months later. The AFL additionally trialled an 18-metre aim sq. (double the conventional measurement) within the VFL on the similar time, which was deserted.

The AFL trialled an 18 metre aim sq., double the conventional measurement. ( Twitter: FOXFootyLive )

The AFL has now proposed introducing the final contact or "lasso" rule — designed to scale back congestion and create a extra free-flowing, higher-scoring sport — into the lads's competitors, after getting used within the AFLW since 2018 and the SANFL since 2016.

Final 12 months, "rating help" good ball expertise was launched within the AFLW, which had been within the works for 18 months and utilized in apply matches and coaching throughout varied AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW groups to check its viability.

Nevertheless, there have been nonetheless hiccups in its introduction, Kurdas mentioned, together with a scarcity of communication to commentators and audiences about when it was utilized in video games.

There was additionally a expensive error throughout the rating evaluate course of when the brand new expertise wrongly overturned a vital aim from Gold Coast's Jamie Stanton, which handed their opponents, Collingwood, a three-point win.

Stanton's kick was initially dominated a aim by the on-field umpire earlier than being overturned by the rating help official, which, the AFL later conceded, incorrectly recorded the ball as touched.

Whereas there was hypothesis the ball-tracking expertise would make its strategy to the AFL after a trial run within the AFLW, CEO Andrew Dillion mentioned it was not prepared but.

"Now we have been actually pleased with the way in which it has gone in W, however we need to proceed to verify it's nearly as good as it may be earlier than it goes any additional," Dillon informed the Herald Solar.

Umpires are being stricter on gamers who don't make a real try to eliminate the ball when tackled. ( Getty: Paul Kane )

Kurdas mentioned she would love the identical angle for use for brand new guidelines within the AFLW.

"There's bought to be some extent at which the umpires can get it proper constantly sufficient you can then inject it into a contest that has so many eyeballs on it," Kurdas mentioned, referring to the brand new holding the ball interpretations.

"In any other case, you in all probability do not inject it into an area the place there's already lots of stress on this competitors to achieve success, and in many alternative methods, and there is already lots of people keen to criticise it.

"Do not put that in that setting when there's already all of these different pressures occurring. Put it in an setting that has bought the privilege of being much less watched in some respects and have much less stress on."