RUGBY RULINGS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 September 1945, Page 7

RUGBY RULINGS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS,

In a Hamilton Rugby referee’s article (in the “Waikato Times”) further questions and answers are dealt with which relate to various phases of the game. How is a fair catch, or as it is more commonly known, a mark obtained? When a player catches the ball direct from a kick, knock-on or throw forward, by one of the opposing team. It must be claimed by making a mark on the ground with the player’s heel simultaneously with catching the ball. It must be a clean catch at the first attempt, and the player cannot claim it if he is on one knee. He must be wholly supported with both feet on the ground. It cannot be claimed from a rebound or a correct pass, but a player could claim a fair catch if he intercepted a forward pass. It is not necessary for a player to be standing, or facing his opponents’ dead ball line when making a fair catch, or to remain stationary after making his mark, but a mark must definitely be made. Nor is it necessary for the player to audibly claim the catch, besides making the heel mark. If he makes the fail- catch in the manner stated above, he does not have to call mark before the fair catch could be awarded to him. The actual claiming of the mark is done with the player’s heel on the ground, simultaneously with catching the ball. The fair catch or mark is an important phase of the game of Rugby, and if players were to take more advantage of this law it would be possible that many games would have quite different results. When a place kick at goal is being taken, and the placer or kicker wilfully leads opponents to charge before the ball has been placed on the ground, should the opponents be allowed to continue their charge? No, they must retire to the original mark, with the right to charge not taken away from them. This ruling applies to a free kick as well as to a place kick at goal after a try. KNOCK-ON RULE. What constitutes a knock-on? A knock-on occurs when the ball, after striking the hand or arm below the shoulder of the player, travels in the direction of his opponents’ dead ball line. • The ruling for this breach is a scrummage unless a fair catch has been made. If the opposing team gain an advantage then play goes on. If A kicks the ball to the D fullback, who knocks the ball on to DI who is offside when he picks up the ball, what is the penalty—scrummage for the knock-on, or a penalty kick for offside play? The ruling would be a scrummage for the first 'breach. But should the offside player DI, in attempting to pick up the ball, fumble ii. and the A player had quickly followed up, secured the ball, and dashed over D’s goal line to ground the bgll, the advantage law would be applied, and a try would be awarded to the A player. . Can a referee award a penalty kick to the non-offending team if a player passes the ball forward to a team mate who was waiting in an offside position to receive the ball? Yes, the referee could award a penalty kick, if in his opinion the forward pass was wilfully made, but if not, a scrummage would be awarded. It will be noted that the offending player is the one who passes the ball, not the player who takes the ball in an offside position.

NO SIDE CALLED. The following question relating to the referee calling “No Side” may be of interest to Rugby enthusiasts. Time is up and the attacking team which require three points to win the match are making desperate efforts to score, play being in progress five yards from the defenders’ goal line. When shall the rdferee blow his whistle to indicate no side? The referee must blow his whistle to stop the match as soon as the ball has become dead, except as a result of a try, a penalty kick, or a free kick, when in each case he shall allow play to proceed until the ball next becomes dead. This means that if the referee blows his whistle for a knock-on, throw forward, or any such breach of rule or incident of the game not specifically referred to, he shall call time even if he has given a decision awarding a scrummage for the breach of rule. Taking the same set of circumstances as above, an interesting point arises. If the attacking team have been awarded a penalty kick, and realising that the kick would be a difficult one they elect to exercise their option and ask for a scrummage, the place of infringement being two yards from the defenders’ goal line, should the referee allow the scrummage or should he call no side? The referee must allow the scrummage in this case, and wait until the ball next becomes dead, except in the three instances referred to above, before blowing his whistle for no-side. A penalty kick has been awarded, and a kick at goal has been taken, the touch judge being in his proper place by the goal post. The kick goes wide and a defender fields the ball and kicks downfield. An attacker receives and attempts to kick into touch near the defenders’ corner post. The ball in its flight hits the touch judge in the field of play who is running back to the side line from the goal post. Does play go on, or what should the referee rule? This is where law 36 applies, which deals with irregularities not provided for. In the above instance, if the defending team gained an advantage, play would go on, but if they had not gained the advantage a scrummage would be awarded at the place where the irregularity occurred.