The AFL is aware of uncertainty amongst journalists and fans surrounding the interpretation of the holding the ball rule and incorrect disposal.

Like variable ticketing, the AFL believes this is not a problem of the AFL’s making, but more that fans and journalists are a bit thick and have trouble understanding most things.

The holding the ball rule is a key component of our wonderful game. We must reward the tackler, but we should also think about the feelings of the tacklee.

There are five key components to the rule.

Part 1 - Reasonable opportunity/no prior opportunity

Basically, players that have had no prior opportunity need to be given a reasonable opportunity to dispose of the football when tackled legally.

Given we can’t remember if ‘incorrect disposal’ is still a thing, you can pretty much just drop the ball and you’ll be sweet.

Mainly, we just let players pretend to be trying to hit the ball out and call a ball up, although sometimes we don’t and call holding the ball just to keep you guessing.

Part 2 - Prior opportunity

Where a player has had a reasonable opportunity to dispose of the football by way of kick or handball and is then tackled, that’s a free kick.

How do we determine ‘prior opportunity?’ Basically we let each umpire decide based on their mood.

Umpiring is more art than science. Sometimes we like to interpret it as having the ball for about ten minutes and then your tackled.

Other times, we watch a guy barely touch the ball before being poleaxed and we call it.

Let’s not overthink it. If we called it consistently all the time you’d have nothing to complain about at work or on your little forums.

Part 3 - Diving on the ball

In this situation the onus is on the player who dives on the ball. Once he is legally tackled, the player must immediately and successfully knock the ball on otherwise he will be penalised for holding the ball.

If it were up to us, we’d prefer no one dived in and instead players from both sides took turns getting the ball.

The only team to ever try this was Melbourne for a few years. No other team went along unfortunately, so you just had four Melbourne players standing back, while ten opposition players dived on the ball and swept it away.

St Kilda may have been trying this on Sunday.

Part 4 - Taking on the tackler

When a player attempts to take on a tackler and is legally tackled that’s a free kick. This includes taking a bounce and trying to get around the man on the mark and getting tackled.

Every team has one of these guys who used to be able to take on opponents in the under 18s and despite it not working for several years, still does it.

They get caught every time and our umpires love nothing more than theatrically, then awarding the free because what is it with those guys?

Part 5 - Taking the ball from the ruck

When ruckmen take the ball from a ruck contest and have had prior opportunity they must legally kick or handball immediately.

You’d think this would never happen, right? Pretty simple rule to follow.

Remember though, that we’re dealing with ruckman.

Ruckmen are slow and were not just talking about around the ground.

Again, we occasionally don’t call this just to annoy you. Yes, you reading this right now.

Pretty much most things we do are to annoy you, because we hate just your team.

Simple, right?