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Is there a better way to play League? We’ve kicked around some ideas to reduce rules in the game to simplify the game and make it more exciting.
The game is Universal Pro League. Conceived in 1992, after identified at that time that a variety of rules needed to be amended to reduce the errors made by referees & to address the growing pains of the sport of Rugby League.
NRL coaches are charged with rule changes. They are also the same people responsible for introducing to the game a raft of “innovation” to beat the game.
Gang tackles with the slow peel off to gain time for the defence to retire to the new defencive line, sloppy play the balls, illegal tactics to slow the play the ball down, head slamming, ever increasing high tackles, voluntary tackles, the Grapple Tackle and all its cousins.
Most of these issues have forced undue & totally unnecessary added pressure on referees as well as, reducing the modern forward to nothing but battering rams or wrecking balls.
Universal Pro League aims to combat these developments with simple rules to improve the game.
The key rule changes:
The game: Ten players per side with a five metre defence line. A match duration played over 3 x 30-minute periods. An interchange bench consists of five players – two changes allowed per 30-minute period;
1. Kick-Offs: Only at the start of each period and will alternate between teams;
2. Dummy half-runners: Caught with the ball are penalised NON SIN BIN;
3. Play the ball (PTB): Whilst facing your teams’ scoring-end of the field, place the ball on the ground immediately in front of the tackle, step over the ball with both feet. The second foot is to be grounded before the dummy half can pick the ball up. The second foot grounding will also allow the defence to move;
4. No Markers are required at the PTB; tacklers are offside until they have retreated to the advancing defensive line;
5. Drop ball rule: TURNOVER;
6. Repeat Set (RS): If a team completes all six tackles of the first set in their defensive half of the field without dropping the ball they can receive one (1) “bonus” set of six tackles.
7. 50/20 not 40/20: Successful 50/20s receive a three Tackle Bonus (3TB) which begins with a tap restart from the middle of the defending side’s 20m line; tries scored during 3TB worth five points;
8. The Conversion Try: Following tries scored from General Play (try worth four points), a team may kick for goal; actual try scorer to attempt the kick, successful kick worth two points; OR attempt a Conversion Try (CT) worth three points. The (CT) option provides three “fresh” tackles starting at the 20m line, (no kicking during the allowed 3 tackles);
9. No kicking during Three Tackle Bonus and Conversion Try;
10. No kicking into the in goal at any time: If a kick rolls in goal it’s a tap restart on the defending side’s 20m;
11. Held up in goal: Possession goes to the defending team; tap restart on the 20m line with six tackles;
12. Following tries and conversions, the team scored against receives the ball and restarts with a tap from the middle of their 20m;
13. Sin Bin (SB): All aspects of the safe play code will be in effect; penalties will attract a (SB) and once an individual player has been sent twice to the (SB) he will be dismissed from the game. A sin bin is for 5min, the offending player will be replaced by a bench player after the 5min suspension from the field has been completed this in effect will also count as one of the allotted changes within that period;
14. Penalties: No Shot for goal & No Quick Tap; can only kick for touch to gain field territory;
15. Scrums: Only come into play if there have been two knock ons, two dropped balls. Otherwise possession exchange is done via turnover. Five men will form the Scrum with the ref to feed.
Would Roarers like to see this game played at the highest level?
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