The AFL has sent a message to all clubs re-emphasising umpires’ directives to not reward players who play for free kicks.

Nine published details of the reminder on Tuesday, with the league writing any player who ducks, drops or shrugs into a tackle to draw high contact will not receive a free kick and will instead be told to play on.

Controversy has continued to surround the officiating of Collingwood young gun Jack Ginnivan, with debate over whether he was being umpired differently to other players when it came to instances of high contact from opponents.

AFL umpires’ boss Dan Richardson said the following in the message distributed this week:

“We want to be clear, if the umpire believes the ball carrier is responsible for the high contact, then they won’t be rewarded.

“First and foremost, players attempting to win the ball must be protected and the onus of duty of care is on the tackler. However, having won the ball, the ball carrier has a duty of care to not put themselves in a position for high contact.

“Ultimately, the rules do not reward players for putting themselves in vulnerable positions to draw a free kick. This is something we prefer not to see in our game at any level.

“Our umpires strive to get every decision right, every single time, however there are instances where, just like players, decisions are made at full speed at ground level without the benefit of slow-motion replay.

“The health and safety of players is the primary concern of both the AFL and the clubs, and we will continue to work with clubs, their coaching panels, as well as players to ensure the safety of the game.”