Is It Time For A Last Touch Free Kick To Replace Deliberate Out Of Bounds In The AFL?

Has been a contentious rule


Article heading image for Is It Time For A Last Touch Free Kick To Replace Deliberate Out Of Bounds In The AFL?

The deliberate out of bounds rule has been in sharp focus in the first third of this footy season, with several contentious calls coming from the tweaking of the rule.

AFL operations manager Simon Lethlean defended the interpretation of the rule on Thursday, saying that he liked the way the rule is going and that it’s “adding to the style of play”.

Kenny Cunningham and Tyson Edwards discussed the situation on Triple M Adelaide’s Dead Set Legends yesterday.

“Fair dinkum, he could be the only person, Simon Lethlean, who thinks it’s working,” KG said.

“Umpires are confused, spectators are confused, everybody’s confused!”

Cunningham is in favour of moving towards a ‘last touch’ free kick rule, where a free kick is paid against the last time to possess the ball before it goes out of play.

The rule already exists in the SANFL.

“Get rid of the boundary throw ins, I hate ‘em,” KG said.

“They nine times out ten cause scrimmages… [the last touch rule] simplifies the interpretation.

“Everybody knows what the rule is, the last player to touch it and it goes out of play gets penalised.”

“There’s no grey area. As it stands now we have too many bloody grey areas!”

The rule attracted even more attention last night when a contentious decision went again Richmond in the dying moments of their loss to the Western Bulldogs.

So is it time for the AFL to get rid of the grey areas and just make every out of bounds call a free kick?

7 May 2017




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