Case Law Decisions

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 July 1911, Page 4

Case Law Decisions

AND RUGBY FOOTBALL PROBLEMS. Tho lion, secretary of the Horowhenua Referees' Association ('Mr W. It. Burge) has received the following case-law report from the New Zealand Referees' Association:

The following decisions given, by the executive are circulated in accordance with section (d) of by-law

Question : The- whistle being Mown for a knock-on, a player picked the ball up and kicked it into touch. Tho referee considered the player's intention was to waste tinu , , and penalised him by a free kick. Was tiliie decision a correct one?

Reply: The ruling given by the referee was correct. Question : Can the ball be put into a scrummage- by rolling it right through? Reply: If a ball rolls through a scrummage so that neither side- has played it, it cannot he considered as scrummaged, and it must be put in again, but if it is wilfully "rolled through at- such a pace that neither sid : o has a reasonable opportunity of playing it, the player offeJidhiig should be penalised For putting the ball unfairly into a. scrummage. Question : Place kick at goa.l: The kicker places the hall on the ground to show how he wants it to be placed, can the placer pick tlik? ball up or does the kicker have t'o place the hall in Mio placer's hands? Reply: It is illegal for the kicker to place the ball on the gmtuul. or to touch it when it is on tiro ground even after a charge has been disallowed, and if lie does so klie kick is forfeited. Question: The note under "tackle" on page 1-1 of the handbook appears to he contradictory to the previous reading of this rule. Are referees in t'he dominirn ruling according to that definition and what authority have the New Zealand R.; , - feiH?os' Association for altering tfio previous reading in the 1 DID "handbook ? Reply: Tin's note is not contradictory as stated, the old note bcang still in force as far as it can apply. Owing to the alteration in the definition of "tackle" which arrived wilven the 1910 handbook was in the press, there was not sufficient time to revise the case law. and the bookwas accordingly issued with "only the law altered. As will be noticed there is a considerable difference in the wording of the definition and it has now been considered necessary to substitute for the old note (which was ■introduced to interpret the old definition) a new note so as to enable referees and players t'o grasp the moaning olearly, and to bring , it >"nt<> line inMi ihe new definition which rc.'ads: that the .holding of the hah .must i,e so held by one or more players of opposite side so that he cannot p.iss it. So that if the player is aible to pass the ball wlipii be is grasped by an opponent he cannot be considered as tackled within tho meaning of the definition, and therefore if lie comes to the. ground when thus grasped, he is in exactly the same position regarding tin's law. as the player who accidentally stumbles or falls, and there is nothing; to prevent the player doing any of 'the things mentioned in the note in question, provided that it is done immediately. As it is manifestly .almost impossible for the playea- who is tackled under the new definition to do anything with the ball except perhaps to drop it. it was considered sufficient to insert the second note under "tackle" in place of the former first note.