FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1930, Page 6

FOOTBALL

EXCELSIOR TEAMS FOR SATURDAY.

Seniors v. Brunner at Brunner: Barron, Eager, Bannister, Freitas, Dougherty, Hughes, Kelly, A. King, Koch, J. King, Staines, iuartyn, Ron King, Stevenson. A bus will leave Newjnan’s Garage at I o’clock. Any supporters intending making the journey please notify the secretaries early.

Juniors v. Arahura at Arahura: Preston, Evans, Ferguson, Palmer, Wright, Giliooly, Cowie, Preston, Hayward, Peillon, Hughes, Dale, Schroder, •It. Thompson, Buchanan. Emerg: Forwards: Cooper and Groulsky; back Sumner. c

WEST COAST RUGBY UNION.

The Union met at Greymouth last evening.

The Wtfndefferff’i Club asked for a match, and it was decided to offer a game at Greymouth or Hokitika on June 4th. FIXTURES.

Fixtures for the first round of the senior competition are:—•’ MAY 3rd.

Blaketown v. Kiwis at Hokitika; Stars v. Cobden; Rivals v. United at Hokitika; Excelsiors v. Brunner at Brunner.

MAY 10th

Blaketown v. Rivals at Grey; Cobden v. Kiwis; Brunner v. United; Stars v. Excelsiors. MAY 17th.

Blaketown v. Stars; Brunner v. Kiwis; United v. Excelsiors; Cobden v. Rivals.

MAY 24th

Blaketown v. Cobden; Brunner v. Rivals; Kiwis v. Excelsiors; United v. Stars.

MAY 31st

Blaketown v. United; Excelsiors v. Rivals; Kiwis v. Stars; Brunner v. Cobden.

WHAT IS A MARK?

WELLINGTON, April'Bo.

Two affbcjting the rules of Rugby were decided by the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union to-night. The first was a ruling as to what actually constitutes a “fair catch” under the present rule, whereby a player claiming a “fair catch” must immediately make a heel mark; and,, the second dealt with the action to Ibe taken when a ball is put in the scrum and gpes right through.

The decisions finally arrived at were':— ■

(1) A fair catcli can only be allowed when the player claiming.. ... it has both feet on the ground and claims the catcli by making a heel mark.

(2; A penalty should be awarded only when, in the referee’s opinion, the player putting the ball in tht scrummage intentionally does so in a -uch manner that it cannot be hooked. In all other cases of the ball passing right through, a fresh scrummage should be ordered. Mr A. C. Kitto asked if a player who jumped m tbe air, caught the ball, anil made a heel mark could l>e awarded a “fair catch.” Mr S. S. Dean:—“lt’s not a mark.”

Mr Kitto:—“What if an All Black who toured in 1924 says a mark can be awarded.”

Mr Dean: —“Well, I would like to know where it was allowed.” The 1924 team, he added, found it practically impossible to get marks. The question had been under discussion at the Imperial Conference, where a mark had been looked upon as purely a defensive measure, and it had been maintained that it should be awarded only in a player’s own. territory. Mr Kitto maintained that if a player landed oil the ground ’and made-, .a heelmark his claim shoul be allowed. He asked Mr 11. E. Neil son (Hon., Secretary) what his experience had been during the Springboks visit in 1929. " '

, Mr Neilson:—“My experience was that a mark was allowed only when the heelmark was made practically simultaneously with the catching of the ball.” If a player was knocked over before lie made his heelmark. it was pointed out, his claim could not be allowed.