Most Playing Time Lost In Rugby, Observers Find

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28231, 20 March 1957, Page 13

Most Playing Time Lost In Rugby, Observers Find

<Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, Mar. 18. “Daily Express” observers went to three of Britain’s big weekend sporting events with stop watches in their hands to try to settle an old sporting argument—which of the three football codes gets most action into its playing time?

In the Rugby League game between Barrow and Hull, which Barrow won 31-8, the stop watch was ticking for 49 minutes 43 seconds of the 80 minutes’ playing time.

For the balance, 30 minutes 17 seconds, the ball was out of play. The hold-ups were for 34 scrums •nd 20 penalties. At Twickenham, where England beat Scotland. 16-3, in the Calcutta Gup international, stoppages accounted for 50 minutes 21 seconds

of the 80 minutes’ playing time. There were intervals of 61, 58 and 60 seconds between England’s tries and the conversion attempts. After each kick for touch during play, an average of 25 seconds elapsed before the line-out. In British Rugby Union rules, a kick for touch can cross the side-line on the full, just as a free or penalty kick does under Australian rules. When Middlesbrough beat Arsenal 2-1 on Arsenal's home ground, soccer enthusiasts lost only 24 of 90 minutes’ play. But this is believed to be rather less than the average time lost each match. The 24 minutes went in 62 throw-ins. 25 corner kicks, 28 infringements, 29 goal kicks, and the three goals, plus 44 seconds for injury stoppages.