DISCUSSED BY A SENIOR REFEREE.

NZ Truth, Issue 881, 14 October 1922, Page 9

DISCUSSED BY A SENIOR REFEREE.

Tricks to Watch For. (By T. A. Fletcher.) 11. The next question we have to consider is what position we should take up to get the « . BEST /POSSIBLE VIEW . of all -that* goes on. Personally, I nearly always stand at the end from which t'he ball is thrown m. I take, up a position about three or four yards m from the touchline, but not directly between the thrower-in and the first man, so that I do not interfere with the play if the wing three-quarter rushes into a gap. ' As soon as the ball is past me I step into line with • the line-out and see if the ball has been thrown m straight, and watch closely for knocks-on, marks, etc. In ease of. a long thrown-in play often gets right away from.you for a moment, and if I suspect a long. thro'win I take up a position at the far end of the line, but still standing a little on one side until the ball is thrown m, so that I can see everything is m order up to the five yards mark. Then' I step into line with the forwards and watch' for direction, etc. While one cannot lay down a hard and fast rule, I think that m the ordinary course of events the best position is near, the touchline, for then one can see that the ball reaches the limit of five yards, and that the thrower-in has both feet m touch. If there is a lineout close to the goal line we should wait and see who gets the ball, and if it comes on the defenders' side we must get round at once m case a score eventuates. . Referees often let the thrower-in have one or even both feet m the field of play when throwing m Hhe ball, though the ruling on page 40 is quite clear on the point. THE BEST PLAN lis to make sure before the ball Is thrown m, and ask the player to keep both feet m touch. Supposing he does not do so, what action should we take? It depends on circumstances. We do not want to be flnicky and pull the game up for little tecflnicalities that have no effect whatever on the play, and I think the only time we should be justified m ordering another chrowin is when the playeY enters the Held of play m order to get greater power and distance for a long throw-in, which goes to the advantage of his side. We m New Zealand have been given permission to legislate for a fiveyards' . throw m, though this is not played m Great Britain. It is one of the best innovations we have had, and has, In my opinion, prevented more touchline play than the latest amended rules. If the ball does not reach five yards we m New Zealand award a free kick to somebody, while m New South Wales a scrum is ordered. The referees m New South Wales wanted to know our authority for the free kick. This is to be found under law 11, section (n), for it is very seldom indeed that the ball is .not deliberately thrown m, or prevented from being thrown m, five yards. Besides, if the player knows the penalty is a severe one he will not take the risk of breaking the rule unless he thinks the referee cannot see. If the ball does not reach five yards it is somebody's fault. If it is thej thrower's, then a free kick is awarded the other side ten 3 rards m. If it is one of the forwards, or a three-quar-ter rushing into the open space, then the penalty operates against that player, whether he belong to the side throwing- m or not. The ball must go five yards m. Therefore, if a man standing exactly on the five yards mark reaches over towards the touchline to take the ball, he has prevented the ball going five yards, or \£ he reaches over and knocks it back to one of his own side, the penalty is still given. The next point to watch is to see . that the ball is thrown out straight, that is, at right angles to the touchline. If the ball is thrown m crooked we must. nrst wait to see who gets the advantage, and if it is the nonoffending side then play goes on. If the offending side does, we Whistle for a scrum. The English Union does not approve of the advantage rule being applied to the line-out, but the New Zealand Referees' Association sees no reason why it should not be applied, and with this I heartily agree. We should ELIMINATE THE WHISTLE as far. as possible, though we should not go to the extent of letting every-, thing slide, as some appear to think. . There is one feature of throwing m that is becoming very prevalent at the present time. I refer to the practice, of deliberately throwing the bail In over the opposing forwards 1 heads. The error m alignment is so small that it may easily escape notice, but it is most unfair, for the offenders lean over the opponents who, haying, to reach back, are therefore easily pushed over and beaten for possession. The practice Js done deliberately, 'and may therefore be penalised under law 11, section (n) by a free kick. When I notice this for the first time I let it pass,, assuming the posibility of an accident, though I do not let them get away with the advantage. On the second occasion I warn the wing forward that, m "my opinion'-,'the crooked throw-in is deliberate, and if he disregards this gentle hint the free kick is given against ■ him on the next occasion arid every time subsequently. We must also watch for players charging into the line-out. By standing a yard'or two back and making a< forward leap a player may get sufficient force to break right through and knock over an opponent who is m the way. Such 'a policy is dang-erous, so that it is wisely penalised by a/ free kick. But this law does not prevent a forward or back running into a lineout to secure the ball which has been thrown into a gap. So long as there is not an opponent waiting at the spot to receive the ball, a player may run m and take the ball, and a wing threequarter may, so long as he is five yards out, cut m m front of the first man. ■ The line-out is a fruitful source of marks, so that we must watch very carefully to see if the ball is knocked on. Very often a forward will knock •■it back and his half-bacK claims a mark. ' / . THIS LITTLE TRICK must be watched, and we can only watch this by being m line with the' line-out. Let us suppose the ball has. been thrown m correctly and no knock-on or mark occurs. What else must we look for? We must see who gets pos-

session, arid if he is tackled, then he must put the ball down at once or be penalised for hanging- on, though we must then look to see if he is being wiffully prevented from being tackled by his own forwards off-side m front of him. If they ca-n get out of the road but do not do so they are obstructing, but they are so • closely hemmed m that they cannot get away they are not. The whole thing- must be left to .the judgment of the .referee. . Often m the \press it is difficult to see who has the ball, but ' if we do catch a man hanging on when tackled we should not hesitate to enforce the penalty. If the ball is so held that it cannot be put down we have no power to blow the whistle and order a scrum unless there is dangerous play. T.he tendency of the modern game is to speed up, and sometimes, m order to get the advantage, the ball isthroisrn, m before the regular line-out is formed. So long as the ball is thrown m correctly and from the right spot play must go on, but we must be certain the spot -was right .or we must order another throw-in. IP. i£T DOUBT, order another line-out. The opposing side may "mark" a forward pass or throw, but according to the definition at the top of page 10 of the rule book a throw out of touch cannot be claimed as a throw . forward; therefore such a throw cannot be "marked" direct. Another question that may trouble vs 1 is whether, a player m touch is therefore out of play. I certainly s"ay he \is m play, for we can penalise him for doing- certain things when m touch, and he may also play the ball with hand or fqot if he is m a position to do so and the ball has not crossed the touchline. Therefore, if you award a free kick to one side and a member of that side is m front of the ball when kicked, , but m touch, it is still your duty to apply the penalty under law 10. Similarly if a player is waiting to receive the ball, an off-side opponent : may not step into touch to: escape a penalty or attempt tp dodge the rules. - The whole matter must be left to THE REFEREE'S DISCRETION. He wsud not dream of applying any penalty against an injured player standing m touch to recover from his injuries, but would, m practice, enforce them when he sees the player, though' in touch, is still taking part m the play, and is trying to get an advantage out of the' rules which he cannot get. ' Unless the player In possession of the ball when it goes into touch is physically forced out, the ball belongs to the side opposite to that whose player last, touched the ball. This side has then the option of (a) a lineout at the spot where the ball crossed the touchline;" or (b) a scrum ten yards inside the field of play and opposite the spot, except when the ball has landed m touch on the full from a kick outside . the kicker's own twenty-five, m which case the lineout is compulsory, and except when the ball lands m touch on the full from a kick-off or drop-out, when, m addition to these two options, the side to whom the ball belongs may, provided they appeal for. it, and not otherwise, have the ball rekicked or have a sorummag-e m the middle of the half-way or twenty-fiva yard line respectively. While on this point I must' mention a ruling giyen.by the conference of the New Zealand Rugby Referees' Association' to which I AM STRONGLY OPPOSE^; but as the ruling has- been reaffirmed by the last conference we must rule accordingly. If a player standing with one foot m touch catches on the full the ball which would otherwise have 'landed m the field of play, we must rule the ball as having pitched m touch on the full. This applies to a kick-off, drop-out, or any other kick. I do not think the ruling is sound m law, but we must abido.by it until we get a decision from the International Board. After all, a healthy difference of opinion does us no harm, provided we get uniformity of rulings. A point was recently raised as to whether time can be called if the ball pitches directly"* into touch from a kick-off, drop-out, or a kick outside the kicker's twenty- five. It was ruled that time may be, called under such circumstarfces, provided that, m the case of the kick-off or drop-out the other side does not make the claim for a rekick or scrum back. In the case of a kick from outside the kicker's twenty-five pitching m touch, the opposing side has no right of appeal, and the whistle for half-time or fulltime may be sounded. If time is very near, the side m the lead; of ten seizes , or makes opportunities for wasting time when the ball is m touch. We have the power" TO DEAL SHARPLY / . with this practice, and if the fr,eo kick is given the spot is taken ten yards m from the>touchlme. ■' In conclusion, I should just like to discuss the salient points of the latest kicking into touch rulo which is being played m New Zealand and New South Wales this season. The rule states that if the ball pitches m touch from a kick other than a penalty kick from beyond the dicker's twenty-flve. the line-out (with no option of a scrum) shall take place at a spot opposite the place where the kicker was when he kicked the ball. The recent conference rulings are to be found on page 41 of. our handbook, and may be summarised as > Tollows: — ' ' If, the ball is kicked m the .direction of the'kicker's goal line the advantage rule is to apply and the line-out is taken where the ball went into touch. This is not m accordance with the diagram . originally printed, but is CERTAINLY COMMON-SENSE. The diagram allowed a player who transgressed 'the rule to get the advantage of a few yards when kicking backwards, while a player who obeyed the rule and who unfortunately landed the ball m the field of play first was penalised, which seems absurd. • . • .- The new rule is not to apply to a kick-off, that being- already dealt with under law 2, on page 20. Touching an opponent before landing m touch shall constitute pitching m the field of play, and therefore the line-out takes place where the ball crosses the touchline. In the case of a mark by a defending player just outside the twenty-five-yard line, if ; the ball is kicked directly into touch from ' within the 1 twenty-~ five yard line, the line-out takes place opposite . the -mark. This ruling seems ' to me • > RATHER CONFLICTING with the. decision that allowed a player to run back into his"; own twenty-

five to kick the ball out on the full, but we must rule accordingingly. In the case of the ball being kicked out on the full from any "mark" outside the marker's twenty- five, the line- out takes place opposite the "mark." The rule does not apply if the, ball pitches m touch-in-goal, m which case- a drop-out must be ordered, unless- the defending side has done so wilfully from outside the twenty- five, m -vy/hich case . the attackers may claim a, scrum at the spot whence it was kicked. If no claim is made, the drop-out is ordered. The rule applies to all kicks other .than penalty kicks, and therefore applies to kicks from "marks," kicks from the field, and kicks which we commonly term "speculators." I remember a. case m the first match m which I refereed under this rule (not m "Wellington). The fall-back, m order to extricate his side and m an attempt , TO BEAT. THE RULE, placed the ball on the ground ami then 'kicked for the line. The, ball pitched in-field before going out,'^ut had it not the kick would have been a placejkick, whichi being a kick "other than a penalty, kick," would have come under ; this. rule. ' , The conference also decided that the' referee Is to be the sole judge as to whether the ball lands m touch on the full or /.not, though ; he may, when m 'doubt; . consult ' the touch judge. Thus he alone has the right to order the line- out opposite tlie spot from which the" ball was kicked- The touch judge's duty ,is to indicate, where the ball crosseU:the touchline, unless the, s x ; eferee rules, otherwise. Where we can implicitly trust our line • umpires we neefl not insist on this, but .occasions arise when coaches and partisans are acting for us, when we are safest m enforcing this decision. ■•■.-' This brings me to the, end of .my chapter. I .have endeavoured, as far as is m my power, 'to summarise everything dealing with touchliife play, but doubtless there must be many interesting little problems I have overlooked. But if I have helped anybody to understand certain points a little more clearly I. shall, feel that my' efforts have been well .worth' while. N .......