RUGBY FOOTBALL

Chronicle (Levin), 9 July 1946, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL

"Ih.ill-Back")

SCRUMMAGE INFRINGEMENTS INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW

(By

Last week changes in the formation 'of the scrummage and the scrummage laws 'were dealt with. Notes and interpretations of them are given. When a scrummage is ordered one team is not entitled to gain ground at the expense of the other before the ball is availa'ole to restart the game. If it does so, the scrummage should be brought back . to the original place. The scrummaere should be as square as possible to the field of play. If an infringement for which the correet decision is a scrummage takes place so near to the goal line that it is impossible for all the players in the scrummage to be in the field of play, che scrummage will nevertheless be j awarded at the place of infringei ment. | fnd same conditions hold good ! when the infringement takes place j so^ ciose to the touch line between i che twenty-five and the goal-line. I Rather a fine point crops up here. I The scrummage will go down at the j piace even if some of the players are I ip touch. The ball must be put in from the field of play, and it might I so happen that the ball will cross | tne touch-line before the fourth ! foot of either front row has played it. The bail is in touch and will ! then be brought into play by means ' of a line-out. The player putting ihe ball into the scrummage can choose the side on which to put it ■ in, out once having chosen it he ' cannoE aluer.his decision. ' Referees must insisc on the scrummage being formed ten yards in from touch when the play is : uetween the twenty-fives and the infringement taken place within ten yards of the touch-line, but the icieree has no power to order a teni yara scrummage within the twenty- : nves. Putting the ball into the scrum- : mage has a definite meaning. The 1 player MUtiT stand not less j aian one yard from tne scrummage ! and propel the ball with both hands ; from below the knee. The bail iviuoT rirst piich on the ground ' beyond the first ioot of the nearest : pictyers ox each iront row. Under a ! new section tne ball still goes into the scrum as before, but there are ■ certain tnings that the front row 1 foxwards must watch. As soon as I tne bail ieaves the half-back's ! nanas the 4th, 5th, or 6th foot of j either front row can be raised i or o,dvunot.d. No other ioot can be raised or advanced untn the baii has been touched ' oy one of these feet. The ball must touch tne ground before uxm 4th, 5tn or 6th foot can play it. ' Tne centre man is entitled to swing ' jUs iar ioot (.the 4th in the front |iuWi ngnu across towards the bail, ; and he can play it or hook it pro- : viaea it has touched the ground. As | ouuii us xic gocs tms any piayer in ' tne front row is permicteci to piay- » the 'ball. If the player putting the mcux iu propeis it too hign it will : proDaoiy striKe one of tne raised : ,ai utid a penaity will ensue ■ uecause ne has not put the ball I iairiy in. (Oi course, tne piayer in I tne scrum imgnt also be at fault by i atteiuptmg to play the ball beiore t x u nas toucned the ground. I Many people tnmK tne oall must ! come out oi the back of the scrum j but tms is- not necessariiy so. it is iugai ior tne uan to come out on the : same siae as tne player who put it : iii. provicied txiat it comes oue | oenina botn feet oi the nearesi iroxit row man. If it comes out ' Sieoweeix txns pxayer s leet tne ban will oe put m agaxxi. On tne iar siae j.i.uui vvixere txie oall was put in 11 cun odxrie out anywhere, excepi uouwetxx tne two front rows. Tms i amounts to the same thing as the Uan zoxng rig'ht tnrougn tne scrum , uxxq Oixe udxi uxusD oe put in agam. ±l une pxayer putting tne baxx m; does so too rapidly, and persists, he ( wm nave a penaxty iucxc awaraect i agaxnst him ior unfair play. Any; jjxayer wno returns t.rxe oan to tne scrummage oy nand or foot after it nao ueexi ixeexed out should be pen- . axxseu xor winuliy returning. Tms appxies to a lorward who is a part JJL uxe scrummage. If any otxier ; pxayer aues it he has wilfully put ( .his forwards off-side. If the bail . 'cuxnes out oi tne scrummage fairly I any player gathers it and runs ! mto the forwards of his own side he ) nas wiliuny put them ott'-side. In , ooth cases a penaity kick will be : awarded to the other team. It is iiiegal for an outside player, in a scruixixnage to move outwards : wnen tne oall nas been obtained by his team and is emerging from the oack oi the scrum thereby pre-, venting an opponent from gettingi rc-und the scrummage. , This: amounts to obstruction, even t if ne , maintains contact with; the scrummage. If a scrum- ; mage, when formed, is partly : on or over the goal line, and the ball j be hooked by the defending team, it ; can be played directly it reaches the | goal-line. If the attackers ground! the ball first a. try shall be awarded. If the def enders ground | the ball after heeling it a scrum- j mage shall go down at the original | place. When a scrummage formed j in the field of play crosses the goal- j fine with the ball still in the scrum- , niage and the attackers ground the \ ball, a try shall be awarded. If the ' defenders ground the ball a touch down shall be awarded.