FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8082, 11 April 1906, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

Wallace tells "Touchliuc," of the Wellington " Lance " that in thejlinc* out at Home the opposing plaj'ers stand fully 2yds from one another in two straight lines, and the ball is thrown between them. What a tremendous lot of bustling and " dirty " play would be saved if a similar formation took place in local football. Why, it would tend to make the game a pleasure to many who have often thought of| turning it up because of the unfair tactics of their opponents on the line-out. Another alteration is that of allowing any player on the side to take the kick after a mark has beon allowed How many times and often has a mark in a good position been sacrificed because the place-kicker ol' the side is the marker. This will be altered un.der the new rule, as, although the place-kicker may have marked the ball, he can hand it to another of his side to place for him.

During last season the Wanganui Rugby Union took (ho sum of £3'J7 odd at the gates in connection with the matches played in Wanganui. An extract from the renort reads" The results of the i>ast two seasons' play of our senior representative teams has now surely placed Wanganui footliall in the front rank in New Zealand. The brilliancy of our wins against Auckland and Taranaki roused great enthusiasm."

James Duncan has been elected to a seat on the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Union for the present year. Mr A. C. Hanlon, the well-known law yer, is the new president of the Rugby Union of (lie Sunny South, The following are the more iiuportan of the latest alterations in the Rules of the Game, and they should be of interest at this stage:—

" Held " is when the player carrying the ball cannot pass it. .A scrummage, which can only take place in the lield of play, is formed by one or more players from each side closing round the ball when it is on the ground, or by their closing up in readiness to allow the hall to be put on the ground between them. A is obtained by kicking the ball from the field of play, by any place-kick except a kick-off, or by any drop-kick except a drop-out, without touching the ground or any player of either side, over the opponents' crossbar, whether it should touch such crossbar or either goal-pot or not. Touch-judges are instructed to stand each at a gool-post when kicks at goals from a try, a fair catch, or a free.kick are being taken. The points for a try and a goal from a try remain the same—3 and 5 respectively ; a dropped goal (except from'a 'mark or a penalty kick), 4 points ; goal from a mark or a penalty kick, 3 points.

lu the fair catch rule (No, U) the following addition is made" Any player on the same side may take the kick or place the ball' A penalty kick is to be given against a player who " wilfully returns the ball by hand or foot into the scrummage."

The old rule of bringing the ball out of touch by a scrummage 5 to 15 yards has been altered to " scrummaging it at a spot at right angles to the touchline, 10 yards from the place where it went into touch."

Bounding the ball out of touch has been abolished.