LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 131, 6 June 1933, Page 13

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

MID-WEEK COMPETITION.

DOMAIN AND VICTORIA PARK. The Wednesday competition of the Auckland Rugby League will be resumed to-morrow, when some keen play should be seen. Seamen United and City Markets will meet in the early fixture at Victoria Park, and Railway and Checker Taxis will appear at 3.30. At the Domain Amalgamated Theatres' A and B teams will precede, the game between Victoria United and l4.tta Taxis. At each ground collections will be taken for charity purposes. REFEREES' MEETING. At the meeting of the Auckland Rugby League Referees' Association last evening, Mr. A. Ball presiding, a letter was received from the management asking that a representative of the association be appointed to meet the Taranaki team on Friday evening to give any hints desired in connection with latest rulings.

The system of v the referee putting the ball in the scrums, as inaugurated _on Saturday, was generally commended. The innovation, so far, had improved play around the scrums and eliminated a good deal of the whistle, stated members.

The official critic, Mr. T. Hill, mentioned amongst other points in control that a player thrown to the ground, but his progress not stopped, was entitled to play on. In play-the-ball, the player in possession was entitled to heel the ball back. He drew attention to the fact that a bad habit creeping into the game was that of players, who assisted one of their own side who was tackled by attempting to deal with a tackier.

Mr. L. Bull commented on the New Zealand Council instruction that a player overrunning the ball in a passing- bout was to be penalised by the ordering of a scrum. It was now a question of differentiation as to whether a man overran his pass or was waiting offside. A deliberate throw-forward was still a breach. Several members considered; that the ordering of a serum covered the matter on the ground that the first breach was the throwing forward of the ball as at present ruled. It was decided to approve the new rules suggested,' including the use of the advantage rule for- a deliberate knock-on by a defending player, and they will be in operation immediately.