FOOTBALL

Patea Mail, 4 March 1936, Page 4

FOOTBALL

A GOOD SUGGESTION. TO IMPROVE BACK PLAY. To remedy the weaknesses of back play in New Zealand Rugby, some amendment to the rules of the game, aiming at the pTotoetion of the fiveeighths from fast-breaking forwards, was neecssary, said Mr. F. T. Evum-, .when speaking, in Christchuich at a social tendered to two Canterbury All Blacks, who recently returned from a tour of the British Isles. He said he had seen many representative matches m both the South'and North Islands last season, and though the referees were unbiassed and (anxious to enforce the rules, ho had seen only one referee who bud consistently penalised players for getting off side when the ball was in the scrum. He suggested that ii the proposed rule wore adopted, which set out that it was off side for playois to cross an infcvginary line drawn through the middle of the strum when the bail 'was in the scrum, there would ])0 a 'marked improvement in the standard ,pf back’ play.