Wiz Cup Rules (H/S article 20/2/03)

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Rule changes flag an ambitious trial
20 February 2003 Herald Sun
By MICHAEL STEVENS

ORANGE flags for a nine-point goal kicked from outside 50m and a black flag for a deliberately rushed behind that is worth three points.

These are just two of the innovations football fans will experience when the Wizard Cup starts at Telstra Dome tomorrow night.

With five new rules, the pre-season competition will have its biggest revamp in years. Apart from the revolutionary scoring system, defenders will also be able to kick the ball in immediately a behind has been signalled, rather than waiting for the goal umpire to wave the flags.

And in an effort to stop time-wasting, "play on" will be called for kicking the ball backwards to a mark, except within the forward 50m zone.

To stop congestion in the centre square, the square has been expanded from 45m to 50m.

AFL football operations manager Andrew Demetriou said yesterday the new rules had been designed for the Wizard Cup and were not intended for the home-and-away series.

But on reflection, he said, one or two could be implemented in the regular season in the future.

"A lot of these rules will speed up the game and put more stress on the players," Demetriou said.

"But in the Wizard Cup, we've got additional interchange players and the flexibility of having more in heat conditions."

Field umpires, who will wear orange uniforms, have also developed new signals for the nine-point goals and three-point behinds.

These are a configuration of nine fingers for a nine-pointer and the "deliberate out-of-bounds" arm action for a three-pointer.

Goal umpires, in turn, will raise both hands for a nine-pointer and one arm for a three-pointer.

Signals for one behind and a six-point goal remain the same, with white flags to be waved.

To keep the game flowing from kick-ins, designated ball retrievers will be stationed behind the goals to maintain a steady supply of footballs.

And to make sure there is no confusion if goals are scored in quick succession, there will be two goal umpires at each end.

All scoreboards have been adjusted to signify the new scoring system. Four columns will be used -- 9pt goals, 6pt goals, behinds (including 3pt and 1pt) and total points.

Prizemoney has been increased to $200,000 to the winner and $100,000 to the runner-up.

Ten of the 15 matches will be telecast either on Channel 9 or Channel 10, with the rest on Foxtel.

Club membership ticket will not allow free admittance to Wizard Cup games, now the competition has reverted to a knockout format.

Umpires director Jeff Gieschen said six rookie umpires would also be trialled during the Wizard Cup for two positions on the senior panel.

Umpires will also trial blue, red and yellow shirts during the Wizard regional challenge series, in which teams will play in regional centres throughout Australia after they have been eliminated from the cup.

These may be introduced during the home-and-away series to avoid colour clashes in games between Sydney and Geelong, where both strips are predominantly white



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[This message has been edited by Pies_Chat (edited 20 February 2003).]