RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, Issue LVIII, 10 May 1910, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

REFEREES' ASSOCIATION.

A very well attended mooting of the Referees Association was held on Saturday, the President (Mr A. Lees) in the chair. It was resolved to hold future meetings on Tuesday evenings instead of Saturday evenings to convenience Patea members. Messrs A. Forsyth, C. Crawloy and A Snell were elected meml>ei^. Mr Chalmers reported that the Taranaki Rugby Union had had an application to allow South referees to referee all Eltham matches in place of Northern referees. The Secretary said there was aothing official before the Association and no action was taken.

Mr A. Hunter entered a strong protest against North Taranaki being classed as metropolitan. It was resolved to defer consideration till next meeting (31st inst). The new rules were discussed, the principal being that at a kick-off or drop out and the ball landing in touch without striking the field of play, the opposing side may have it either rekicked or dropped out or scrummaged at the centre of the field of play or in the middle of the 25 yards line as the case may be.

The definition of a tackle now reads: "A tackle is when the holder of the ball is held by one or more players of the opposing side so that he cannot "pass." The now part is "so that he cannot pass." The new rule that will cause the most troub'o is the following: "The ball is in touch when it or a player carrying it touch or cross the touch line: It should then belong to the side opposite to that last touching it in the field of play, except "when a player carrying the ball is forced into touch by an apponent." The part in inverted commas is new.' It means that if a player runs into touch without being actually forced in to save his side the ball belongs to the opposite side. It will do away with a lot of close line play that sometimes takes place near the goal linos. The new rules come into force at once.

It was resolved to discuss fully^ the rules at the next meeting and to invite captains and vice-captains of teams to be present.

The following teams will represent the Kaponga Soccer Club on Thursday. Kaponga v. Auroa, at Auroa — Beeby, Bowio, Preece, Vincent, J. Law, H. Faull, Berti©, Kelly, Winters, Sweatmoro, Bates, Corkill. Kaponga v. Auroa, at Kaponga — W. Faull, Hartley, B. Law,' Cockrane, Trower, Jeffray, Hollard, Kidd, Melville, Trevers, McArty, McLood, ,T. Booby, -Briggs, Dickson, Swadling.