LAWS OF RUGBY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 February 1910, Page 7

LAWS OF RUGBY.

BECENT INTERNATIONAL • ; . v iCONFERENCE. ' SMALL CHANGES ONLY. . According to the ' latest Sydney '.conference• between represisntatiyes if, the; Now Sotith Wales,\ New Zealand,, and -Queensland Eujby Unidhs, for. the purpoSd of-iohsidering th 6. Question of amending the Uroij.-.of Rugby ■Union' fdotball, was. a hippy. pffair/'and ,-th6 risult ii Considered to bo satisfactory. • *A few - ohaiiges are; likely to corfto.. into forco as-a''result of tha. conference, but VJohe/ofCthese %'ill\interfere .with . the, fundamental laws'of the gAmo.- A feeling' is growing that the-English- authorities will; sooner or later' adopt one 6r two iiiiinor change'v'and :if,'so',-'these may bo found . similar, to; thbfe. the • conference favours.' • The' only" two laws that really need' changing are those relating to' out-of-toiich play, and', to■.playing',the ball. ,when; on .the,- ground. after.... a , tackle.. Neither the'.letter',nor .the'spirit of the litter rule,, as it'now st?'ids, is' carried : referees''iii 'Australia. ..Were it !othenW«e, a change would ,not'bVneces : sary! '' If referees were .compelled by .'the law to on" no account Ardor-'a' 6crummaiS'e on;;-whistling 1 when:-.the, ball, and tfiA pl&yer'are on the groiind,after thS.'tackli, tho players would Quipkly. lehri to' play to thb law; . The ' awarding "of 'a "free-kick, and nothing else,w6iild bb. salutary. in this ■ direction.;* ,T,he'breaoh ■ of r this law is the worst blot oh Biigby; and next to it is . the, burlesqued .throw-out, which' a provision of .five yards would eliminate. ..These two changes ; alo6e would 'improve Rugby from..the'scientific, point 6f view, withoutinterfering . : with. ...'ft-,' *fundamentally...'Another phahgd tending to elimihate rough play and danger . would be to provide that lio . tackle: 'Shall :be made-higher' than the shoulder, that is, that it would: be illegal to gTab'an oppo'nelit by the ;throat/or head' with the hands.';. This latter, provision is in thi- - laws of' American football, and i t has always seeined :to nie to be a wise one. It' partially , accounts' for "the soundness Lif .American ..tackliiig. . However, such a l-'ehauge: miifct Corhe, 1 if ev6ri".from' the Internatioiial Board. ■