RUGBY REFEREES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4054, 30 May 1938, Page 3

RUGBY REFEREES

WAIKATO ASSOCIATION’S MEETING. HELD IN TE AWAMUTU. A very large and representative attendance was recorded at the Tf Awamutu meeting of the Waikato Rugby Referees’ Association, on Friday evening, when Mr A. W. Ensor, of Putaruru, presided, and there were delegates from Hamilton, Taupiri, Morrinsville, Matamata, Putaruru, Cambridge and Waipa. The meeting was held in the Lounge Tearooms and proved very successful in every respect. Nearly forty delegates attended. Delegates present included: Waipa: Messrs H. Thompson, I. F. Vickers, C. D. Lawrie, R. L. Adams, I. Roberts, F. Walters, T. Brown, J. Wilson, J. Madgwick, T. Martin and C. Sergeant. Cambridge: Messrs C. Wallis, Eklund, Scott, Baird, Moore, Kirken. Putaruru: Messrs A. W. Ensor, N. Brown, Eickler, Simcock, Orr, W. Brown, Marsh. Morrinsville: Messrs H. Mabbett, Moxham, Kirk, O’Grady and At kins. Hamilton: Messrs Kelly, Thorpe, Marshall, Senior, Robertson, Watkins, Bouchier and Fisher. Taupiri: Messrs Welch and Nicholas. INTERPRETATION OF RULES. Taupiri Association asked for an interpretation.—An attacking player near the goal line was tackled and the ball rolled over the line, where it was forced by a defending player. What, was the correct decision, and why? It was contended that the tackle occurred in field, necessitating that lhe ball be played with the foot. The breach was in goal, ami the decision should be a scrum five yards out. Another decision was to give a scrum where the tackle occurred. The Rules Committee decided that, as the defender did not bring the ball into play with the foot, therefore a scrum five yards out was the correct ruling. In subsequent discussion it was asked what penalty would have been given if the ball had not been forced. —lt was agreed that as the ball was m touch, the correct ruling would be to give a drop-out. THEORY AND PRACTICE. Mr Moxham read a paper on scrummage conduct, rules and interpretslions, the theory and practice. The speaker stressed the point that the spirit of scrums was absolute fairness to both sides, and he made his points very clearly and concisely. It was • laimed that under present rulings the ball, being put into a scrum.

•hould not be rolled in, but it should first, touch the ground beyond the nearest foot of the scrummager; the ball should be put in with sufficient force for it to reach the far side if it. was not. interfered with. The halfback should put the ball in the scrum and referees should stand on the side where the half-back was, and see that the ball was put in correctly—from a point three feet from the scrum, and ..t moderate speed, delivered from below the knee of the thrower, with the objective of the ball reaching the middle of the scrum when it touched the ground. The rules intended that neither side of a scrum should gain .in advantage until the ball was available to re-start the game—that was until the half-back may really put the ball in. Present-day rules debarred a ball being rolled into a scrum; it must be pitched. The referee was the sole judge, and he should apply the advantage rule if the scrum of the half-back’s side gained possession through the half-back giving his men an advantage in putting the ball in. THE TACKLE. Mr C. Wallis (Cambridge) read a paper on the principal new amendments, particularly the laws affecting tackles. As a preliminary he quoted the report: of the delegates to the Dominion conference. A tackle was not accomplished if the man caught or held both his arms free. if while so held tlie ball came in contact with the ground, the ball must be brought into play with the foot. When a tackle occurred the referee should award a penalty if he were satisfied who the offender was; if in doubt, a scrum should be ordered. Continuing, Mr Wallis said the new rules made it clear that the referee must take no part in the game, am; therefore must not indicate the point where a kick at. goal should be taken, except in the case of a kick following try, unless he were appealed to. A referee must nut. indicate when a ball could be charged. It was agreed that the referee •should indicate where a scrum was to be taken; he did not have to measure exactly the ten yards from (he line. Several points of the paper were discussed freely. OFF-SIDE RULES. The next paper was read by Mr Thorpe, Hamilton, taking as his subject the interpretation of the offside rules. The whistle should not be blown merely because a player was offside; the offence occurred when the player interfered with the play. The chief misunderstanding occurred when a player was in front of the ball and did not actively endeavour to put himself on side. The ten yard radius from the ball should be observed even though the man was passive; he should make an effort to get outside the radius.

Mr Thorpe claimed that the size of the ten yard radius was not gen erally realised, and Im reminded members that it was actually twenty yards across —two-thirds of the distance between the 25 yard line and the halfway line.

A player was only put offside by one of his own team, and could only be put on side by a team mate, or by an opponent playing the ball. If a team took the field short-handed it could be added to with recruits up to the limit of 15 provided each of those accretions came on the field on an onside position and on his own team’s half of the field. An injured player, once leaving the field, . must, on resuming, report to the referee. SOCIAL PROCEEDINGS. After the business had been completed, the visitors were the guests of the Waipa Association at supper, and the (chairman expressed sincere thanks for the entertainment and

wished the Te Awamutu referees every success and encouragement on their endeavours to help Rugby. Mr Vickers, chairman of the Waipa Association, made an appropriate acknowledgment, and expressed the hope that. Te Awamutu would again be honoured by having meetings of the parent body held here.