RUGBY RULES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 28, 23 June 1939, Page 3

RUGBY RULES

into play as in (2). In the event of the conditions of No. 1 not being complied with, the advantage rule does not apply. When a penalty kick is awarded for infringements in throw ing the ball in from touchy the. mark shall be ten yards from the touch line on a line through the place of infringement at right angles to the touch line*. If a player wilfully knock or throw the ball from the field of play into touch, touch-in-goal, or over his own dead ball line, thft opposing team shall be awarded a. penalty kick at the place where the infringement occurred. LAW 29. TOUCHJN-GOAL. The ball is in touch in goal: (;i) When, rot being in possession of i< olnyor, it touches a corner post 0 ,- touches or crosses a touch in goal line, (b) When the ball in a playerpossession, or a player carrying it touches a corner post or touches a touch in goal line or the ground beyond it.

A TOUCH JUDGE'S JOB I . THE LAWS EXPLAINED This week's discussion on Rugby rules centres chiefly on the functions of touch judges and the definitions of touch and touch-in-goal. TOUCH JUDGES. Tliis week I want to deal with the touch judges, or line umpires us they are usually called. A touch judge is under the control of the referee, who has power to deal with him as y. player under law 34b for misconduct. Each touch judge musl carry a flag a.nd remain in touchy one on each siOc of the ground, except when a kick at goal from a try, free kick or penalty kick is being taken, when both must stand close to the goal posts and signal by raising their flag> to indicate that the ball has gone over the bar. The touch judge should stand just behind the post, not five or six yards back, as it is impossible for him to tell if the ball goes inside the post from that distance. The touch judgn raises his flag to indicate that the ball has gone over the inside the posts. This may not mean that ?• goal has been scored. The referee signifies the goal if he is satisfied there has been no infringement. The touch judge must hold up his flag where Lh« ball, or) the player carrying it, has gone into touch, and indicate which team is entitled 4 .0 bring the ball into play. He must, lower his flag immediately the ball has been thrown in by a player of the team entitled to do so, but if the ball is otherwise thrown in, or if the player throwing in the ball puts either foot into the field of play he must keep his flag raised, and the ball shall be thrown in again. He must signal when the ball, or the player carrying it, has gone into touch in goal. Any decision of a touch judge may be over-ruled by the referee. Touch judges should be appointed by the referee and should be men who can, be depended on to do the duties of the office faithfully. Barracking by a touch judge can be dealt with by the referee as misconduct. LAW 27. TOUCH. The ball is in 'touch: When, not jeing in the possession of a player, it touches -»r crosses a touch 'jne. If the ball cross a touch line and is then bknrn it is in touch where ; t first crossed the line. When che )'ill in a player's possession or u layer carrying it touches a touch ine or the ground beyond it. A player may be in 'touch and yet play the ball with his foot if the ball is noi n touch. The ball must be brought ; nto play by an opponent of the. play nv whom it Inst touched in, the field Tf play, unless such player carrying the ball is physically forced into touch by an opponent in which case it shall be brought into play by the pla3 r er so forced out or by one of his team. A player throwing the ball in from touch must have both feet in touch; otherwise the ball shall be thrown in again. The bnll must be brought into play nt the place when it went 'into touch, bv one of the following methods: (1) Throwing it into the field of play r.o as to al*ght not less tVmn five yards and at right angles to the touch lines. (2) Forming a scrum, nnge 'ten yards from the nlace where ; t went into touch, at right angles to trt- touch lin^s. If the ball when thrown in from touch does not alight as in (1), the opposing team shail bring the ball (Continued foot previous column)