Not even a discussion on Monday with the League’s director of umpiring, Jeff Gieschen, could clarify the rule in the mind of the Swans’ mentor.
Under the new rule, a player who is deemed to have deliberately rushed a behind will concede a free kick to the opposition to be taken from the point where the ball crossed the goal line.
If there is some doubt about whether the ball was deliberately rushed through umpires must give the benefit of the doubt to the defender.
“I’m confused still, but I’m trying to clear that up with the umpires to make sure I can tell the players exactly what the rules are,” Roos said at the Swans’ season launch on Tuesday.
“There’s still a little bit of confusion in my mind but hopefully that will be cleared up by the weekend.
“None of us want to see a game decided by a rushed behind that’s a bad decision or a 50-50. I don’t think that’s the purpose of the rule; I don’t think that’s the intention.
“Obviously the ones where players are walking through, or the Joel Bowden one from last year are the main purpose of the rule and hopefully the benefit of the doubt will go to the defender nine times out of 10.”
Roos was a vocal opponent of the new law’s introduction to the premiership season during its trial in the NAB Cup but he said he was comfortable with the process that had been followed.
“Coaches shouldn’t make the rules. All we do is give our views. My view was that it shouldn’t have come in but obviously the view is that it’s in and we’ll adapt to it like all the other rules,” he said.
Despite the potential for players to be penalised for rushing a behind, Roos said he would still encourage his side to adopt the tactic when required.
“Generally, if you’re not under any pressure, I would say to the players that it’s going to be a free kick,” he said.
“[But] if you’re under pressure and you’re being tackled and you’ve got to dispose of the ball, you’ve got to put it through the points and we’ve already seen some examples of that. Under pressure, I’d still use the goal line if necessary.”
