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Luke Beveridge says the AFL should have consulted more widely before changing the interpretation of holding the ball.Credit:Getty Images

"It's history repeating itself. It happened at the start of'17 so by the end of the fourth week they went back to the original interpretation,"Beveridge said.

"Now we are going through an adjustment as to what it was,and now I don't want to be that guy ... I don't want to be a'told you so'guy but it is exactly what is happening."

Beveridge criticised the AFL for "flinching" in response to Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson. AFL CEO Gill McLachlan said he thought the rule should be policed more tightly after Clarkson questioned the way the holding the ball rule was being adjudicated following the Hawks'win over the Kangaroos in round four.

However,AFL football operations manager Steven Hocking said the league was already examining the interpretation before those comments,though he admitted on Tuesday the umpires had got it wrong on occasion.

Beveridge said although the AFL had done a good job in managing the logistics of season 2020,they had erred with their holding the ball interpretation.

He said they would be better off shifting prior opportunity to team prior opportunity.

"If we want a dramatic change in this area – and a number of people have advocated for it – you have prior opportunity for the player who possesses the ball,but once you handball it to a teammate,the team prior opportunity is gone and then you just reward any tackle after that,"Beveridge said.

"That would significantly change and help the umpires I think in their interpretation of it,but whether or not we make that leap remains to be seen."

Hocking told 3AW said he was a fan of prior opportunity as it stood and that the umpires were looking to be more consistent in how they adjudicated genuine attempts.

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