'Total confusion': Holding-the-ball rule back in spotlight as 'helpless' Luke Beveridge vents

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has expressed frustration over how the holding-the-ball rule is being adjudicated, saying there's "total confusion" and admitting he's never felt so "helpless" in that area.

The Bulldogs' 2016 premiership-winning coach even said umpires were lost.

Asked by media on Thursday for his view on Richmond's Rhyan Mansell being dealt a three-game ban for pushing St Kilda's Liam O'Connell into a marking contest, Beveridge directed attention elsewhere.

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"I don't want to be too controversial today," Beveridge said.

"The main one that we're all focusing on, moving away from that [Mansell incident], is there's just too much uncertainty across the league in regards to source-pressure situations with tackling and being tackled.

"No one understands the rule anymore and it's very difficult to coach it.

"How long can you hang onto the ball? Can you attempt to dispose of it? Throw it out, miss it completely, is it play on?

"No one understands it.

"So the suggestion for me was to make sure we bring back prior opportunity and validate incorrect disposal."

The AFL announced a change to its interpretation of holding the ball ahead of round 12 of last season, revealing players would be given less time to dispose of the footy.

That change was made because players had started taking more care when executing tackles, amid increasing concerns over head injuries, and ball-carriers had subsequently begun stretching the limits of "reasonable time".

"We've gone from that to now this total confusion, so unfortunately we need a correction, and it needs to come from City Hall [the AFL] and through the umpires," Beveridge said.

"Because the umpires are just finding it too hard. They don't know how to adjudicate it and our players don't know what the decision is going to be.

"I don't think we as coaches have ever felt as helpless around that and coaching it as we do now.

"I think the whole competition is confused."

The Bulldogs will face Fremantle in Perth on Sunday.