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As a rusted-on football fan I have a strong preference for the game of rugby. It is not as one dimensional as the other codes and as a result it has a wider range of strategy options.
While this is its strength, it is also its weakness because uninitiated spectators find the complexity of the laws difficult to understand.
But for those of us willing to invest the time in unlocking the subtleties of this superficially simple, yet complex game, it is a game without peer.
While there are many aspects of the game that its supporters will defend vigorously in the face of ‘uninformed criticism’ there are aspects that even the most enthusiastic rugby watcher finds unsatisfactory because the laws of the game are not always in accord with the spirit of the contest.
One of the aspects of the laws that many supporters find to be an annoyance is time management. Despite the game having a nominal duration of 80 minutes, the time when there is a contest is significantly less than that period.
Rugby is a vigorous game and its physical demands are substantial so it is essential that that there be breaks in the play when players can recuperate from prior exertions. Whether all stoppages should be part of the game time is a matter of debate.
It is an issue important enough to attract the attention of the game’s governing body – the International Rugby Board. In their report of the 2011 Rugby World Cup the IRB expressed satisfaction that the average time the ball was in play for the 2011 competition was 35 minutes 25 seconds (45%). Is this a satisfactory result? A time analysis of the 2012 Super Rugby competition that I conducted showed the ball was in play for 35 minutes 31 seconds.
At this stage of the 2014 Super Rugby competition the average time in play is 31 minutes 42 seconds (38.9%). This significant reduction in playing time is a worrying signal.
In an excellent article in the Sunday Mail on 15 June Andrew Slack was critical of the downtime – even in rugby games that are enjoyable to watch. He questioned the necessity of the time clock continuing to run when “the ball being fetched from over the sideline, scrums being repacked, and the referee having deep and meaningful conversations with players” or when “the kicker is lining up his conversion”.
Subsequent to his comments I conducted a time analysis of the recent Test matches played under the auspices of the IRB. The average time in play was 33 minutes 33 seconds. This is 40.8% of the average game time of 82 minutes 18 seconds.
So what activities accounted for the rest of the time? The ball is out of play in the following circumstances.
(i) Scrum: – from the time the referee calls a scrum until the ball leaves the hands of the half back feeding the scrum;
(ii) Lineout: – from the time the assistant referee signals that the ball is out until the ball leaves the thrower’s hands to restart the game with a lineout;
(iii) Penalty: – from the time the referee awards the penalty until a player takes an action to restart the game;
(iv) Free kick: – from the time the referee awards the free kick until a player takes an action to restart the game;
(v) Penalty attempt: – from the time the penalty is awarded until the player taking the attempt begins his approach to the ball;
(vi) Conversion attempt: – from the time the penalty is awarded until the player taking the attempt begins his approach to the ball;
(vii) Restart: – from the time the referee signals that the ball is ‘dead’ until the player re-stating the game makes contact with the ball;
The average time per game for each of these categories in the recent tests is shown below in minutes.
In play Scrum Lineout Penalty Free Kick Penalty goal attempt Conversion attempt Re-start
33.55 14.49 11.67 5.14 0.26 6.75 5.82 4.58
40.8% 17.6% 14.2% 6.2% 0.3% 8.2% 7.1% 5.6%
Is it really necessary for the time clock to continue running through all of these downtime aspects of the game?
Surely there is a sensible compromise that will allow us to enjoy more of the meaningful activities that the game has to offer! As Andrew concludes, “The more rugby that can be played and in the allotted 80 minutes the better…” and to achieve this “the clock also must be given a rest.”
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.