THE RULES OF RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 11

THE RULES OF RUGBY

HINTS TO YOUNG PLAYERS

gleanings from recent games.

laws of tackling and off-side

(By

“Referee.”)

Congratulations,to Collins and Clarke,, the two Taranaki players, on attaining All Black honours. The tackling, in ■ the. Tukapa v. Star match at New Plymouth on Saturday was a treat to see. ' ' The handling of the ball in. the OldBoys v. Stratford match was excellent. Forwards are .inclined to hapg on. to the ball far too much iq the tight. In future matches referees will be on the look-out for players hanging on, and they will be penalised. Remember when taking a mark to have both feet on the ground and to make a mark with your heel.. Endeavour to be ready to start your matches up to time. Several games set down for the New Plymouth racecourse last Saturday were very" late in starting. In future the referee will not wait more than a reasonable time. SUGGESTIONS TO SPECTATORS. Time is now called when the ball is dead, with the following exceptions; (a) When a try is scored the kick at goal is taken; (b) when a penalty kick is awarded or a fair catch allowed, the. kick is taken. A referee’s decision as to time is final; even if he keeps it inaccurately. If a defending player touches the ball in its flight a goal cannot" be scored. The referee shall not signal when the ball is placed on the ground for a kick at goal. Of the 1000 spectators who were standing at the gate corner in Pukekura Park on Saturday during the Tukapa v. Star match, when Moorhead knocked the corner , flag out, five hundred said he scored first and then knocked the corner flag out. The other five hundred said he knocked the flag oiit first. The touch judge and. the referee agreed that it was touch-in-goal. Result: 502 to 500 majority in favour of the referee. ■ . ' If players could only move about -the ground as quickly as spectators we would pee some brilliant football. The corner flaw actually fell infield. If the player had scored first and knocked the corner flag out . with nis feet afterwards it is reasonable to suppose that the flag would have been knocked outwards. , :. ~ . TACKLING AND OFF-SIDE. (a) After, a tackle the ball must. be brought into play-with a foot. (b) When a player is tackled but not brought .to , the ground he must.immediatelv release the ball so that it- falls to the ground between himself end his opponents’ goal-line. (c) The tackled player, if lyinw on the ground, must immediately release the ball, roll away.from it, and get.up before playing it with his foot. (d) No player shall prevent atgckled player from" releasing the ball,, or getting up after he has released it. t (e) No player shall pick up. the ball after a tackled player has released it; or when it is on the ground after -a player has been tackled,, until it has been played with a foot. (f) No player lying on the' ground after a tackle shall interfere with the ball in any way, until it has been played with a foot. Penalty: Penalty kick awarded at tpe place of infringement. , . • If a player carrying the ball i« thrown or knocked over, but not tackled, he may nevertheless pass the ball or get up and continue his run, evert though the ball has touched 'the ground. Note: If a player carrying the ball is grasped and brought to the ground by an opponent, but not sufficiently held to prevent his passing the ball, he may do so even though the ball has touched the ground. ' If while, being so held he can ground the ball in his opponents’ in-goal, ho may do so and score a try, even though the ball has touched the ground in the field of play. ■ If he is not sufficiently held to prevent him sliding into his opponents’ in-’ woal with the ball in his possession and there grounding it, he shall be awarded a try. If, however, while so held ho comes to rest in the field of play with the ball beneath his body, he shall be considered as tackled. OFF-SIDE RULE. A plaver is off-side — (a) ff he enter a scrummage from his opponents’ side. (b) If while the ball is in a scrum* mao-e he, not being in the scrummage, remain with either foot in front of the bull. , (c) If when the ball is thrown in from touch he stand in front of a line at, right angles to the - touch line from the place whence the ball is thrown. Penalty: Penalty kick awarded at the place of infringement.. •. . (d) If, in his own in-goal, he is in front of one of his own team who is taking a free kick or penalty kick from behind the goal-line. Otherwise . a player cannot be off-side in his own ingoal. Penalty: Scrummage five yards from the goal-line opposite .the place of infringement. . (e) If the ball has been kicked ,or touched or is being carried by one of his own team behind him. , - No off-side player shall play the ball or in any way obstruct an opponent, or approach or wilfully remain within ten yards of an opponent waiting for the ball. ‘ I Penalty: Penalty kick awarded at the place of. infringement,. or . scrummage where the ball waa last played by the offending team, at the option of the other team. ■. / : No player shall shout “all on side” or words to that effect when any member of his team is off-side. Penalty; Penalty kick awarded at the place of infringement, or scrummage where the ball was last played by the offending team, at the option of the other team. ■ ■> -■ < If the ball or the player carrying, it touch a player who is accidentally offside, the referee shall order a scrummage at the place where such off-side occurred. GETTING “ON-SIDE.” . An “off-side” player becomes “onside” — . (a) Wlien an opponent carrying the ball has run five yards. (b) When the ball has been kicked by an opponent. (c) When an opponent, has intentionally touched the ball, provided such; opponent does not catch or gather it.. (d) when one of his own team has run in front of him either,carrying the ball or after having kicked the ball when behind him. Such kicker must be in the field of play to put the offside player on-side, though he is not debarred' from previously following lip in touch. ; ■