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Rugby League tragic. Long time referee.
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A simple solution is at hand – ditch the video ref (other than for uncertainty AT trys – not for resolution of a possible knock on 90 metres down the field), return to the single referee model (it still works in International games), Penalize illegal play according to the real rules of Rugby League and ensure the commentators don’t throw doubt into the equation through the use of the word ‘contentious’. Somehow, in other sports, the players tend to make the mistakes – it is only Rugby League where we have come to believe it is the referee’s fault that a player knocked the ball on… If we keep up this nonsense, we will head in the same way as European soccer where the referee can risk injury or even his life because of a call that some hooligan believes was wrong. It’s already gone close this year when the Officials were pelted with water bottles for actually making a 100% correct decision…
Play the ball with the foot? That's so 2008
And so the cycle continues. Unless we can get the referees adjudicating by the current rules (I.e. none of this take it back to the mark BS and Penalize them for moving off the mark), how could rewriting the rule book make any sort of difference to the outcome? We have a perfectly workable set of rules and interpretations! Simply apply the appropriate penalties where they are required and watch how fast the players and coaches come into line… We could then get back to the game many of us love – Rugby League…
Play the ball with the foot? That's so 2008
Keep dreaming Dan. I started in 1981 in the little brother Rugby League state to the north and thank goodness in those days, there was only one rule book and it didn’t matter whether it was Under 7’s or ‘A’ Grade, the same rules applied across the board. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate and applaud the fact that our younger players are now protected by the Safe Play Code, but once they progress into the older grades, everyone should be playing by one set of rules and interpretations. As we know though, Australia is the leader in the sport, the NRL is the top competition and as such should lead the way in demonstrating how the game should be played. The 3 new rules introduced last year (by the NRL and incorporated into the International Laws) are perfect examples of how rules which are good for the game can come out of the NRL.
In reality, we all play by the International Laws, but it is the interpretation which varies. OK, the play the ball with the foot is the classic example where we, at the lower level, try as best we can to get the players to follow the rule book, but give them a little leeway. All we can do is keep trying to get the message across to the players and spectators that the NRL interpretations are far broader than those we apply. Maybe, just maybe, one day our efforts will be rewarded by having players come through that actually play the ball with the foot (keep dreamin’ Al)
Play the ball with the foot? That's so 2008
Remember, NRL is entertainment broadly based on Rugby League – Channel 9 needs to get to the news… Also, if there were Time outs for every stoppage of play and it may as well be Gridiron… A couple of the rule changes introduced last year were added to speed up the game:
– 40/20 Tap restart – faster than a scrum
– Zero tackle from the 20M optional restart – reduces desire to kick the ball dead and, as such keeps it in play
– Ball kicked out on the full in general play – Handover is quicker than a scrum.
Unfortunately, the coaches answer to slow it back down again is to keep the ball in play from a kick and force the receivers to knock it dead or be tackled in goal. Part of the game is what the Coaches can come up with to circumvent the rules and achieve the best results for the team.
P.S. the referees have every right to call time off if they ever consider the players are not making the appropriate effort to get the ball back into play…
Play the ball with the foot? That's so 2008
Probably more to the point is that NRL is purely ‘entertainment’ broadly based on the rules of Rugby League. Certainly, the NRL have ‘watered down’ the rules and now allow what used to be something that was penalized, go unpunished. This has been done to speed up the game (penalties slow it down) and make it more entertaining. The referees call for the player to immediately release the tackled player, but still we see the tacklers slowly getting off/ turtleing, etc with no action ensuing. Unfortunately, the NRL referees are too afraid to make a strong decision on a minor indiscretion as they will be penalized by the media, their Coaches and the spectators. Let’s make 2016 the year of going back to the game of Rugby League as it is meant to be!
Play the ball with the foot? That's so 2008
May I firstly compliment you on a well written piece by a learned colleague. We haven’t met, but both have been/ still are one of those men in the middle. As a Coaching Match Official (CMO) I am someone tasked with the development of future Match Officials and I find that the NRL and their ‘unique’ rulings are the bane of our existence. Every weekend our future referees, players and spectators are watching the NRL and consider the rulings that are made in those games are gospel where we are trying to officiate according to the International rules of the game. This means the ball is played with the foot! We do allow some leniency here and provided the player makes an honest attempt to play it with the foot, it is acceptable. In order to determine an attempt, there are a couple of key indicators being, there is a backward motion with the foot and the toe is pointing downward – indicators rarely seen in the NRL.
How are we to coach our future Match Officials when the players and spectators are basing their knowledge on the wrong way of doing things? Perhaps the best ever comment I have heard about bringing the game back into line came from my son – “Write the first 4 weeks of competition off and the referees blow the pea out of the whistle for every little misdemeanor – the players and Coaches will soon learn how to play the game according to the ‘real’ laws of the game”. He’s right, but unfortunately, no referee has the cahoonies to cop the flack from their Coaches or the wear backlash from the viewing public. We can only hope…
Play the ball with the foot? That's so 2008
Sorry, update to point 1 previously – here is the NRL interpretation of how a try is scored:
1. Grounding the Ball includes:
a. Placing the ball on the ground with hand or hands, wrist or forearm
b. Exerting a downward pressure on the ball in contact with the ground
c. Dropping on the ball and covering it with the front part of the body above the waist and below the neck.
A player who has had possession or touches/touched the ball and knocks the ball forward must regain possession (catch, hold or grip) prior to the ball hitting the ground, another player, goal post or cross bar.
For the ball to be deemed grounded, pressure must be applied by the player’s fingers, hand, wrist, forearm or torso so as to create a reasonable influence on the plane of the ball including the spin, rotation, momentum or bounce.
This still raises the question, was the ball ‘grounded’ as per these guidelines???
Want to check out the rule book? Here is a link: http://www.playnrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ARL-Rules-book-2015.pdf
Five questions from NRL Round 6: on actual footy!
Let’s Look at Law (yes, the principles behind the decisions):
1. Believe it or not, there is no actual law that describes what constitutes a try, but as we should all know, a try can only be scored from a ‘controlled’ act of ‘placing’ the ball on or over the try line.
2. Section 6 Scoring – Tries and Goals states “Referee Unsighted – The Referee should not disallow a try because he was not in a position to see the grounding of the ball”. Basically this may be otherwise interpreted as the try scorer receives the benefit of the doubt.
So, in review of these, the questions are, did he place the ball in a controlled manner. If this were to happen in the field of play it would have been considered a knock on – I’ll leave it to you to ponder that one.
The unsighted referee aspect actually opens up a far wider reaching can of worms. According to the rule book, If the referee was unsighted (which, in reality, should be the only option for ever going to the Video ref), he should never be allowed to give a “I have a no try” call. Think about that one too…
Five questions from NRL Round 6: on actual footy!
As a QUEENSLANDER! it is interesting to see this all being discussed down there. Firstly, allow me to say that I agree wholeheartedly that there are too many teams based in Sydney for it to be honestly recognized as a national competition and the same can easily be said for AFL and Melbourne. Sure, it is a tough call and it’s sure to end up in another uproar as the clubs are ‘let go’, but the same needs to happen as it did in Qld – relegate all top Division Sydney Clubs to a second tier competition where the players are developed through. It would be a hard road for the clubs as spectators will often be few and far between, but if they are up to it, they will survive as they have in Queensland.
I see it as similar to the NRL putting up a license for bidding by the best offer – no, not cash, but the best facilities and potential crowd numbers, chance of survival, etc. This is what the Broncos and the next wave of incoming clubs had/ will have to do. It definitely worked for the Broncos as history shows where they were the first club really to take the players from amateur sportsmen to full time employees for the club – the other Clubs just had to follow suit (and some have suffered for it). Ultimately, those changes have brought the game into the 21st Century – now it is time to take the next step and have 4 top sides in Sydney with the second tier competition being the current Sydney Clubs… Welcome to the concept of Relegation…
How to fairly reduce the number of Sydney sides