SIDE-LIGHTS ON RUGBY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 14 May 1913, Page 3

SIDE-LIGHTS ON RUGBY.

(By " Vexato Quasstio."

No. 111. Rugby foofball possesses an aspect that its opponents are slow to recognize ; viz., it should help to encourage the J supreme and saving quality of any man —the desire to " play the game.!* The. game .is the real thing.. Now, the .test of a man's power to play the game is when the decision is given against him, <«pecially when he feels that the decision has been ai wrong one. A player must remember that a Teferee's word is final. This is the first law of a good club in the field. For the sake of the game I would advdse the captain of every club in Wanganui before the team goes on the field; to impress upon the members to live and play up to this standard. To carry this out will increase the popularity of the game and enable the referee, to have a good time in controlling it. _ Referees a'*e not omniscient. He .is on the field to deride. Whatever his decision is it should be respected. He makes mistakes but then' each side suffers in about the.eanie* proportion- ami so the team gets what it wants: a mapi who is doing his best to hand out fair play to both-sides. . Attention is "called ,to the following alterations in the.rules. The definition of a tackle is .slightly elaborated, making at clear than a. man is not tackled till he is so held that he cannot pass the ball. It is necei3sary to remind players as well as spectators that the ball can be passed off the ground and that a score can be gained if a grassed player is able to scramble over the line with the ball. In order to a-void scragging and mauling the ball must be disposed of at once by the man in possession or else the referee will award a free kick agiiist him for being on the ground and not immediately getting up. 1 hope that players, with & better ' understanding of this rule, will njot worry referees with the cry, "Off the ground, sir! " * It is now tho rule that if the referee is of the opinion thac a man has thrown forward' or knocked on wilfully then he may give a free kick to tho opposing side. Players will need to be on their guard or it may prove fatal^to their side. This rule should help to stop the slowing down of the game on the1 line when a ball is knocked forward deliberately when a, man is unable to, get possession of itThere is another new rule that players will need to be careful about. No player can now wilfully pass, knock, or throw the* ball OUT of bounds. The penalty for doing this is. that the opposite side can claim a " free kick or a, scrum. ' They can have this scrum or free kick at right angles to out of bounds line, 10 yards from where the ball went, out or at the spot where the breach occurred. In case of a free kick, the spot where the, breach occurred or' spot where the ball went out, according to the choice of the opposing team, ehall be regarded as the mark. . Supposing, however, that tho opposing side does not choose either a scrum' or a free kick, what happens?' It is then thrown in by one of the side opposing the man who threw or knocked tho ball out of- bounds. He is a w.ise man who will .remember not to wilfully pass, knock, or thiwv a, ball into touch. 1f ( When is a ball fairly in the scrum r There is a new regulation upon this point. It is: ""The ball is not fairly in the scrum until it has passed a player on each side." I would warn referees not to be tempted into putting in the ball^ too often themselves. It gives tho wing forwards a.chance for a, little by-play while your thoughts are centred on getting the ball in tho si-rum. Let the wing-forward do .that mid you watch him instead, of allowing him to steal a march on you. A rtlaver is about to take a kick at goal. Ho has placed the ball to his watiisfaction and retires to take his kick. A player of his own side cuts in, and,' taking the kick lands a goal. Is it a legitimate goal? I fancy that in such, n case many a referee would be rattled and unable to give -a decision off-hand. Such an unlikely thing did happen on one occasion and the N.Z.R.A. ruled that. It was a perfectly legitimate goal. The only time a kicker cannot be changed is when a, referee whistles to disallow ■a charge simultaneously with the ball being kicked. Then it is impossible under any circuniGtanc.es'to change the kicker. If the referee blows the whistle for a scrum^ and a player picks up the ball and kicks it out of bounds and the referee believes that this has b«en done to waste time then he can award a free fuck against such a waster of precious' moments-. , " • When is a try scored ? Certainly not when a player crosses his opponents line : and BOUNCES the ball? I noticed one of the College playem do tin's last season and was surprised to hear the icreree award a try. As I indicated in my first article the hand, ball,-and ground must he in contact at" the sam« time, if only for a, fraction of a second. There J R - still some doubt in tho minds of many lino umpires as to-tbe rule on throwing-in. May I define'that rule to those who are still in doubt. If the player runs or kicks into touch the ball lelongs to tho other side. If physical force is used to push him out of bounds, the ball belongs to his own a-de. If lie allows himself to be pushed into .touch without attempting'to cficape then he must lose tho ball. In other words he only retains the ball for his side when Ih* is forced out through "no fault of his own. Will line umpires please make a note of this, as last year ' wrong decihions cau&ed jo good'dcal of dissatisfaiS ,tion in a small way. I trust that players ./ill endeavour to keep' faith with the general public by taking the field promptly. There "is nothing fco annoying to n spectator as to have to cool his toes for "half an hour before the players appear. The best" way to fill the grand-stand is to. commence your game promptly and finish, before darkness sotrs an. Let mo say in conclusion that I shall gladly welcome problems in Rugby Jaw and if I am unable to solve them, they can 1)0 reforcd to the local Referees' Association, and failing them the N.Z. It.A. The referee in Saturday's . senior match blew his whistle for an appeal for a mark. -The ball slipped out of the player's hands and a "scrum wato ordered. This decision was questiouod by some on the grandstand. The referee was perfectly right. When a referoo blows hi s whistle it is not for a mark, ,i scrum, a try, or anything like that. ,The whistle is blown to stop the pamo after which tho referee gives his decision. The referee evidently anticipated. a mark which did not come off, but having blown his .whistle the game must stop and could only be started again by moans of a.scrum.