AFL UMPIRES manager Jeff Gieschen says there is a clear distinction between Hayden Ballantyne's after-the-siren shot for goal in Sunday's Derby and players who exhibit a "natural arc" when taking a set shot.

Gieschen said on Tuesday that the Fremantle forward's bomb from outside 50, which hit the post, should have been disallowed because he ran off his line and didn't kick over the mark.

That raised questions about players who routinely run off a straight line during their approach to goal, such as Hawthorn spearhead Lance Franklin.

But Gieschen said the two scenarios were very different.

"Ballantyne came inside the field of play instead of kicking over his mark, compared to Lance who has a natural walk in style that, yes, comes slightly off his line, but it's not designed to gain an advantage and he ends up kicking over his mark anyway," Gieschen told afl.com.au on Thursday.

"The Hayden Ballantyne shot for goal had nothing to do with an arc; it had to do with the fact that he didn't kick over his mark."

"Everyone got confused by the fact that Quinten Lynch stood four or five metres to the left of where the mark was set.

"Ballantyne kicked over [Lynch's] head, but that was a long way inside where the spot was that he should have kicked from, and that's why it would have been a play-on scenario."

Fremantle plays Hawthorn on Saturday night, and Freo coach Mark Harvey has said that he will instruct his players to stand as close as possible to Franklin when he kicks for goal and be poised to smother or tackle if 'play on' is called.

Gieschen said he had no issue with that tactic.

"During the course of the quarter, if any player steps off his line and tries to take an advantage, the umpire is expected to call 'play on'," the umpires boss said.

"The Fremantle players will have the right to stand right on the edge of the five metre protected area.

"However, if they encroach on that area before the umpire calls 'play on', the umpire will pay a 50-metre penalty for encroachment."