THE ASSOCIATION CODE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1039, 11 June 1924, Page 9

THE ASSOCIATION CODE.

(Notes by "Hotspur.") Saturday's play has placed the four teams in the senior competition in the following points positions: U.S.A. 4 wins, 8 points Dawbers, 3 wins 6 points. St. Andrew's, 2 wins, 4 points. Foxton, no wins, no points. R.S.A.. and Epxton, it jnust be remembered, are one game ahead of tho other teams in the competition, they having met at Foxton on the Saturday betore last when the local games were- postponed on account of the adverse weather conditions at Palnicrston North. Next Saturday St. Andrew's will meet R.S.A. at North Street Park and Dawbers will play Foxton at Foxton. Judging by U.S.A.'* form cf last Saturday they will prove a tough proposition for St. Andrew's, while Dawbers must be expected to have a comfortable win from the sea coast team. Last Saturday was the first, occasion upon which the ManaWntu Football Association has taken a "gate" at its week-end matches, and the result wns most encouraging, the enthusiasts attending in most satisfactory numbers.

! The day also marked the inauguration of the boys' competition, one match eventuating in this division, and it is hoped to get the junior competition under way this Saturday. What is badly needed is someone with enthusiasm in the game and a certain amount of spare time to assist in ! the work of organising these subsidiary but ] important competitions. I The association has forwarded its £IOO to I the New Zealand body on account of the I guaranteo required in respect to the ! Chinese tour, which will include a match at Palmerston North on July 30. The Chinese leave Hongkong on June 18, and are scheduled to arrive in Wellington on July 15. They will play throughout the North Island _before commencing their southern itinerary. Of the Dawbers-R.S.A. match last Saturday it can only be said that the better team—the former —merited their win. They possessed much the better combination and gave an interesting exhibition of the code. R.S.A. did not quite show up to their usual form. Their attacks were spasmodic and were not sufficiently supported by the half backs. A few more such games as this and public interest in Association lootball in Palmerston North is bound to prow. It is a pity that St. Andrew's had to take the field late and with a scratch t< am againrt Foxton, but the circumstance has one bright fide. It served to show, in the boys pressed into service on bohalf of St. Andrew's, what truly excellent material is to be found among the young devotees of the game in the Manawatu centre. Against the senior men in this match they acquitted themselves more than creditably and : earned frequent applause from the spccla- | tors. Having regard to the circumstances this was a very good .natch, and served to demonstrate the necessity for still further encouraging soccer in the schools. Foxton has a very promising outside left in Crawe, junr. He has plenty of pace and shoots centre well. Another of the visiting backs showed himself to be a cool player, capable of very good work. Foxton are certainly to be commended on the plucky manner in which they regularly turn out with their team against stronger combinations, although they have practically no reserves to draw upon. "Hotspur" certainly thinks that this club is a big factor in ensuring the successful conduct of the senior soccer competition.

Dovotees of the code are beginning to wonder just who is to meet the Wellington representative team .at Palmerston North during show Week. The writer thinks that the representative combination chosen some time ago to meet Wellington at Wellington could not be much .improved on. The fixture was cancelled and probably much the same team will meet the southerners locally next week. Askham, however, is not now on the injured list, and his inclusion must be considered. The only man in the originally selected team of whom "Hotspur" did not approve was Stevens. Ho is a great bustler, but lacks finish. Of course any revision of the representative team would involve a comprehensive rearrangement. Exhibitions of the code locally are clearly showing a vast improvement—particularly in the matter of combination, and games ere better controlled by the referees. There is a pleasing absence of that bickering over decisions which was so often in evidence last year, and the new trend of affairs goes far to make for the popularity and success of the game anywhere. Ignorance of the finer points of the game, even among old players, was in evidence in side-line talk on Saturday. For example, a Dawber player shot at goal. Travcrs, their centre forward was standing off-side and the ball in its transit ' touched him, and immediately the referee was criticised for not blowing him off-side. But rule 6 distinctly states: "It is not a breach of law for a player simply to be in an off-side

position. A. breach of tho law is only committed when such a player interferes with tho play." Travcrs made no attempt to do that, but was standing still. Again, a linesman drew the attention of the referee to a four, and immediately ho was criticised as exceeding his duty. But was he? Law \4 states: "A linesman is justified in directing the referee's attention to distinct breaches of the law which have como under his notice and which he is satisfied tho referee could not see." The referee has sole control of the game and has always the making of the final decision, but he should receive more assistance from linesmen than is usually given and linesman Moxon correctly interpreted his duty on Saturday in this rc'spect. Should a linesman, after raising his flag for an infringement, lower it if not seen by the referee and the play proceed*? No, he should continue to wave his flag until tho icferce does see. During the second half on- Saturday Hart was in nn off-side position: the ball was passed to him by a half. When it reached Hart ho was on-side apparently, there being three opponents between him and the goal, but was Whisthall off-side and the critic got busy again. But rule 6 states that a player cannot put himself on-side, which Hart attempted to do, running back from the off-side position in which he was in when the ball was kicked towards him to meet the oncoming ball. The point is that he was in nn off-side position when the ball was kicked and on that the referee acted. A [idler knowledge of the game would eliminate a good deal of unnecessary tnlk during tho game to the good of the code.