Southern Football League to introduce divisive last-disposal before out-of-bounds rule
THE Southern Football League has adopted the last-disposal before out-of-bounds rule for the upcoming season.
THE Southern Football League has adopted the last-disposal before out-of-bounds rule for the upcoming season.
SFL president Craig Warman said the rule was introduced to ensure the league was in line with the SANFL, which brought in the new law in 2016 to help speed up the game and ease congestion.
Warman said the rule, which leads to a free against the side that kicks or handballs the ball over the boundary, would also ensure continuity across the southern zone.
The Great Southern League and the Kangaroo Island Football League had already adopted it.
“We just think this is a natural progression,” Warman said.
“We have a lot of young kids that play in the SANFL with South Adelaide and (this will) make it an easier transition for them instead of having two sets of rules.
“There will probably be a little bit of controversy as there always is with an introduction of a new rule.”
Warman said the rule had worked well in the SANFL, leading to fewer throw-ins and less time-wasting.
Noarlunga president Trevor Mitton welcomed the move.
“We’re OK with it,” Mitton said.
“The only concern we would have is with the junior grades when you haven’t got certified umpires doing the job.
“If a young lad or a young lady is running the boundary line, it adds that bit more pressure on them.
“But as long as the rule is consistent … I think the rule is fairly straightforward and I think the players will adapt to it, no problems.”
But Christies Beach president Paul Daly was not in favour of the change.
“I’m not a fan of it,” Daly said.
“I tend to think we are tinkering with the rules too much.
“At our level, I don’t think we need to speed up the game.”
The SFL season will start on Saturday, April 14.