FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1923, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

“CHARGING.” I.ECAL AM) II.BEGAB. (By E. S. Hylton in X.Z. •‘Times.’’) The word “charging.” as used in the Rugby sense. means illegally running into till opponent who is not in possession of the hall: or, when kicks are being taken by an opponent, prematurely advancing beyond a fixed limit determined by the place at which a fair catch has been taken, or place of infrinjgement when a breach ol the laws of the game has taken place, or beyond the goal line alter a try has been scored. Breaches of tit.- lirst-meutioncd kind are the more serious, and should he viewed by till referees in a serious light. The victims of such charges are as a rule taken quite unawares, and often suffer injury, even to the extent of being put out of action tor the remainder of the game. One m the commonest forms of this offence is the charging into tin opponent after he has lucked the hall, raid in my opinion, the duty of the referee in such circumstances i•• to ask himself the question, ■‘Could I have avoided running into kicker had I been the player charging down?” And if the answer is in i.O affirmative the game shot'!'.! be stopped, a wattling administered to the c.tfoudiiig | layer, and penalty kak : Waided against his team. THE It l it- KB lIEH Id TV. ( barging into an o; ponent in a hueout is another breach w hich olten lends to rom li play. S.; caking .generally, those taking part in our national snot are prepared to ‘‘play the game, aim to receive hard knocks in the course of legitimate play, hut illegal tactics and foul play such as I have described will try the temper of the best players. and for this reason alone refereos should deal promptly and effectively witii till eases that (time under the.r notice. Tinning, down to the second hind of charging which I have mentioned above it appears to me to be advisable to quote the law in full, which is as Idlows : - -

‘'ln eases of players wailing to charge when a kick alter a try or law catch is about to he taken, they must remain behind the goal line or behind the mark with both fed. and and standing over tin* goal line ol' over the mark with cue foot, shall he considered to have charg'd, and the referee shall blow bis vhi'tlc and awa-nl lm-diarge. The ref. It : shall also be particular that anv phi vers waiting behind a mark do | not gi'ndmdlv eeme up beyond. the! mark, which mi shall a I so he considered I as a charge. When a player is plac- j mg the ball, he shall not wilfully do j anything v.hich may lead his option- j cuts to think he has put the ball down j when he Its- um ; if he decs, the charge j shall cot be disallowcb Where a : charge ha- I en disallowed, or is illegal. player., opposing the kicker may. I provided they remain beniad. tee o'a;k, j pimp up and. attempt to siepi or touch j the ball; if they do so touch it. no j goal can be ..cored.” Til!'; .MAIN POINTS. Tl'c ! •-going ipmtal mil. from the j Hugh;.- Handbook. i- eb-ar. and re- j quires practically no explanation, 'lb | main features, however, my. be sent- J mari-ed as follow.,: |. When a, try has been scored the m j fending | levels must remain h. him! j me gaal line till the ball ! as I ■ ■ u pb c- j ed on the ground Inc t 'v to: j o-e of being kicked. j •>. When a let-shy kick has >'■ cu j awarded the i.ii'-n ling side t-uisi. until I the bail ha, a-t ually H • t hie e.l, re- j lit;; 'O behind It I'll*- i'lll'.ll.llg j a 1 llilel j with tiic gin! lines ami passing through the s* ::t at which the loeach oeetirre;!. 3. When a fair catch or math, as it is generally failed, has b: en made. the stile ot.pl -lug the eatrher mu-.l remain Ijeltim! the snot at whi'-'o tie mail: was a riled until t he bo' i- placed on I glottn ! 1 1 •. 1 I e pur] e .■ of .'. I laci - 1 i a., or ami! • :>• I: i im • as the kicker i ..iiimem e to run m < liers to kirk it Im intend'- eith‘l' to drop-kick or to j tint the ball. In . d'llii a, to ii.o I'n "going iti't in c--t here ... e 1 wn oliter imj.ie-t.nit I.irks ulii.-h may not t. ■ 1. \ / . tkej kick-.if from litJf-wa.v cii:! the drop- j tint irmii the twenty !ice-yar.l area, in tie i-a-e of a kick-t.-lf the side waiting to teeeire the bail may Hot appro.ii !i within let; yard, o, I be ha ll'wti.i ln:e. nor beyond the t u eiitv-live \ an I bnc in 1 hr i -cola drop'- out. 11 j may I" added, howcrei'. that m iliese j two cb -e ~ ;t i id it I so in tile cases of drop- j kicks, punts, or cliwi pkne kick-, te-j sulii: g friiiii jirnaii ics. a player, so long t as Im docs not : .U ..n e tovvai'tls the j Ij-tll. may jump IV m I he ground as i soon its the hall hat la en kiel-.ed lor the j puipe •• uf slopjdug it in il» lligitl. i t if t he l wo kind of nh"rg : og v, hi -it ale i he - object nl'tho- pa; or. I hat IT- j latiug t'i the ehrtging of lon.', from , mar s: mill I l ies seems to be going out of favour, pre-uniaiily for the simple felt -Oil that it li .e, n -i pay to torn j a eliargcab!.' hick into e free penalty I kie!;. Prom tin own cai-erv.itioiis. ami ; from the up oris on vrrmu, malt hi". j it it; [.ea: s t !c t the dike, r eta! f r mere | serious kind i f clmrgmg has util yet J been eoliiely eliminate.l. I am ter- j tain, hnwc'.cr. J hal the |i!silibii in re-[ | gat'd to illegal interference ini' improved | and 1 firmly believe lliiil. on the whole, fi questionable taelies ol all l-inds are | now far le-- prominent than they we c | lot nterly. j 1 I.KHAI. CHARGED. I Having dealt wit't the eases where \ charging is illegal. 1 may now refer to f. the mo, in which charging is author- | isctl. alt'tough to do so necessarily in- f

volvcs some slight repetition. The cases are as follows: 1. Whenever a place-kick is being taken, after n try or a mark, the players on Hie side opposite to that which is taking the kick may charge as soon as the ball lias been put on the ground by the player for the purpose of being kicked. 2. Whenever a drop-kick or punt is being taken after a mark has been awarded, the side against which the marl-:, has been given may charge as socn as the kteker commences to run, or offers to kick. The kicker, however, has the right to draw back, and unless he hits actually dropped the ball the opposite side must retire to the line of the mark. ;h (-'barging is quite leg.".! on any occasion when, after a try. or a mark has been awarded, the player plating the ball u ill idly does anything which may lead bis opponents to assume that he has placed the ball, when actually tie lias net done so. It may be added that kicks resulting Iroui marks taken in goal by the defending side may be charged as outlined in paragraph (2) above, KICK IHI CANNOT .11F. CHARGED. It is ] crimps also won by of note iitat '■ lieu a charge has h sm disallowed the kii-ker cannot t a charged. although both the place of the kick and the placer may be. lit coio-ht-'i a, j dc-iiv to urge upon 'I .eferees l lie m ; - ity li r seeing that i team- ': inim; under their jurisdic- !:• li." e fully impre-.-ed v-iili tie need at all times for “playing the game”. m:d when thi-, i- realised thine should !■.' very lev. iu-Tanies of those itiu'c- - • r:i’T ■ t 'olios is; whieli particular reboot:::' in: tie at the beginning of thi: poer.