Boundary umpires to blow whistle on scragging

February 9: The humble boundary umpire is set to become the new best friend of superstar midfielders like Geelong champ and 2009 Brownlow Medal winner Gary Ablett during the AFL’s NAB Cup.

In a ground-breaking decision from the AFL, boundary umpires will be given the power to award free kicks for holding at stoppages during the pre-season competition which blasts off with West Coast taking on Essendon at Subiaco Oval this Friday night.

Desperately keen to keep footy clean and flowing,  the AFL believes boundary umpires can provide an extra set of eyes at stoppages.

The AFL has been under increasing pressure to try and come up with an answer  to the problem of superstar players being held off-the-ball by close-checking taggers without detection by field umpires.

 AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson is excited by the experimental rule.

“If there’s less holding at stoppages, we’ll probably see better footy as a result,” he said at the launch of the NAB Cup.   

“The boundary umpire is a extra set of eyes to help detect holding at stoppages.

“The boundary umpires have been trained up over summer. They’re looking forward to the challenge.”

The trial will be celebrated with gusto by the likes of Ablett and Western Bulldogs speedster and 2008 Brownlow Medal winner Adam Cooney, who have endured plenty of frustration at the hands of opposition players holding on in an attempt to prevent them from dashing away with the footy.

But the boundary umpire experiment during the NAB Cup will remain just that and it will not come into force when the AFL’s premiership season begins in late March.

Another trial rule that is certain to attract plenty of attention during the NAB Cup concerns the advantage rule.

 Umpires will leave the definition of advantage up to players.

It occurs to some extent already, but there will be no second chance if the player turns the footy over or misses a shot at the big sticks.

The holding-the-ball rule will also be tweaked.

The tackling player who pushes the footy under an opponent in the hope of winning a free kick will be penalised.

 An extension of the no-go zone behind field umpires at ball-ups all around the ground rather than just at centre bounces will also be trailled.

The experimental rules for the NAB Cup are:

1.       Boundary umpires can pay free kicks for holding at stoppages.

2.       Players, rather than umpires, will determine the application of the advantage rule.

3.       Extension of the no-go zone behind umpires at ball-ups all around the ground.

4.       Tackling player who pushes the ball under opponent seeking free kick will be penalised.