Runner penalized for blocking view of boundary umpire

[fran]

Hey Guys,

I was watching a game on the weekend, and an incident occurred were a player kicked the ball out (what appeared to be on the fool). When the field umpire asked the boundary umpire if it was on the full the boundary umpire said he couldn't tell if the ball was out cause there was a runner blocking his view. the runner was then penalized.

Can anyone tell me what game it was in and the approximate quarter/time? i want to try and watch the incident again

[pyronerd]

i don't know, but there was an incident where a team was penalized because the runners got in the way of the play, while they were helping an injured player off the ground :o

[BoredSaint]

yeah i saw pyros incident. that was the geelong game 2 weeks ago.. hunt was being helped off and the ball almost hit the trainers

[hawk_88]

i don't know, but there was an incident where a team was penalized because the runners got in the way of the play, while they were helping an injured player off the ground :o

That is fair enough. It is well within the rules. They made a choice to take him off while play continued as opposed to calling for a stretcher which would have stopped the play. They made that choice because a stretcher would have meant Hunt couldn't return to the field (which from memory he didn't anyway, he was subbed) so they rolled the dice.

It is also worth making the distinction that the Cats weren't penalised, but the opposition were rewarded as they were disadvantaged by illegal means through no fault of their own. How fair would it have been if no free kick was given and because of the position of the trainers the Cats took possession and kicked a goal. There would be outrage.


As for the OP's incident, I am not aware of it so I hesitate to comment but based purely on the situation you described I don't think the runner was doing anything wrong. Seeing footage and getting a greater context might change that opinion.

[fran]

Sorry to disagree Hawk_88. but when trainners re helping an injured player off the field and the umpires are of the opinion that the ball is going to/does travel close enough to the player being removed from the field that it will endanger that player the umpires blow time and signal for a ball up where time was stopped. No free-kick will be awarded

[hawk_88]

My understanding is that the rule applies when the trainers are helping a player at the point of injury, not in the course of them leaving the field.

Happy to be proven wrong if you can find me the corresponding law.

The trainers had options. They could have escorted the player to the boundary line (which I am pretty sure means that the player cannot return for the remainder of the quarter, or for 20 minutes, I can't remember which) or they could have called for a stretcher.