There’s been much discussion recently about the new rules changes in the AFL and the effectiveness they’ve had on our great game.
But deep into the 2020 season, we still see the same old problems. Congestion, rolling mauls, slow play and low scores.
The demands from coaches to play ‘possession is king’ football, doesn’t help the cause, resulting in teams holding onto the ball for an eternity, as they zig zag their way towards their attacking 50.
In the meantime, their opponents transition into defence and set a wall, commonly known as a 16 man flood or zone. AFL in the back half has turned into the A League. But don’t blame the rules!
Back in the 1950s, the NBA went through a similar period of slow play, low scores and frustrated fans. It all started with one game where the ‘underdog’ decided to hold the ball in offence for as long as possible from their much fancied rival.
It worked, resulted in them winning 19 to 18.
However, it triggered other teams to use the same tactics, resulting in low scoring games, fans not turning up and franchises eventually folding.
The NBA took a bold, radical decision to speed up the game and give the fans higher scores. They introduced a Shot Clock. And it worked. Scoring rose dramatically.
A Shot Clock in basketball is a clever mechanism to make the offensive team shoot and speed the game up. Once a team gains possession, they have 24 seconds to shoot the ball.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an NBA fan. The same principles apply. AFL should be a fast moving game with lots of goals.
What rule changes could improve the game? (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
What would happen if we introduced a shot clock, but called it, a Possession Clock? You have 24 or 30 or 36 seconds to get the ball into your 50 metre arc? (Personally, 30 seconds is more than enough)
Put simply, teams have no choice but to move the ball quickly and take risks. This will bring back the unpredictability of our great game – something that has disappeared.
Do we really care about the backs chipping it around to each other, piling up the meaningless stats, as the other team sets up the wall?
If we were to introduce a Possession Clock, the best part is, there’s no rule changes. In fact, the field umpires don’t even get involved. Like the NBA, it’s officiated by an umpire in the stands. There’ll be a Countdown Clock on the scoreboard.
You can’t expect the forwards to zone in the defensive 50, win the ball back, and be a target in 30 seconds for the whole game.
It’ll be physically impossible. The ‘Clock’ will force forwards to stay at home.
The torpedo punt will make a return, because a long bomb may be needed to beat the clock.
The result will be more shots on goal, more chaos ball and teams taking more risks.
So now you have no choice. You have to attack. The clock is ticking!
DotCrowTinRoar
Guest
Giants needed this last night Camerons gameplan too conservative
Justin Nash
Guest
Here's an idea. Divide the ground up between centre half forward and the goalsquare with a lateral line. Do it at both ends of the ground. Lines from the flanks to the boundary. Then dont award marks from lateral kicks or backward kicks. Play on. Cuts down on stoppages and time wasting. No more keepings off.
BigAl
Roar Rookie
I put all this up here a few years ago, basically to address the problem of blowouts but it could also help with low scoring... When a goal is scored, the team scored against gets to kick the ball in from the 50 meter arc. To cater for the situation where a big comeback is happening there would be a system of 'captains calls' where a team could elect to have the restart with the traditional centre bounce. This would be limited to 2 a quarter ?, 3 in the last quarter ?... As stated the original thoughts were to inhibit runaway blowouts. Also these changes could see a return to the game of fullbacks with booming kicks and fullforwards capable of taking big contested marks and kicking straight, removing the present day emphasis of just having a fleet of fast midfielers ! Thoughts ?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Ironically enough.
TheFireFighterOfAntarctica
Roar Rookie
The “kick in” after a behind: The ‘Clock’ doesn’t start when the fullback kicks it in. It starts at the next clear possession. So if the fullback kicks to a pack on a flank and a mark is taken, the clock starts. If the ball spills and a player picks it up and is clear possession, the clock starts. If the player picks it up but is immediately tackled, the clock doesn’t start. And the field umpires don’t have to worry about all of the above. The umpire sitting in the stands adjudicates when to stop, start and reset.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
We will fight them on the beaches!
TheFireFighterOfAntarctica
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the comments, Brian. Everything you stated, is happening now, without a clock.
Brian
Guest
After a behind teams already struggle to get the ball to their attacking 50m. Add a clock and you might as well just throw the ball in from 60m cause that's as good as they'll do. Then you just have more players around the ball
Brian
Guest
But why would the team leading the game care so much about scroing, just flood your defensive 50, get possession kick it long to your tall forward to contest a boundary throw in and clock starts again. A shot clock would basically make possession meaningless, basically Rugby Union with tackling from everywhere
TheFireFighterOfAntarctica
Roar Rookie
Seymorebutts thanks for your comments. Unfortunately, the game has evolved to the entertainment industry. Which is part of the problem. Cats vs Tigers last Friday was a game everybody was looking forward to. It’s a pity the Cats chose to go slow and give us a fizzer. Richmond’s style of play is what we’re after as a benchmark. Earlier in the year, at Adelaide Oval, we witnessed arguably, the best game in 10 years, when Port got up against the Tiggers. The ball was pinging around like a pinball, as both sides moved the ball quickly and attacked.
Seymorebutts
Guest
The problem is that fans are aware that there is more than one style to play... Richmond play fast tempo, WCE are very deliberate coming out of defense... since they are the two most recent premiers its pretty clear that each method works.. Basketball in the USA used to be half court east coast style, versus run and gun west coast style which is why the NBA finals were so exhilarating to watch.. Lakers versus Celtics was also confirmation that one system was superior over another. Theres already too much messing with the rules, maybe its time for the AFL to leave the game alone.
TheFireFighterOfAntarctica
Roar Rookie
X1, No. Maybe read the article again, Mate!
Winnie the Pooh (Emperor of China)
Guest
A nutty solution. And going further away from how the sport was designed. It would take very little to reverse this problem we have in football currently. What is being tried now tactically has been tried before over the last 150 years. Nothing new. The problem is the AFL mucking about with the laws to change the game. They have allowed the coaches to get their way in having players never getting tired by allowing four interchange and being unlimited. Does anyone seriously suggest that players of yesteryear were not fit? We had guys that had been in the SAS in the wars playing. Interchange needs to be scrapped and dumped soon before the game collapses. Backways kicking and paying marks for it is against the original spirit of the game and an exploitation of a loophole. It was never designed to happen. It's the underarm delivery of football. We change those two laws and you will again get games with 100 points again, century goal kickers, clubs would be forced to recruit skilled ball handlers and not the 'APS athletes'. It is time for revolution!
XI
Roar Guru
Yes. So it's not a shot clock, it's an inside 50 clock
TheFireFighterOfAntarctica
Roar Rookie
If you’re a basketball fan but still trying to get your head around this concept; Think of the 50 metre arc line as the basketball ring.
TheFireFighterOfAntarctica
Roar Rookie
XI, I suggest you read the article again. This is not an inside 50 clock. The proposal is; you have (eg:) 30 seconds to get the ball into your forward 50 arc.
XI
Roar Guru
Possession changes in basketball are much less contested than Australian football. There's a contest for the rebounds but then a team mostly has posession until they have a shot. That's much rarer in the AFL. When does the clock start? Re-start? Do you get a fresh 30 if the ball is spoiled or smothered? What happens if the ball enters the 50 but is spoilt out again? Why do you get 30 seconds to get it into the 50 from 51m out as well as from the defending goal square? You can (and people do) score from their defending paint, even if it is rare. You will never see that in AFL. I could keep going. But the main problem is this: it is better for teams to concede less than score more. Until they have a motivation to score more, they won't. An inside 50 clock won't do that.
Johnno
Roar Rookie
Spot on.......congestion is because players re fitter & less tired so they can run up & down the field all day. Professionalism ( full timers now) & interchange have done this. Professionalism is here to stay....so interchange is the only option to look at.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Same thing happened to Big Bash' Coached to withing an inch of it's life. Outsmarted itself. Run those singles.... Chip that back pass. Stop and think. Take the heat out of the game. Win/Loss inspires only low scoring and high thinking. Footy should be a fever not a puzzle. Richmond knows this. What an advantage.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
If you want to improve scoring come up with a holding the ball rule and enforce it.