Crackdown on 'fakers' among AFL rule changes

The AFL has cracked down connected players it suggests are "fakers", announcing a 50-metre punishment volition nary longer beryllium awarded erstwhile a subordinate pretends to handball portion down the mark.

It's 1 of 3 changes the AFL has made to its rules for the 2023 season, successful a bid to marque officiating easier, minimise unnecessary hold and trim "exploitation" tactics.

One blight brought astir by the arguable "stand" regularisation saw players faking handballs successful an effort to instrumentality opponents into moving disconnected the people earlier "play on" was called.

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"Instead, erstwhile this occurs, the people and basal volition beryllium reset," the AFL said successful a connection released to clubs.

"Please enactment that if the subordinate 'faking' a handball steps disconnected their line, umpires volition telephone 'play on'."

Port Adelaide large Kane Cornes is miffed.

"When you present silly rules it creates problems," Cornes wrote connected Twitter.

The AFL has made a big of regularisation changes up of the 2023 season. (Getty Images)

Collingwood fable Mick McGuane is besides among the critics.

"Oh, no, no, no," McGuane wrote connected Twitter.

"Now we are asking the umpires to find if a subordinate is faking handballs (versus) an enactment that whitethorn beryllium determination but decided to alteration his mind."

Former Lion Marty Pask, present an AFL subordinate agent, made the aforesaid argument.

"Now we request to find a fake handball question (versus) a subordinate changing their caput (which they are entitled to do)," Pask wrote connected Twitter.

"That's going to beryllium interesting."

Another regularisation alteration states players indispensable marque contiguous decisions regarding the five-metre protected area.

When a subordinate is awarded a people oregon escaped kick, 1 subordinate from the opposing squad whitethorn basal connected the people oregon beryllium directed by a tract umpire.

All different players from the opposing squad indispensable beryllium positioned down the people oregon extracurricular the protected area.

And different regularisation alteration explains that, erstwhile lining up for a acceptable shot, a subordinate volition nary longer person some a 15-second and 25-second warning.

It's expected that players are alert they person 30 seconds to statesman moving in; therefore, a subordinate volition lone person a 25-second warning.

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