RUGBY FOOTBALL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 522, 4 May 1933, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL

CHANGES IN LAWS INTERESTING AMENDMENTS ,'SINCE LAST j SEASON TOUCH-IN-GOAL LAWS Certain alterations have been made 'in the laws of Rugby football since ■last seasoii. They are as follows: — ! 1. The laws affecting "toueh" and ' "touch-infgoal" have been altered td ■ diff erentiate between the ball cross/ing the touch-line in its flight and in |a player*s possession. The law noxy ',states that if a player has the ball fin his pqssession it is not "in touch" ■ unless he or the ball touches the line/^ the ground beyond them, or the corr ner posts. If, however, when not ixjx a player's possession it crosses thfe touch-line, it is immediately 'ii!x touch." ' 2. Law 10 — Referee: The referefe •must not allow any player to leavp the playing enclosure without . his permigsion. This law previously men- • tioned "half-time" only. . Law 17 [(c) — Off-side- This law states that a player who stanils in front of a line at right angles fo the touch-line when the balHs throy/n in from touch is "off-side." A ncite has now been added. "This law meijely applies to players participating :in 'the line-out. It is not xntended that a player before throwing in the ball •from touch should be obliged to wait ; until the players of his own team have returned to or behind the lineout.' ' 4. Law 17 (d) — Off-side in 0\vn dn-Goal: The penalty for this is now - a scrummage five yards from the :goal-line opposite the original mark. 5. Law 23 — Free Kick After a "Fair Catch" : The law last year stat- ' . ed that the ball must reach a lme J drawn through the mark parallei 'to the goal-lines. This has now teen amended by the addition of "-u:nless first played by an opponent."- j 6. Law 24 (a) — Penalty Kick: This law has been amended ifi the ,same way as that referxung to the free-kiclc- In this case the effdct is that all players of the opposing team 'must renxain passive on or behind a line drawn through the mark parallei to the goal-line until the kick has been taken. Even then players standing at or near the mark must ■ not interfere with the balli in its -flight, bxxt other players, ouce the ball has been kicked, may charge and attempt to stop the- ball in its flight. 7. Sanxe Law: If the i.nfringement is in in-goal, a goal anay be . scored whether the ball reached the line through the mark parallei to the goal lines or lxot. ; 8. Laws 23 and 25: These laws have been amended to rnafce it clear that when a place-kiclc is being taken neither the placer nor the k/cker must do anything which may lead his opponent to charge before the ball is placed on the ground. j 9. Law 3'2 — Taking hall over own goal-line: This law has been amended by the addition of the -Word "wilfully." This means that only if a player wilfully kick, pass kixocks or earry the ball back into his own ingoal, and it there be made dead, except in the case where a try is scored, a scrummage will be awarded to ■ the attacking side. Heeling back over own goal-line is considered to be intentional. If as a result of a fumble tbe ball goes back into a player's own in-goal, and is there made dead, the referee shall only award the scrummage if ip his opinion the fumble was intentional. At the beginning of the new season players are reminded: — (a) Off-side players within 10 yards of an opponent waiting for the :ball must at once get out ofithe 10 yards circle if they are to be put on/side. (b) Tackled players must at once put the hall down. (c) A player lying on the ground with the ball in his possession must immediately get up> or roll away from the ball. (d) Players must not hang on to anopponent or his clothes unless he is in possession of the ball. (e) The ball must be played with the foot after a tackled player has put it down-