is defined in Law 1.1 (Definitions and Interpretation) as a player who has possession of the ball and: (a) is balanced and steady; or (b) attempts to evade or fend an opponent; or (c) has taken a mark or been awarded a free kick; or (d) has driven their head into a stationary or near stationary opponent Also relevant is the definition of possession in Law 1.1, which states that a player is still in possession of the ball while executing a running bounce, even during the period of time when the ball is not in the player's hands. The practical consequence of this on the holding the ball law is that a player who is tackled while bouncing the ball is considered 'holding the ball', even if the tackler releases the player during the skill. The umpire signals holding the ball by leaning forward and sweeping both arms below his body and out to his sides. Customarily, spectators will shout "Ball!" when they believe a holding the ball free kick should be paid. Points of discretion Although it has long been commonly understood that a player assumes prior opportunity at some stage shortly after he has taken possession of the ball, it was not until the 2019 rewrite of the Laws of the Game that a comprehensive definition of prior opportunity was formally enshrined in the Laws. Prior to 2018, other than a few specific scenarios which were prescribed in the laws, the general duty to define and interpret what constituted a prior opportunity was left to the discretion of the umpires, acting on the direction of the umpiring coaches. There remains no explicit definition within the rules for a "reasonable time" to dispose of the ball, nor for a "genuine attempt" to dispose of the ball, and so these remain fully at the discretion of the umpire and at the direction of the umpiring coaches. Contention Holding the ball, and at times its pairing with the holding the man rule, has been one of the most contentious rules in Australian rules football throughout almost the entire history of the sport, for a wide variety of reasons. Confusion and inconsistency are the chief causes of this contention, which in large part arises from the many different facets of the rule, the amount of discretion and judgement umpires must exercise, the fact that different field umpires may interpret the same