FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13791, 24 October 1908, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

AN IMPROVED RUGBY GAME. SOME CASUAL COMMENT. (By "Harpastum.") PART 11. It must bo remembered that the improvements favoured by the meeting of delegates are not the only ones recommended to the English Rugby Union by the New Zealand Rugby Union this year. In consequence of a resolution pnsscd at the annual meeting of the latter body, the management committee of the Union, at a meeting held in July, considered many suggestions from sub-unions and from the Referees' Association for the improvement of Rugby. Three of the suggestions then approved by the management committee have again received the approval of this month's meeting of delegates. Other suggestions approved \>y the management committee and sent forward to the English Rugby Union were as follows :—: — L aw 2. — Ball iti scrummage: A player shall not lift his legs until the ball touches the ground, and unless the ball is put past the first man of the scrummage that has the shorter front it shall not be considered to have been fairly put into the scrummage. Law 2. — Knocking-on and throwingforward: It shall not be considered a knock-on if the player so doing recovers possession before the ball touches the ground. Law 2.— Fair catch: Add, after "catch" in last line of definition, "or by immediately calling out 'mark.' [Thus allowing a man \o claim a mark without making a mark with his heel at the spot where he makes the catch.] Law 3.— Section (c) : The referee .shall have discretionary power as to whether the game shall be stopped. Law 3. — Section (f) : The words in parentheses to be deleted :— "The referee shall not whistle for half-time or noside until the ball bo (held or) out of Law 4. — Scoring: A goal from a mark or a penalty kick to count two points. Law 6.— Section (c) to be deleted. Add after goal-line in last line of notes: "But when the ball is on the ground after a player has been tackled it may bo picked up by any player other than the man so tackled." Law 8. — Add a new section: An offside player is placed on side "when he has run behind one of his own side who has last played the ball." A CURIOUS POSITION.

A curious position, which appears to have escaped general notice, has arisen with regard to these proposals sent on to the English Union. Tho proposal that a goal from a mark or a penaltykick should count two points was considered by the last meeting of delegates. For some reason that cannot be' understood, through the discussion not being reported, the proposal was, thrown out. So now, the management committee of the N.Z.R.U.vfinds itself in the position of having reteommended to the English Rugby Union a proposition that has been rejected by a general meeting of the N.Z.R.U. This fact will ceytainly not tend to make that antiquated body the English Rugby Union view the proposals as a whole with more favourable eyes. The proposal that a mark goal or a penalty goal should count two points is so obviously a good one, and, moreover, one that has long been urged by very many players and follower's of the game, that one cannot but wonder at the action of the delegates in throwing out the suggestion. As yet I have heard no arguments against it. The merit of a goal is far out of prcportion to the merit of a try, and should not count as much. A potted goal is, however, much more difficult to obtain than a penalty or mark goal, especially if "charging is abolished. This is so obvious that it does not nead enlarging upon. In deciding in favour of the -abolition of charging and then in throwing out the proposition under review the delegates to the meeting have laid themselves open to a charge of inconsistency. But the whole system of scoring needs reconstruction. A try should be the highest score, a "potted" goal next, a penalty goal and a goal from a try next, and a goal from a mark last. The present system of-scor-ing is not an equitable one. It too often allows chance to defeat hard work.

THE QUESTION OF SECESSION. These alterations, small as some of them may seem, will certainly improve the. game to a great extent. That they, or most of them, will come into force there can be no doubt. At *he meeting of delegates it was resolved : — "That it be an instruction to the management committee to forward a copy of the foregoing resolutions to the New South Wales and Queensland Rugby Unions, with a view to securing their co-operation in the formation of an Australasian Rugby Union to control the game under the revised rules." In speaking to the resolution Mr G. Dixon, chairman of the management committee of the N.Z.R.U., stated that .a letter had been received from the Queensland Rugby Union advising that, in the event of a favourable reply 'not being received from the Home authorities with respect to amendments to the laws of the game by the end of 1908, a conference of delegates of Unions in Australasia should be held with a view to the formation of an Australian board and the making of alterations which should come into force at the beginning of the 1909 season.

The New South Wales Union has not taken any steps in the matter of improving the game yet, although attention is being directed in that state to the question. But there is little doubt that it will come into line with New Zealand and Queensland when occasion demands. Whether the English Union wjll meet the wishes of the colonial authorities is a very different thing. The English Union has deservedly earned a reputation for unreasonable coneervatism. If it refuses to accept the proposals offered by the colonial unions for the improvement of Rugby the only thing the latter bodies can do is to cut the. painter. Such a step would be a very serious one, and it would have to be taken carefully. But, if taken, it is not likely to have an adverse affecet on football in this quarter of the world. Rather the reverse. The chief arguments advanced by those oppose! to secession from the English Ruaby Union are that it would leave us without any supreme court of appeal, so to speak, and that it would render impossible, so long as secession existed, any interchaiuxe of visits between this Dominion 1 and Great Britain. If an Australasian Union is formed we will have a supremo governing body to which to appeal, and so the first argument is disposed of. In fact, an Australasian Union would probably give far more satisfaction as a court of appeal. Its members are likely to be- much more up-to-date and wide-awake than the numbers of the English Union. Further, it will be so very much more" closer to this country than the English' Union. So far as the interchange of visits is concerned, very little harm, if any, would be done to colonial football. Tt would be o good thing if no visit of New Zealand or Australian players to Great

_____ «*pf Britain, or of British players to Australasia, were to take place foi at least another ten year,. As I have previously pointed out in this comment, there is too much travelling by football teams nowadays. By the time another decade lias gone the Home authorities might have awakened from their sleep and improved the game m the Old Country, when there would be no reason why the parent body and its children should not be reconciled. Besides, would we now learn anything from such tours at short intervals? So what harm would be caused to colonial football by secession ?

On the whole, the players of the Dominion should feel satisfied with the result of the agitation for the improvement of the game. Further improvements than have resulted could have been made, but these will doubtless come in time. Rome was not built in a day. What blots are left upon the game will be shown up better now that some of the old blots are abolished. But it must be remembered that it is not desirable to make the game too fast for the ordinary amateur player who cannot give much time to training. In fact, it is not right that a man should neglect any of the many other interests he has in modern life to devote very much time to football or preparation

for football. The year has certainly been productive of much good to the game. Not only is it being improved, but steps are being taken to arrange for a sound system of insurance of players throughout the Dominion. When a sound insurance system is established and the game permanently improved players should have very little to grumble about.