FOOTBALL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2398, 3 February 1899, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

PROPOSED ALTERATION OF RUGBY RULES. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, February 3. A committee of football enthusiasts here who have, like many other people, long felt that the present rules of Rugby football are yearly becoming more cumbrous, confused, and opposed to good play, have taken the bull by the horns and after inviting opinions from authorities on the game in various parts of the colony, have framed a series of drastic amendments which will be submitted to the local unions and finally to the New Zealand Union. The latter will send the draft adopted to the English Union, and invite the latter’s earnest consideration of the improvements proposed , and it is pretty well understood that if, the English Union show their usual obstinacy in refusing to accept the. alterations, the New Zealand Union will then consider the propriety of the adoption of them on its own account. The principal alteration suggested are in the points, as.follows : —Goal from a try, 5 points, try 4 points, penalty goal 2 points any other goal 3 points,.forcedown half-point. The last is an innovation and will only count if no. major points are scored. A goal from a punt is to be allowed, and charging in at kicks is to be abolished. The game will not be stopped if the ball touches the referee. Four spells may.be played instead of two, to prevent undue advantage being obtained from the wind, and after a try the ball will be kicked off again from the half-distance.. Wing play to be abol ished and knocking on cannot be p?nalised unless wilful. In < rder to avoid incessant scrambling on the touch lines when the ball goes out it must b ? thrown in at least five yards. The last two alter ations will make an enormous difference in the incessant stoppages that how occur in every game. There are a number of minor alte ations in the direction of simplifyng the rules. .