Two New League Rules To Be Tried

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31126, 1 August 1966, Page 9

Two New League Rules To Be Tried

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. Two changti to Rugby League rules may bo tried In New Zealand in th* near future. Th«y ar*:— Restarting play following a auccessful penalty kick to the sideline with a further tapkick by the advancing side instead of a scrum. Restarting play with a scrum if the team In possession is tackled three times in auccession. These are the two recommendations for experiment brought back to New Zealand by the president of the New Zealand

Rugby League. Dr. L. J. Cooney, who has just been to an International Rugby League Board conference in Sydney. Dr, Cooney said yesterday that the tap-kick following a penalty kick to the sideline would be taken 10 yards in from touch. It was designed to increase the deterent effect of a free kick. Many teams deliberately infringed so that they could gain possession from the scrum which followed a penalty kick into touch. The second rule on the forfeiting of possession put forward by New Zealand, was accepted for experiment by the board. It followed on naturally from the first rule which alone could have had one team monopolising possession, said Dr. Cooney. “Those changes could completely alter the complexion of the game,” he said, but they are designed to improve it.” The conference had also decided to deal strictly with the Increasing foul play.