RUGBY REFEREES DISCUSS INTERPRETATIONS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28553, 5 April 1958, Page 14

RUGBY REFEREES DISCUSS INTERPRETATIONS

Two of what have been the most contentious laws in Rugby football—the recoverable knock-on and the scrummage—occupied the attention of delegates from 36 referees’ associations throughout New Zealand, when the annual conference of the New Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association commenced in Christchurch yesterday morning. For nearly three hours the conference discussed the knock-on law and interpretations of the knock-on from various phases of play. The scrummage law was discussed from 4 p.m. to 9.15 p.m.. with an interval for dinner. Before the conference commenced, notes on the laws of Rugby, and a booklet on the laws themselves, were distributed to members. The notes arrived in New Zealand only a few days ago. The conference was opened by Mr C. G. Wallace, president of the New Zealand association. All interpretations decided upon by the referees will go forward as recommendations to the New Zealand Rugby Union’s laws committee, which will make final decisions on all laws. The knock-on law provided the longest discussion, and many varied interpretations were put forward for consideration. At one stage the meeting went into committee ’to hear an explanation of the law by Mr H. Simmonds (executive), and on another Mr C. H. Williams ran up and down the hall demonstrating the various degrees of knocking-on that could arise. At the conclusion of the discussion, Mr S. H. Palmer (executive) set out the interpretations which will go to the New Zealand union for approval These were:— In catching a kick from the air, a player may knock the ball forward any number of times, any distance provided he recovers it before it hits the ground. A player may make two attempts to take a ball, but is allowed only one fumble. provided the pass is In the air and does not touch the ground before he recovers it. A player shall infringe if he should knock the ball forward when attempting to make an interception. A player infringes when, in jumping for the ball in the line-out he knocks the ball forward and then recovers it. A fair catch must be made at the first attempt. Shoulder Pads.—The New Zealand union does not intend to prohibit the use of shoulder pads in New Zealand provided that the pads are of a soft material. Time.—The maip discussion on this law was whether or not a player, or captain, had the right to claim the maximum time limit of two minutes permitted Injured players, and the legality of a referee’s ruling that the injured players be taken from the field of play before the time limit expired and play continued. The ruling to go forward to the union

is that an injured player is entitled to two minutes’ delay, and is not to be taken from the field of play until the expiry of the two minutes. Advantage. The International Board’s note on clause 15 of Law 10 (advantage rule) was that the law now applies to every phase of play except the kick-off and the throwin from touch, and that the referee is given a wide discretion as to what constitutes an advantage and is not limited to a territorial aUvantage. An example cited in the note was that possession from a scrummage may often be of greater advantage than a penalty would be. The ruling to go forward to the New Zealand union is that the advantage law will not apply to the scrummage in the meantime; On Side.—A player within 10 yards of an opponent waiting to play the ball, can now be placed on side by the player who kicked the ball running past him or by his own player running past him and the ball, provided the offside player is making an attempt to retire 10 yards. This law applies mainly to short kicks over the heads of forwards who. at the time of the kick, are offside.