RULES OF PLAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3816, 10 July 1928, Page 4

RULES OF PLAY.

SPRINGBOK INTERPRETATION AT CONFERENCE. ALL BLACKS AGREE. .Almost immediately after the arrival of the All Blacks in Capetown a conference was held to consider interpretations of the laws of the game. The New Zealand team was represented by Mr. W. Hornig (manager), M. Brownlie (captain), and M. F. Nicliolls (vice-captain), the South African Rugby Board by Mr A. .J. Pienaar, and the South African Referees’ Society by delegates from various provinces, wiLh Mr J. D. de Villiers (president) in the chair. In announcing the result of the conference, tlie South African Referees’ Society made the following si ateiiK-nt:

The agreement, signed by the three New Zealand representatives and by the president and two South African delegates, was as follows: Scrum. —(I) In a scrum a player may hook with either foot provided the* hall lias passed both feet of a man on ellii r side, and the other requisites with regard Lo “fairly in the scrummage” are fully complied with. (2) The front line, of tile forwards is the line formed fiy the ordinary normal stance of players in the front rank. (3) A player in a scrum may lift his foot from the ground before the ball is fairly in the scrum provided lie does not advance such foot beyond the front line of bis forwards. (4) Packing should take place alternately, man for man, and two or more players are not allowed to pack with their heads together. ROVER A “SCRUM HALF.”

For a breach of this rule the referee shall order another scrum. (5) If a player is putting the ball into a scrum, lie shall be given a reasonable opportunity to get. on-side. The player who puts in the ball is considered a serum-half. (6) The ball shall not lie put into the scrum until the scrum is square and stationary at the spot where the scrum was ordered. (7) When a scrum is ordered players shall go down without undue delay; reasonable time, however, being allowed for nnv player who is making a legitimate effort to get up. Tackle. —(8) It is accepted that, in the ordinary course of events, when a player fields or catches the ball and opponents are charging him, lie may turn his back on them and fall down with the ball between himself and his own in goal. This is allowed, provided when lie is “tackled” lie immediately rolls away from the ball or gets up. If he is prevented from doing so by opponents a penalty kick shall be awarded against the opposing side. In all other cases such a player shall immediately put down the ball between himself and his opponents' goal-line. Forward-pass.—(9) When players are on tire move and a confrere in front of the passer takes the ball from a forward pass, it is ruled as a forwardpass and not as off-side against the recipient, provided the ball is not handed'■forward, in which event a penalty kick is awarded for off-side against the recipient. Off-side. —(10) A player who is standing off-side is penalised for off-side immediately lie receives or attempts to play the ball. Line-out. —(11) In the line-out, a pl.fyer is off-side when he stands between bis opponents’ forwards and bis opponents’ backs. The penalty shall be inflicted the moment the ball passes the five yards’ limit. There is nothing to prevent players of both sides standing in single file; (12) A player may run into a lineout to receive the ball, provided be runs into a gap and provided he does not come in contact with opponents standing in the line-out. If two players from opposite sides running for the same gap come in contact with each other, it shall not be considered as an offence. Fair-catcli. —(13) A player making a fair-catch need not claim it orally, but ho must immediately claim it by mak-

ing a mark with his heel at the spot where lie made the catch. _ Duration of Matches. —(14). It is agreed that the duration of all matches played during tire tour shall be 40 minutes each way, with the exception of Ihe first match, which will be 35 minutes each way.