Conclusion to JLT Series - Laws of the Game Notification To Clubs

The AFL today wrote to all clubs to confirm two elements of the Laws for the 2017 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, following the conclusion to the JLT Community Series.

It was re-stated to all clubs that a shot for goal, taken from where the ball crossed the line, will apply for any deliberate rushed behind infringement paid this season. Separately, following one occurrence in the recent JLT Community Series, it was clarified that in any instance where a player is struck by the ball at a boundary ruck contest but was passive and had no intention to contest or impact the ruck contest, play on would be called.

The full wording of the communication to the clubs was as follows:

Deliberate Rushed Behind.

The penalty for a Deliberate Rushed Behind in the 2017 AFL Premiership Season will remain as it was in 2016.

Free Kicks – Deliberate Rushed Behind
Law 15.8.1: When Awarded

The Umpires will work to the four (4) criteria as outlined through the Club visits and in the JLT Series:

A player cannot rush a behind if he is outside the top of the kick off line (9 metres) and its extension to the behind posts
A player who has time and space in which to dispose of the ball cannot rush a behind
A player who is not considered under immediate physical pressure cannot rush a behind (work on fact, not perceived)
From a ruck contest, if an opposition ruck hits the ball through for a rushed behind, then this will be adjudicated as a Deliberate Rushed Behind.

Law 15.8.2: Taking Free Kick

The free kick will be taken on the scoring line where the ball was rushed through as it was for 2016.

Designated Ruck
Designated Ruck (Third Man) interpretation for the following situation will apply in the 2017 AFL Premiership Season:

· “Play On” will be called if the ball strikes the non-designated ruck, who is passive and has no intention to contest or impact the ruck contest.