THE RULES OF FOOTBALL, SOME IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS.

West Coast Times, Issue 10429, 7 December 1896, Page 4

THE RULES OF FOOTBALL, SOME IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS.

Mr A. D. De Costa, Hon. Sec. of the X.Z Rugby Union, has reo-jved from t.ie English Rugby Union a c<>py of the I iwsof the game for 1896-97, which contains some important amendments.

The chief feature of the alterations is the additional scope given to the referee.

■ hat official is empowered to deal with breaches of thp rules without waiting for au appeal from the opposite side, except in instances where free kicks are involved .Hid except where a player passes or car-

; es the ball over his own goal line. In fie first of these exceptions the appeal must be taken as referring to the free kick and not to the offence. Section A,

in rule 3, providing that a referee must blow his whistle " when he allows an ippaal" has been struck out, and a new 3ub-section inserted, directing.the referee to blow bis whistle when he notices any irregularity of play whereby the side committing such gains an advantage. The referee can allow or disallow a try on his own initiative in cases of uufair play or interference, no appeal being necessary

In the matter of lifting the foot, the

phrasing of the new rules is somewhat unsatisfactory and requires amending. Rule

1 1. sub-section J . apparently means that an appeal' is necessary, while on the other handrule3, sub-section H, reads that no appeal is necessary. No doubt the Eng-

lish authorities will be asked to give a definite ruling on the subject, it being highly essential that some understaading should be come to onj the matter. Tbe remaining portion of rule 6 now provides that if a player while holding or running with the ball be tackled, and the ball fairly held, he must at once put it down fairly between him and his opponents' goal line. By the rule now in force the player must put the batl down in front of him. As to rule 8 alterations have

been made governing off-side play The new rule makes it penal to actively or piesively obstruct, and a player may not approach within 10 yards (not five as formerly) of an opponent waiting for the ball. The rew interpretation of rule 9 is that a player making a fair catuli slul/ be awarded a hee kick, even though the whistle has blown for a ki:ock-on.

Penalties for breaches of the rules are provided for in rule 11. Sub section F orders a fre^ kick if a player' when the ball has come out of ;i scrum, wilfully shoves it forward wi -h hishands again i n the scrum. And by virtue -of .this same ruin a player is to be penalised if he wilfully prevents

the ball being fairly put in a scrimmage. In rule 12 a player bounding a ball from touch and catching it, must, when catching it, have both feet in the field of play. Rule 19 provides that a referee need not

order the ball to be prit down in a ease of a throw forward or knock-on if to do so would be to the disadvantage of the opposite or unoffending side. Touch judges a.c, if requested by the referee, to assist him when a side is taking a shot at goal. By ;i fuifcher alteration it is insisted that i! a player be ordered off tbe Held, eithe for the rirst or second offence he, shall be . .i^orted to the Uuion. It was previously stipulated that players should be reported wuo were ordered off for the second offence.

The English Rugby Union has also granted permission to the New Zealand Rugby Union to delegate its powers to district Unions throughout the Union to deal with suspected cases of professional' ism.