With the Superbowl and the NRL pre-season both rapidly approaching it’s time to examine exactly what our lovable little sport can learn from the United States juggernaut.
While the NRL can’t exactly hope to have eighty thousand people packing out the stadium each week, there are certainly aspects of the NFL which could be adapted into NRL gameplay.
In this article I’ll discuss just some of the slight modifications the could be easily added to the NRL to improve gameplay, the fan experience, and even player well-being. It should be understood that what I’d really like to add is Beyonce performing at half-time but it doesn’t seem practical so it’s been ignored.
This isn’t going to be a piece where I am suggesting we radically change the NRL. I’m not looking to create another gridiron code. Both games are fantastic for their own reasons. That’s not to say the NRL is beyond adapting.
My goal here is, to steal a line from the American Constitution, to help form a ‘more perfect union’. Sorry, I mean ‘a more perfect league.’
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a fairly recent convert to the NFL but have been a life-long fan of NRL. Or at least, I’ve been a life-long fan of the Penrith Panthers who can often be charitably described as ‘technically playing NRL’.
Kickoffs
Let’s begin at the beginning. Or, more accurately, begin at the restarts. I’m yet to be presented with a good reason why, after points are scored, the scoring team should receive the ball again.
It seems counter-intuitive that having scored you should be given the opportunity to continue scoring ad-infinitum. One can imagine how one-sided basketball games could become if this was the case.
The kickoff rule as it stands reduces the variation in gameplay. Sure, it privileges ball-security but ball-security was already highly privileged. Having the ball is pretty important in most sports.
In defence of this rule, it can lead to wonderfully tight finishes where teams are able to make break after break to pull back a game that was once thought lost. This seems to conveniently omit the fact that a good number of the leads are generated because the opposition had earlier gotten on a roll scoring try after try.
The question is whether you value an amazing come-from-behind victory over a tight match over eighty minutes, where one team slips away at the last second. When it comes to this I’d argue that the reason those come-from-behind victories are so amazing is because they rarely happen.
Usually in the NRL when a team is getting blown out they stay blown out. Unless it’s my beloved Panthers who like to get just close enough to dare their fanbase to dream before crashing like a German blimp.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct
NRL fans have a bizarre infatuation with the moments when players stop playing the damn game we tuned in to watch them play, and punch each other.
The fans who claim ‘the biff’ is part of the game are watching the wrong sport.
If you want a slug-fest that only ends when one competitor is partially brain-damaged then boxing is your more your speed.
If you want a sport where the referee becomes purely ornamental as soon as grown men decide to throw fists around may I suggest either professional wrestling or ice hockey.
Football should be about football and any suggestion otherwise is just an attempt by Matthew Johns to sell T-shirts and DVDs.
Fights are going to happen. NRL players are incredibly competitive and the sport is very physical, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be disciplined when their behaviour needs moderating.
There’s supposed to be a check-and-balance for this: the sin bin. Unfortunately our current breed of referees would be timid about giving a war criminal ten in the bin. It’s too heavy a punishment.
Instead, referees will march the captain out, say something about how their players shouldn’t try and break the other team’s jaw, then send them back to the line.
The solution seems to be territory penalties. Losing ten metres for a sportsmanship infraction isn’t so harsh that it can completely decide a game every single time but it’s also not toothless.
Any form of unsportsmanlike conduct should result in a team being marched ten metres down the field (or, within the twenty metre line, half the distance to the goal). This is a tangible punishment and one which will force captains to be self-policing so their team isn’t giving up an extra ten on every play.
That’s not to say it should be used without discretion. The NFL seems to be moving to completely remove post-score celebrations. These are excellent and should still be around. Like most rules in our society the discretion required could probably be reduced to the age old maxim: “hey, don’t be an asshole.”
Mic The Referees
This one seems like a no-brainer and it’s bizarre that it hasn’t been implemented yet. Giving the referee a microphone both allows people in the nosebleeds that miss the fun knock-on hand gesture understand what the hell is going on and allows the person interpreting the rules to explain their interpretation.
In saying that, it is fun to listen to Gus Gould talk about the motion of Venus in an attempt to explain exactly why an obstruction was called. Also, it’s a fantastic chance to boo, and what crowd would give that up?
Penalty Flags
If there’s one thing that epitomises the NRL, it’s a wonderful break away try after a solid series of passes in a team’s own half to find and exploit a gap.
If there’s a second thing that epitomises the NRL, it’s the endless replays of the simple and obvious infraction that occurred at the very start of that same play which was then allowed to run to the point that it couldn’t be called back. (There has even been some suggestion of teams taking tackles on questionable plays so they can avoid these kinds of reviews altogether).
Introduction of a penalty flag system allows a referee to indicate their intention to check an aspect of a play without necessarily stopping the play. This removes the pressure from a referee to immediately blow a play dead or to let it run to the point that it’s no longer practical to call back.
Will this slow the game down if a player on a fast break is tackled on the ten yard line looking for a quick play of the ball? Certainly, but I promise you this will only be frustrating when it happens to your player and not the other team.
When it’s the other team you’ll be begging for the flag. You’ll love the flag.
Beyond this, the flag system creates a means of communication between multiple referees allowing the presiding referee to hear a call and subsequently decide to accept or overrule it.
This can also be beneficial to the team who the penalty is called against. They might prefer their eighty-metre run to stand rather than be called back for a kick at their ten metre line.
Concussions
Here’s where the NRL needs to learn from the mistakes of the NFL. Football has been described as a game where you pay to watch young men get brain damage. This has gone on for far too long.
This story is already blowing up in the United States and the league’s response has been horrifically unsatisfactory.
This past week, a judge refused to accept a settlement between the league and players which totals over $750 million dollars as it wasn’t large enough.
Firstly, this is after the NFL pressured ESPN into not pursuing the story. [1]
Secondly, it still got out. [2]
To expect that the same isn’t coming for Australian sports is ridiculous. Peter Fitzsimons has been quite noteworthy in his campaign to raise the awareness of the issue. It’s something that can or should be ignored.
We can no longer pretend to care about the well-being of our players only to abandon them the moment their careers end. It’s not good enough to say head injuries are part of the game. These are young men whose lives will be affected irreparably by attempting to entertain us.
Seeing a player returned to the field after suffering a massive blow to the head was once seen as a sign of courage.
I’m not claiming that these players aren’t courageous. I’m claiming the league has a duty of care to ensure that this courage doesn’t override safety.
The NRL has been so far open to implementing changes to concussion policy to assist the well-being of players.
It is of paramount importance that this continues to be updated with investments being made in researching both current and former player’s health and well-being to ensure the players we love can continue playing the game they love, and still enjoy a life after football.
[1] http://deadspin.com/judge-says-nfls-765-million-concussion-settlement-not-1501224888
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/sports/football/nfl-pressure-said-to-prompt-espn-to-quit-film-project.html?_r=0
catcat
Guest
I think NRL could benefit from some of the time stoppages that are also used in NFL. Especially for balls kicked over the sideline, then waiting for a scrum...or if a ball goes dead- stop the clock. Could see a few more grubbers in the dying minutes of a game, and a match winning 40-20 in the last second!
Tony
Guest
I know they need the money from the sponsors but the NRL Should get rid of thesponsors ads all over the Jersey's and put names on the back of the jerseys,
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
The thing is, nothing is ridiculous. All we can do is look for the data, stare it in the eye, and figure out how we can play footy without destroying brains.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Two points about concussion firstly the British journal of sports medicine study is hardly a revelation common logic tells you if you are going to clash heads with someone you would rather be protected with a helmet.If helmets offer no protection then why did American Footballers start plaYing with them ? Secondly most sports involve some form of risk - some are more dangerous than others obviously but as the tickets at the old side show alley used to say ride at your own risk.Motor Cycle racing. Rodeo riding. being a jockey or a boxer - all pretty dangerous ways to make a living. If concussion is something you wish to avoid then I suggest you don't play Rugby League AFL Rugby Union or for that matter American Football.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Two points about concussion firstly the British journal of sports medicine study is hardly a revelation common logic tells you if you are going to clash heads with someone you would rather be protected with a helmet.If helmets offer no protection then why did American Footballers start plating with them ? Secondly most sports involve some form of risk - some are more dangerous than others obviously but as the tickets at the old side show alley used to say ride at your own risk. If concussion is something you wish to avoid then I
Brad Partridge
Roar Rookie
Sorry for the confusion Barry, I wasn't trying to say that an MRI can be done "there and then" on the field (agreed that would be pretty difficult!). Not sure why Fitzy is so reluctant. I was just reinforcing that the acute symptoms of concussion tend to reflect a "functional" disturbance in the brain, rather than "structural" damage. A concussed person can display a number of functional problems whilst still having a relatively "normal" looking MRI. Similarly, down the track a person who experienced multiple concussions may exhibit a number of cognitive/behavioural/emotional impairments and yet have a relatively normal looking MRI... But as you say - see your doctor. Regarding the UCLA team - certainly aware of this but a little concerned that they are over-reaching. At the moment, CTE can still only be confirmed post-mortem. Cheers.
Barry O'
Guest
I know a brain scan or MRI cannot be done on the field as you say..."there and then" ...der ! My main point is that if you have symptoms at an "early" age you should see a doctor ... not like the advice Fitzy gives us ... "Frankly, I don't want to know". Dumb Fitzy Dumb ! My brain surgeon thinks Fitzy should have an MRI and Scan Urgently. Actually last year researchers at UCLA identified the Protein that causes CTE with the aid of Scans/MRI... living people ! I don't care what you call it ... CTE ... Cancer ... whatever . If you have a concern see your doctor. My surgeon says I have the symptoms of CTE and a slow growing tumour. He won't say from what and does not know. For the time being call it what you want ... My Point is at the age of 30,40,50,60 see a doctor.
Brad Partridge
Roar Rookie
I agree Barry that it can be difficult to disentangle the precise causes of long term cognitive impairment. An MRI may be useful for diagnosing brain deterioration (called atrophy), but this tends to be down the track and i's worth remembering that when a person gets a concussion, they get a disturbance of brain function (that is, they may lose consciousness, have amnesia etc). In most cases, if you did an MRI there and then, their brain would actually look "normal". And unfortunately an MRI is not much use in trying to determine if a person has chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is the particular form of brain disease that some former NFL players have been diagnosed with. Importantly, CTE can currently only be diagnosed once a person has died. I would encourage anyone who is a mad keen NRL fan to read the link to this case study. It describes the neuropsychological evaluation of a recently retired NRL player. It is worth noting that he had a history of multiple concussions (at least 10) and that an MRI did indeed show evidence of brain atrophy that was attributed to these concussions... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3784794/ Cheers.
Barry O'
Guest
Hope the brain damage study takes into account life style of athletes. Speaking with first hand experience and also illness of some friends my heavy,heavy alcohol consumption and a little drugs between the age of 19 and 45 has also contributed to my now brain damage. I don't think the hits and few concussions involved in my footy days were the only factor. Fitzy "raves and rants" and then shows a "dumb" response by saying he refuses to get an MRI. There are things that can be done to help the symptoms of brain damage but "know-all Fitzy" shows a stupid reaction and I hope people with a few brains ask their doctor for an MRI.
Michael
Guest
I agree that Referee's with Mics are a no brainer! As a Cowboys fan watching my team get some un explainable calls in the last two finals has been very frustrating. If you watch it on TV there is no confusion on what is happening making the game a lot more enjoyable. Also, why are the away fan seats the worst in the stadium?? Putting the away fans in the corner of every game is only encouraging them not to turn up. Surely getting more people to the games would be encouraged. Doesn't matter what team they are cheering for, as long as more people are there cheering!
Bob Anderson
Guest
Its actually only 11 or 12 minutes of time the ball is in play in the NFL.
Brad Partridge
Roar Rookie
Yeah the 90% figure is an interesting one. It's not really to do with the "severity" of concussions. Rather it likely has something to do with the fact that the most recent guidelines on concussion from the "Concussion in Sport Group" (known as the Zurich Consensus Statement - this forms the basis of the AFL and NRL concussion guidelines) says that: T"he majority (80–90%) of concussions resolve in a short (7–10 day) period". What happens every 7 days? Footy! !! And it is certainly in the interests of the AFL and NRL to have the best players on the park each week. Interesting to note that the Zurich Consensus Statement is co-authored by researchers linked to the AFL and the International Rugby Board... Cheers.
Hossey
Roar Guru
Well, that's certainly a lot of interesting stuff Brad. Glad you shared it with me. I think severity of concussion could possibly be something to be considered also? 92% is crazy high. If the AFL's concussion guidelines are written by a man who helped write a paper that said there was a 10-15 fold higher rate of concussion (so a serious expert) yet only 1.1 miss a game, perhaps the concussions being experienced aren't as severe. I'm no expert myself on how concussions work and whether there is a great range of damage though.
Brad Partridge
Roar Rookie
Agreed on the need to take player welfare seriously, Pat. Regarding the actual incidence of concussion in Australian collision sports vs American football - well it is a little slippery. Both the AFL and NRL claim that the rate of concussion is 5-7 per team per season. There is some research from the 1990's that suggests the concussion rate in rugby league is a little higher than that - but y'know that's from the 90's! A recent article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine included the claim that: "Although the exact incidence of sport-related concussion is unknown, epidemiological studies suggest that football codes played in Australia (eg, Australian Football (AF) and Rugby League (RL)) have a 10-fold to 15-fold higher rate of concussion than does American football." It is worth noting that two of the authors of that paper also co-authored the AFL's concussion guidelines (and one was a former Collingwood team doctor). The AFL puts out an annual injury report detailing injury incidence. Incredibly it claims that only 1.1 concussion per team per season occurs. Why so low? Well, they only counted a concussion if it resulted in the player missing a week of football! What's worrying about that is there's evidence to say 92% of AFL don't miss a week after being diagnosed with concussion (see Makdissi, 2009). Cheers.
baldie
Guest
What ever you do dont watch a game of cricket.
baldie
Guest
Rugby has been in the US for over a hundred years. I dont get this idea of if Americans just saw league they would fall in love with it. Its really condensing. Gridiron is slow, complex and strategic, when you watch a game you get sucked into a narrative with lots of twists and turns, a lot like a game of cricket. League is fast, simple and over very quickly, nothing like gridiron. It has a lot more in common with ice hockey.
Brad Partridge
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the article. You touch on a couple of points about concussion: "The NRL has been so far open to implementing changes to concussion policy to assist the well-being of players." It's interesting to note how the NRL adopted it's current concussion guidelines. Rather than conduct an independent review, the NRL's Chief Medical Officer essentially consulted with members of the AFL's concussion committee, and adopted the AFL's guidelines almost word for word (albeit a little later than the AFL). "It is of paramount importance that this continues to be updated with investments being made in researching both current and former player’s health and well-being to ensure the players we love can continue playing the game they love, and still enjoy a life after football." I agree, but of course this research should be independent. The NFL developed its own concussion committee who published research funded by the NFL in journals that were edited by researchers connected to the NFL. Unsurprisingly, these articles largely found that there was no problem with concussion in the NFL and that players could return to play on the same day. See: http://theconversation.com/nfl-settlement-fails-to-address-impact-of-collision-sports-17686 "Seeing a player returned to the field after suffering a massive blow to the head was once seen as a sign of courage. I’m not claiming that these players aren’t courageous. I’m claiming the league has a duty of care to ensure that this courage doesn’t override safety." Unfortunately the Chief Medical Officer of the NRL has stated publicly (at the 2013 Concussion in Football conference hosted by the AFL) that he has reported several instances where the concussion management policies were breached by team medical staff or trainers. In each instance a report was compiled for NRL management, however to date no team has been sanctioned for breaching the concussion management guidelines. I wrote a short article about this here, in case you're interested. If the NRL wants to make a stand it should fine clubs who breach the NRL's concussion rules: http://theconversation.com/is-the-nrl-enforcing-its-own-concussion-rules-13093 You might also be interested in the "baseline concussion testing" that NRL players are required to undergo. All teams must use the neuropsych testing product that is owned by a Melbourne based company, CogState. The AFL also requires all teams to use this product. There are a number of conflicts of interest that people should be aware of, some of which are detailed here, fyi: http://theconversation.com/sport-concussion-guidelines-rife-with-conflicts-of-interest-13103 Cheers.
Australian Rules
Guest
The sport, the article or the issue doesn't matter... nordsters posts are reliably the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same.
Rodney
Roar Pro
Travel is only the start of the things the NRL funds. The NRL currently hands out a $7.455 mil grant to every NRL club, either this grant would have to apply to all 1st and 2nd division clubs with the expansion of the league or none of these clubs. Depending on how many applicants for the second tier (considering that there aren't that many independent second grade sides, but this could change with the introduction of P & R) funding them all with grants would be financial suicide. And if the NRL ceases its grant program clubs on the border of financial viability will be forced to either spend beyond their means or diminish the standard of play for the league as a whole by playing below the salary cap. This is pretty risky considering that there is more than one embattled NRL club and not many strong potential replacements. This could potentially lead to a revolving door of mediocre teams dwelling round the bottom of the ladder languishing due to lack of consistent exposure, while the top teams leave them behind.
mushi
Roar Guru
Also what does the local product mean are you comparing having grown up with the NRL versus having seen soccer leagues over seas.