RUGBY'S PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 49, 26 August 1939, Page 23

RUGBY'S PROBLEMS

REMOVING SCRUMMAGE

DIFFICULTIES

DOUBTS ABOUT SUGGESTED SOLUTION

Present Rugby scrummage rules are not good for the game. They are causing no end of trouble. New Zealand, like other countries, is aiming at improving the position, and with the limiting of tlie front row to two men, its delegates, to leave for London on October 4, will have a worth-while proposal to submit. That would be the end of most of the difficulties, but the job is to have it adopted. The Laws Committee of the International Rugby Board has something quite different to offer, something which looks like making confusion worse confounded. Its proposals, amounting to a complete revision of the scrummage law, were before the New Zealand Rugby Union's executive at this week's meeting, and they were not regarded very hopefully.

When the full text of the proposals had been read, Mr. A. C. Kitto. (who presided in the absence of Mr. S. S. Dean, who was at Rotorua with the Fijian team) remarked: "This is no .solution of the scrum trouble."

Mr. J. Prendeville: It is legalising Craven-Lotz.

Mr. Kitto: These suggestions are only making it harder s.till.

Mr. A. McDonald: I think they are ■making it easier.

* *Mr. Kitto: There-is no doubt about it that it is hard for the. referee. You try and referee and see if you can tell.

That was in - regard to lifting, etc

. On another matter, Lieutenant-Col-onel T. J. King claimed that the intention was to cut out the right of teams to take a scrummage instead of a line-out. "It would be a great idea," lie added. "There are too many scrums." v

Here is the International Rugby Laws Committee draft to go before the March meeting of the board:

Law 15. Scrummage.—Where a scrummage is ordered or taken (a) the referee shall award to the team not responsible for the stoppage of play the right of putting in the ball. If in doubt, he shall award the right to the team in whose half of the ground the scrummage is to be formed, (b) For an infringement between the twenty-five-yard lines and within ten yards of the touch-line, the scrummage shall take place ten yards from the touch-line on a line parallel to the goal-lines through the place where the infringement occurred, (c) It is illegal for more than three players to form, either front row of the scrummage before the ball has been put in Note: Referee shall not inflict a penalty for a breach of this law unless such breach is wilful or persistent, in which case it must be dealt with under Law 34 (c).

"(d) It is illegal, after the scrummage has been formed, for any player to add himself to the front row before the ball has been put in. Note: Refereees should stop the dangerous practice of players forming down some distance apart, and rushing together, and deal with it under Law 34 (a) (3).

"(e) The ball shall be put in without delay. Note.—Any delay caused by a player with the ball waiting for any of his team to join the scrum-, mage must be treated as wilful waste of time.

"(f) The player putting in the ball shall stand not less than one yard from the scrummage, and with both hands below the knee shall put the ball fairly in at moderate speed so that it first touches the ground beyond one foot of the nearest player of each front row.

"(g) The ball is fairly in when it has been put in along a line midway between and parallel to the lines of feet of the players forming each front row of the scrummage and has touched the ground.

"(h) The ball shall be put into the scrummage again if it enters and comes out at either side between the lines of feet of the players forming each front row or between the feet ol either of the outside players of eacS front row on the side on which the ball has been put in.

"(i) It is illegal for a foot of any player in either front row to touch the ball till it is fairly in.

"The far foot of the second player of each front row on the side on which the ball is being put in and the feet oi the player beyond may be raised and advanced as soon as the ball has left the hands of the player putting it in. No other foot may be raised or advanced as soon as the ball has left the hands of the player putting it in. No other foot may be raised or advanced till the ball has been touched by one of these feet.

"(j) It is illegal for any player to prevent the ball from getting fairly Irita the scrummage.

"In any scrummage:—

"1. It is illegal for any player to return the ball into the scrummage by hand or foot after it has come out.

"2. It is illegal for any player to handle the ball, pick it up by hands or legs, or intentionally fall or kneel while the ball is in the scrummage, except as provided for in Law 26 (b).

"3. It is illegal for any player lying on the ground to interfere with the ball in any way.

"Penalty: In the event of an infringement a penalty kick shall be awarded at that place.

"Law 27, paragraph 7: The ball must be brought into play at the place where Jt went into touch by throwing it into the field of play so as to alight at least

five yards from and at right angles I*o the touchline.

"If the ball when thrown in from touch does not alight as above, a scrummage shall be formed ten yards from the place where it went into touch on a line parallel to the goal-lines.

"Law 10 (m) as to advantage does not apply."