Unforced Errors - what is one.

[Gibbo]

ruckinggoodstats and i were having chat on twitter last night about the game.

Australia seemed to be stuffing around with too many unforced errors. So we want to work out what the definition of one is.

Basically I am working it on the proviso that if you are in attack and you stuff up - that is unforced. Generally you have the 'ball carrier's advantage'. In defence if you miss a tackle, that is an unforced error. Defensive penalties are not unforced.

Here is a list I've been mulling over all day.

Knock ons
Forward pass
Sheparding
Kick out on the full outside 22.
Kick ball dead.
Kick off doesn't go 10/out on full
Any shortarm or penalty at lineout
Losing lineout
Missed tackle

Anyone think of any else....

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

Not sure about missed tackles or losing the line out. Line out "not straight" should be one though. Also possibly short arm penalties at the scrum, any short arm is before the ball is fed in (ie: not binding correctly), and could be classed as unforced.

 

[jonnosan]

A certain amount of knock-ons and kicking out on the full could also be counted as 'forced', given sufficient contact from a defender at the appropriate moment.

 

[TheNextBigThing]

Knock-ons shouldn't include in contact.

I don't know that any regular defensive errors can be considered "unforced". That's just my opinion, happy to be told otherwise.

 

[qwerty51]

Missed tackles aren't unforced errors, basically anything where the opposition didn't pressure you physically (in actual contact or presence).

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Pretty much everything Gio Aplon did last night could be counted as an unforced error

 

[JimboJoe1006]

I was surprised when I noticed that the 'unforced error' stats for fairly close at half-time last night (Aus 7 to SA 5 - I think). However I remember numerous more times when Australia would throw a wayward attempted offload and simply pass the ball well of the mark. Should Australia regather the ball, albit having lost many metres, this is not classified as neither a "unforced error" or "turnover"? I would classify it as definitely one though as it stifles Australia's whole forward momentum, something which it needs so badly. Perhaps we need to develop a new statistic..

 

[#1 Tah]

Not sure about missed tackles or losing the line out. Line out "not straight" should be one though. Also possibly short arm penalties at the scrum, any short arm is before the ball is fed in (ie: not binding correctly), and could be classed as unforced.

I disagree. I think there is always pressure on the hooker at line out time, and while there is no pressure when up by 20 with 5 minutes left, on their 5m line......

Take a look at the end of the Boks test in Pretoria last year, how many times did Fainga'a throw it straight to Victor Matfeild? He was under a lot of pressure, as there was not much time left and we were down by only a few points. Those were forced errors as the Springboks had the mental advantage in the line outs and Saia is relatively unexperienced, coming up against Matfeild.

 

[matty_k]

By that definition then there is no unforced errors. Everybody is under some sort or pressure at all times of the game.

 

[Newb]

crooked feed to a scrum too (if it was ever called)

 

[Thomond78]

Every bloody decision Bryce Bloody Lawrence makes.