50-metre Penalty - Rules

Rules

When the umpire pays a 50-metre penalty, he calls time on, measures out approximately fifty metres from the spot of the mark by running in a straight line towards the goals, and setting the new mark, unless:

  • the player is already within 50 metres of goal, in which case the mark becomes the exact centre of the goal line.
  • in the AFL's NAB Cup preseason competition, where a goal kicked from beyond 50m scores nine points instead of six, a team may choose to cut short a fifty-metre penalty at the fifty-metre line and take the higher-value, longer-range set shot.

Players are given a short period of time to follow the play down the field before the clock is restarted.

N.B. A player cannot play on after the field umpire has called a 25-metre or 50-metre penalty. The field umpire must blow time-on.

Infractions which can result in a 50-metre penalty include:

  • Arguing with, disputing the decision of, or using abusive language towards an umpire.
  • Scragging the player who has taken a mark; that is, to tackle the player or impede him from taking the kick as quickly as he would like. This rule has been applied more stringently since 2006 to give defensive players less time to flood the defence, and to keep the game more flowing.
  • Running over the mark; the man standing on the mark cannot move forward, and must respond if called to recede by the umpire.
  • Failing to return the ball quickly and on the full to a player who has been awarded a free kick, again to prevent flooding.
  • Wasting time, deliberately or inadvertently, by kicking the ball forward after one's team has conceded a free kick.
  • Using unnecessary roughness against a player who has already taken a mark.
  • Running through the mark; defensive players may not run across the imaginary line between the man standing the mark and the man taking the kick, unless following his direct opponent.
  • Entering the protected zone; defensive players may not impede an opponent by entering or remaining within the corridor of space extending five metres either side of the imaginary line between the man standing the mark and the man taking the kick, and extending backwards, unless following his direct opponent.
  • If any free kick infraction is paid against the defensive team while a mark or free kick is to be taken, the umpire either pays the free kick to the violated player at the spot of the foul, or awards a 50-metre penalty to the player with the ball, depending upon which penalty brings the attacking team closer to goal.
  • Any free kick resulting from an interchange infringement or a line-up has an additional 50-metre penalty applied to it; these are the only circumstances under which a 50-metre penalty is automatically applied to a free kick without further infringement.

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