FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 26 March 1926, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

THE RULES OF RUGBY. The following alterations to laws of the game will be discussed at the annual meeting of the jNT.Z.R.F.A.:— In September last the English Rugby Union notified that they had agreed to certain alterations in the laws of the game, and a copy of these has been forwarded to the various Rugby Unions in the Dominion. The Executive has,-made application to the New Zealand Rugby Union for printed copies of these alterations, and when they are received they will be forwarded to affiliated Associations in sufficient quantity for every member to receive a copy.

These • alterations will be placed on the table at the conference, and discussion on them will be part of the business. The most noticeable alteration refers to th'e scrummage, as: "Being in a scrummage, lift a foot from the ground before the ball has been put into such scrummage," has been deleted, as well as "Follows the ball into the scrummage with either foot." Law 11, section (in) still remains, however:—"lf, before the ball is fairly in the scrummage, he moves cither of his feet bevond the front line of his forwards." The three rulings together mean that the front-ranker is not penalised for lifting his foot, nor for following it in after it has been put in, but the penalty should be given if he advances his foot beyond the front Hue of his forwards before it is put in.

In a penalty kick the placer' can place the ball for himself. Law 8 (section b) has been altered to read: "When the ball has been kicked bv, or has been intentionally touched bv, an opponent." The addition of the word "intentionally" should simplify the interpretation of this rule. The "five-yards throw-in" has been made general, but with the proviso that "A penalty kick should not be awarded if the ball docs not alight at least five vards at, right angles to the touchlino.'unless persistently thrown less than that distance." 7