RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3635, 7 May 1927, Page 1

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

NEW RULES

The following are the new rulings under which Rugby will be played this season: — KNOCIv-ON. Any knook-on, however slight, must be ruled a knock-on, even if the player catches it again before it touches the ground. TACKLE. So long as there is a moment when the player in possession of the ball is held in such a way"that he cannot pass or play it, that player is tackled. The ball must be put down at once, and any player wishing to play it must play it with the foot first before it can be handled. The penalty for not doing so in both cases is a free kick. SCRUMMAGE. The ball must now be hooked. If it is tapped out at Uni side of the scrum where it was put in or kicked straight out the other side, the player doing so must be penalised. The ball is not in the scrummage if it -goes right through. Before it can be hooked it must be. past both feet of a front-ranker of both teams, be on the ground, and be midway between both sets of hookers. The teferee lias the power to order the ball to be put in from whatever side he chooses. No player must, after the scrummage has been formed, wilfully add himself to the front rank so as to form more than three in that row until the ball has been put in. No player must, by speech or otherwise, indicate as to how or when the ball is being put in. TIME. In International matches spells are to be of forty minutes’ duration. Unions are not empowered to appoint timekeepers. Time or halftime may now be called: (a) When the ball goes into touch or touch-in-goal; (b) after a tackle; (e) after a touch-down, or after a kick at goal after a try; (d) after .the mhistle liffc been bloinn for an infringement of the rules. The referee lias power to stop the game before time has expired if, in his opinion, the full time cannot be played. REFEREE. A referee has power to allow extra time for delays. He /lias power to appoint a substitute, if lie cannot officiate for the whole period of the game, provided the captains of the two teams cannot agree. He is not entitled to contract out of the rules of the game. Players desiring to leave the field at half-time must get the permission of the referee. TOUCH JUDGES. Touch judges must signal with their flags when a goal is kicked. The referee, however, has the power to over-rule any of their decisions. PLAYERS ON THE GROUND. A player who is lying on the ground with the ball in his possession must be penalised unless he gets up at once or rolls away from the ball. Otherwise he may, while lying on the ground, pass or kick the ball. A player who has been tackled and is lying on the iround may play the ball with his foot. ADVANTAGE RULE. The advantage rule does not apply : (a) At a kick-off or drop out; (b) when the ball is not thrown in straight at a line-out; (c) when free kicks or penalty kicks are being taken, and the rules arc broken. KICKING AT GOAL. When a player is kicking at a goal from a mark or try he must not handle the ball when it is on the ground, nor must he touch it again after it has been placed on the ground. If he does, the kick is forfeited. In the case of penalty kicks, “passive” is now defined as standing with his hands by his side and not attempting to put the kicker off his kick. TOUCH LINE FLAGS. The touch line llags are no longer considered part of the post, and player is not put into touch by touching the flag only.