The bizarre free kick against Adelaide midfielder Dean Gore will most likely prompt a change this week to the AFL’s controversial third-man up rule.
AFL umpires boss Peter Schwab said the league was writing to the clubs on Monday, seeking feedback on the rule tweak.
Gore was roving a boundary throw-in during Sunday’s match against Geelong when the ball hit him on the back of the head.
Under the new rule that bans the third man up at any ruck contest, he gave away a free because he made contact with the ball before it hit the ground.
Schwab said as the rule stands, the free kick against Gore was the correct call.
“We’re certainly looking at that, but we’ll just get a position, talk to the clubs and then once we get their views, then we’ll look at what we do,” Schwab said.
“It doesn’t happen too often, a little bit unusual … so we’ll just be asking the clubs if the player gets hit by the ball, is passive and not looking to impact the ruck contest, should we be just calling play on?
“I think, like everyone else here, it’s more than likely that they’ll ask that change occurs.
“I don’t think anyone who’s hit by the ball in the back of the head is really looking to do that (impact the ruck contest) naturally.”
Schwab noted that there had been about 600 boundary throw-ins so far during the pre-season and this was the first time, under the new rule, that a player had been hit on the head.
The unusual free has also been paid in the women’s league.
Schwab added that boundary throw-ins were only recalled if they fell short or were off line.
He said they hoped to have club feedback in the next couple of days.
“It could change for the (pre-season), week four,” Schwab said.
But the umpires boss is happy with the new rule, which has split opinion in the game.
“I haven’t checked the clearance rates … I just seems to me it’s a lot cleaner in some ways, in the ruck contests,” Schwab said.
“The umpire doesn’t have to negotiate anything, other than watching the two ruckman compete.
“So from that point of view, it’s been better.”
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