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22:
33:
362:. The legality of the technique was frequently brought into question in the AFL. The South Australian style featured a significantly shorter swinging distance between the punching hand and holding hand, allowing it to be executed in almost any stance. This also made it more difficult for a tackler to attack the swinging arm. As had been a problem with the flick pass, it was more difficult for spectators and umpires to interpret whether or not the correct punching method is being used.
44:
296:. The ball is held on a slight angle with the fist ending up in or close to the other open hand. This enables a handpass to achieve distance and speed comparable to a short kick and is easier for teammates to catch. Professional Australian footballers are typically competent at handballing using either punching arm. Other handball variations include the
280:
became particularly notable for its use of handball, as
Carlton's extensive attacking use of handball at coach Barassi's direct and famous half time instructions helped it recover from a 44-point half-time deficit to win the game; the game is sometimes apocryphally referred to as the "birth of modern
378:
Handball competitions are often used to test the accuracy of handpasses. A handball competition typically uses a board or vertically hung material with a target consisting of multiple coloured concentric bands worth different points. The centre is usually cut out to let the ball through and is worth
184:
Although the rules allowed for the handball, for most
Australian football leagues the handball was largely a secondary skill to the kick and used as a last resort when a player had no time to kick. Strategically, Australian football was viewed as a territorial sport, where the prime aim was not so
188:
The principally used handpass was top-spin in nature. This was used with the belief that the ball could be contained more locally and executed more quickly off the hands when the ball was held in preparation for kicking, as smaller handpasses were originally used mainly when in trouble. The other
208:
to distinguish it from the flick pass) the only legal form of handpass. This was not widely popular, as the style of punch pass used at the time a much more cumbersome disposal than a flick pass, and it resulted in the game being played at a slower pace. The flick pass was re-instated before the
152:
and results in a free kick to the nearest opposition player. Moving the hand that holds the ball excessively in the direction of the handpass, using an open hand instead of a clenched fist to tap the ball away, punching the ball out of mid-air after having thrown or otherwise lost it from the
228:
The flick pass had the significant drawback that its action was close to that of a throw, and different umpires had different interpretations of what was legal. In 1938, motivated by a desire to eliminate this inconsistency, and to speed up the game further, the
369:
Since 2000, the number of handpasses used in AFL matches has grown substantially, double that of the 1970s. The focus of the modern game was to use chains of handballs to break through defensive zones, and to avoid kicking to contests.
180:
but differentiates the hand skills from other codes of football. Unlike Gaelic football, punching the oval ball was more frequently used as it was the most effective technique to move the heavier ball larger distances.
196:, in which a player used his open hand instead of his fist to propel the ball. The legality of the flick pass has varied throughout the history of the game: it began to gain prominence in the early 1920s, before the
133:. In order to be a legal method to dispose of the ball, the player holds the ball with one hand and punches the ball away with the clenched fist of the other hand. A player typically punches with his
312:(so called because of its potential for putting the intended recipient in hospital due to opponents closing in on the target player, usually caused by a high pass to a closely guarded player).
185:
much possession, but to cover as much distance through the air as possible. As the holding hand could not move, this was best achieved by means of kicking the ball as far as possible.
677:
28:
preparing to execute a handball. In a properly executed handball, the player holds the ball with one hand and punches the ball away with the clenched fist of the other hand.
281:
football" in recognition of the significant effect that a modern handballing game had on its result, although the style of play was already common before the game.
338:
players became known for a very localised style of play in which players excelled in quickly releasing the ball. The style, known pejoratively interstate as a
276:
brought a new dimension to the game using handball, with Farmer often looking for a runner to handpass to after each mark, to speed up the ball movement. The
140:
When a player receives a handpass from another player, play continues. This is unlike the kick, where if a player catches the ball on the full from a kick (a
89:
style of play (which runs the risk of the pass being contested and intercepted by opposing players) to a fast run-and-carry style that emphasizes maintaining
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508:
670:
213:. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, it re-emerged as a common technique to achieve centre square clearances from scrimmages, particularly at VFL club
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347:
997:
663:
388:
716:
252:
between 1958 and 1962) as being the first coach to encourage attacking use of handball in
Victoria. A running handball game emerged in the
74:, or by a controlled "punch" with one hand holding the ball while the other knocking it into flight (typically in a fashion similar to an
237:
was legal in the VFA and in some other competitions affiliated with it from 1938 until 1949, but it was never legal under ANFC rules.
784:
253:
331:
became famous for a style of play which involved use of the handball to dispose of the ball before an opponent was about to tackle.
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794:
189:
thought was that, as in tennis, a top-spun ball was more easily directed, dipped faster and possessed more stability in the air.
93:
and rapid ball movements down the field, which has typified the game since. The most prolific handballers in the history of the
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credited with encouraging the skill through the late 1960s, leading to Sturt winning five premierships from 1966 to 1970. In
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645:
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240:
The emergence of the handball as a more widely used skill for attacking took place in the 1960s and 1970s. Legendary coach
197:
110:
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703:
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became handball specialists, renowned their playmaking ability by preferring to handball in the midfield. In the 1980s,
233:(VFA) legalised throwing the ball, provided the throw was with two hands and both hands were below shoulder-height. The
971:
946:
921:
873:
265:
594:
941:
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137:, thus holding the ball with the left hand and punching with the right hand is considered a right-handed handball.
885:
768:
366:
was the most notable exponent, although it resulted in many free kicks against him when playing outside the SANFL.
86:
82:). Handballing is the primary means of disposing the ball quickly and over short distances in Australian football.
628:
161:
70:. As throwing the ball is not allowed in Australian football, passing to a fellow player are executed either by
931:
153:
carrying hand, or handing the ball directly to a teammate will all attract a free kick for illegal disposal.
894:
79:
269:
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403:
355:
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144:), he is entitled to take his next kick unimpeded. Failure to execute a handball correctly is deemed a
141:
94:
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handballing with his left. Australian rules players use opposite fists to pass to the left or right.
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324:
292:. It is executed so that the ball rotates backwards in an end-to-end fashion, similar to the
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Although rules were uniform across the country, local interpretations and customs varied.
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Handball revolutionized the game in the 1980s, moving it from the classic kick-and-
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346:, a popular term for South Australians), became damaging to opposition sides in
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players known for their handpassing skills, and often utilise moving targets.
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One notable variant of the handpass which began to develop was known as the
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With the wide adoption of the handball in the 1980s, midfielders such as
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executes a right hand rocket handpass to a teammate while under pressure.
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221:, 18 were flick passes. The flick pass was abolished permanently in
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204:, making the handpass with a clenched fist (sometimes termed a
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The rule defines it similarly to the open hand tap/handpass in
125:
Handball is the most frequently used alternative of moving the
462:
Forward (9 August 1933). "Football – laws altered vitally".
43:
685:
578:
Percy Taylor (16 February 1938). "Football experiments".
172:
demonstrates handballing technique with his right in 1950
386:
clinics and on television, most notably on the shows
447:"Revision errors – restoration of the flick pass".
509:"'Handball, Handball, Handball': 1970 Grand Final"
382:Handball competitions often occur at local clubs,
989:
422:
476:
16:Term in the sport of Australian rules football
671:
451:. Wagga Wagga, NSW. 28 April 1934. p. 7.
117:have averaged more than 13 handballs a game.
577:
525:. Australian Football League. Archived from
284:The modern handpass technique, known as the
678:
664:
493:– via National Library of Australia.
217:. Of the 88 handballs executed during the
571:
254:South Australian National Football League
625:"The need for speed is killing handball"
592:
402:). Such competitions take place between
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160:
42:
31:
20:
595:"I didn't popularise handball: Barassi"
586:
567:. Melbourne. 9 August 1949. p. 20.
552:. Melbourne. 2 August 1938. p. 18.
461:
300:, which is similar to a bounce pass in
990:
200:(ANFC) voted to abolish it before the
998:Australian rules football terminology
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619:
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500:
350:, as well as a potent weapon for the
198:Australian National Football Council
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13:
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14:
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423:Rhettrospective (20 June 2024).
379:maximum points (typically ten).
354:when the club first entered the
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66:-passing skill in the sport of
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477:Garry Raffaele (26 May 1965).
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231:Victorian Football Association
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651:AFL Rocket Handball Coaching
646:AFL Handball skills coaching
7:
485:. Canberra, ACT. p. 29
10:
1014:
593:Guy Hand (30 April 2010).
563:"Association joins ANFC".
548:"Throw pass is favoured".
404:Australian Football League
356:Australian Football League
166:West Torrens Football Club
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95:Australian Football League
80:underhand volleyball serve
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866:
823:
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687:Australian rules football
523:"Rules changes 1858–2013"
68:Australian rules football
843:Deliberate out of bounds
582:. Melbourne. p. 24.
466:. Melbourne. p. 15.
120:
426:The outlawed Flick Pass
325:Richmond Football Club
173:
51:
40:
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599:Sydney Morning Herald
565:The Argus, Supplement
395:The Sunday Footy Show
374:Handball competitions
270:Graham 'Polly' Farmer
164:
46:
35:
24:
436:– via YouTube.
298:underground handball
278:1970 VFL Grand Final
219:1961 VFL Grand Final
957:Priority draft pick
891:coast-to-coast goal
805:chicken wing tackle
529:on 23 February 2014
288:, was pioneered by
483:The Canberra Times
348:interstate matches
308:, and the dubious
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631:on 19 April 2009.
623:(17 April 2009).
310:hospital handball
266:Western Australia
129:among players to
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895:Goal of the Year
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858:Push in the back
848:Holding the ball
833:50-metre penalty
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778:spectacular mark
774:Mark of the Year
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627:. Archived from
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242:Ron Barassi, Jr.
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107:Scott Pendlebury
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813:spear tackle
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753:up and under
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629:the original
615:
603:. Retrieved
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531:. Retrieved
527:the original
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430:. Retrieved
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111:Josh Kennedy
99:Lachie Neale
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962:Rookie list
690:terminology
274:Barry Cable
211:1934 season
202:1925 season
170:Robert Hank
977:Footy gods
899:super goal
838:Coathanger
825:Free kicks
737:place kick
605:22 October
533:31 October
489:5 November
479:"untitled"
410:References
344:croweaters
340:crow throw
302:basketball
262:Jack Oatey
248:(coach at
235:throw-pass
206:punch pass
194:flick pass
91:possession
26:Luke Hodge
952:Positions
729:drop punt
725:drop kick
580:The Argus
550:The Argus
294:drop punt
246:Len Smith
992:Category
937:Guernsey
932:Flooding
809:fend-off
795:Shepherd
745:set shot
709:Handball
327:wingman
244:credits
168:captain
127:football
76:uppercut
60:handpass
56:handball
967:Time-on
917:Ball-up
867:Scoring
764:Kick-in
733:grubber
704:Clanger
464:The Age
432:21 June
384:Auskick
358:in the
306:netball
250:Fitzroy
215:Fitzroy
157:History
131:kicking
72:kicking
972:Umpire
922:Banner
874:Behind
800:Tackle
697:Skills
260:coach
78:or an
947:Names
910:Other
713:Kick
258:Sturt
146:throw
121:Skill
62:is a
942:Laws
886:Goal
769:Mark
749:snap
741:punt
607:2020
535:2015
491:2015
434:2024
392:and
319:and
272:and
223:1966
142:mark
113:and
87:mark
64:ball
54:The
304:or
148:or
58:or
994::
897:,
893:,
811:,
807:,
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735:,
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723:,
719:,
597:.
499:^
481:.
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225:.
109:,
105:,
101:,
97::
901:)
889:(
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877:(
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803:(
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772:(
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715:(
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609:.
537:.
511:.
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