Holding the ball

A Women's Australian rules football player is caught "holding the ball", wrapped up in a gang tackle by two opponents. The field umpire (in orange) is about to signal "holding the ball" to penalise the player in possession and award a free kick to the first tackler.

Holding the ball is an infraction in Australian rules football. The rule results in a free kick being awarded against a player who fails to correctly dispose of the football upon being tackled by an opponent, although not under all circumstances. The rule provides the defending team a means to dispossess a player who is running with the football, and prevents players from slowing the play.

The holding the ball rule dates to the formative years of the game. It has a long history as one of the most contentious rules in the game and one of the most difficult to umpire consistently, in large part due to the several points of umpire discretion involved in its interpretation.[1]

  1. ^ Michelangelo Rucci (11 July 2014). "Holding the ball remains Australian Football's most complicated and annoying rule". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. Retrieved 5 August 2016.