NEW RUGBY LAWS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22623, 28 April 1948, Page 6

NEW RUGBY LAWS

FULL TEXT GIVEN MANY CHANGES MADE TO TAKE EFFECT ON MAY 29 (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 27. When a brief intimation was received in New Zealand that changes had been made in tiie Rugby laws it was assumed that the amendments involved little alteration. A change in the hooking law and the reduction of the value of a field goal from four points to three seemed to be the full story. The full text of the alterations lias now been received by the N.Z.It.F.U. and were considered at an executive meeting yesterday. Virtually, the only efTeet is the new scrummage law with the depreciated field goal affecting the scoring. The scrummage law change states that the outside foot is-allowed to follow the ball into the scrummage, but cannot touch the ball until it has been played by the "fourth feet.” the feet which must at present be the first to touch the ball. Dead Bull Rule The change lias been designed to prevent the ball from rebounding out of the centre opening in the scrummage. Among alterations are the following: Under Law 2 the ball now becomes dead “when the referee's whistle is blown when a try is scored or after an unsuccessful attempt to convert a try.” Previously the ball became dead after a tackle in addition to occasions when the referee’s whistle was blown. One effect of this change is that at half or fulltime it is no longer possible to halt the ball after a tackle. The definition of grounding the ball has been changed to read: “The act of a player placing his hand or hands on the ball while it is on the ground so that he is able to exert downward pressure on it.” Law 5, players’ dress, has been changed to permit rubber studs with the insertion “securely fastened” in place, “fastened by at least three nails,” but there is no mention of aluminium studs which have been permitted in some places. Law 13. offside in the line-out. now bars a player from getting ahead of a right-angle line before the ball touches a player or the ground, instead of “before the ball is played.” Long Kicks in Kicking Off

The use of long kicks in kicking off is influenced by a change in Law 21. Previously, the opposing team could accept a kick or ask for a scrummage at the centre if the ball went into touch on the full. They can now do the same if the kick lands in touch-in-goal or over the dead-line. A change in Law 25 leaves it no longer compulsory to take a kick at goal after a try, and in Law 26 if a referee cannot decide which team first grounded the bail in goal he is now instructed to order “a five-yard scrum” instead of “a drop-out at the 25.” A change in Law 27 authorises the referee to give the defending team the right to return the ball from touch if neither lie nor the touch judge can decide which team has that right. Law 31. ball held in in-goal, now gives the defending team tne right to put the bail in the ensuing scrummage. The New Zealand Rugby Union decided that the new rules would not apply until May 29. A sub-committee was set up to prepare an interpretation for referees.