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Whistle, “Free kick to the Wallabies. No! Wait, not there … the mark is here, 10mm from where you took the quick tap.” Why? Well I’m not sure.
There are plenty of silly rules in our otherwise perfect game. You would be hard pressed to find any fan that does not have some qualm with a rule that really should not be a rule.
The quick tap taken just off the mark: this rule is so inconsistent and simply pedantic at times.
I don’t know about you guys, but I am not a big fan of referee discretion, and this law shows just how annoying referee’s discretion can be.
That brings me to my next point: referees discretion.
I do understand that it is a necessary part of the referee’s job, but in some cases, it should just be ruled out completely because it often causes a lot of controversy and frustration among players and fans alike.
A prime example would be the scrum.
Half the time when a scrum collapses, it’s pure guess work. The referee has no idea what is going on, so he uses his discretion and makes what is a 50/50 decision (unless the All Blacks are playing, then it’s more like a 90/10 decision).
Yellow cards.
I hate yellow cards.
I am a Springbok fan, so I am particularly unhappy about how often they get thrown around. We as fans pay good money to see 15 play against 15. If players offend, cite them after the game. For offences such as infringing at the ruck consistently, use a two yellows equals a red system, like they do in football.
However, make it two yellows equals 10 minutes in the bin rather than the remainder of the game seeing as being a man down in our game would have far greater affect than in football.
Throwing the ball in quick.
A lot of you might not agree, but this is a dumb rule. It helps teams with weaker lineout’s avoid having to compete, why? Line outs are a crucial part of the game that teams should be made to compete at, regardless of their skill… or lack of.
Some of these and many others really annoy me, but nothing is more annoying than a player kicking the ball perfectly a metre in from the sideline, and the opposition is allowed to put a foot out and catch the ball and its considered kicked out on the full.
Why is this a rule? Who decided that the player catching the ball has the right to turn what is a very good kick into a very bad kick? As far as I am concerned, if a player kicks the ball a metre in from the field as a tactic, he has executed a skill to perfection and should not be punished for being accurate.
I could think of many others that are very annoying but I would just raise my blood pressure, and I would spend a few days writing it up. But with that said, please comment and let me know which rules annoy you most and why.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.