FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10032, 30 April 1910, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

(By "Half Back.")

The fixtures for the coming season in connection with the . Wairarapa Rugby Union will be drawn at Carterton this evening.

The Sydney Kugby Union received a cable on Thursday iast, stating that the presontel of the American Uni versity team to visit Australia was as follows:—Backs: D. Wigeins, California University; Brown, Stanford University; Threequarters,

Harris, Watts, Morris and Evans, California University; Sanborn and Koth, Stanford University; Halves: Elliot, Allen and Peat, California University; Mitchell, Stanford University; Forwards: Phleger, Hardy, Swart Northcroft, Markwart and Bennett, California University; Dole, Cheda, Crawford, florton, and Ebb, Stanford University, Leavitt, Nevada University. The team is said to excel in tackling operations. A match between the Red Star senior and junior teams will take place this afternoon.

In the junior eup competition at Nelson last Saturday, the Nelson College team defeated the Rivals by 85 points to nil. This score is said to be a record for the Nelson Province.

Fifty three teama have entered for the competitions run by the Canterbury Rugby Union at Christchurch. The National Dairy bhow Corn-

itttee are circularising the colleges and high schools in the Dominion, stating that if sufficient support is forthcoming, an annual football tournament will he initiated at the Winter Show at Palmerston, for colleges and high schools. At the present the annual contests between the Wanganui and Te Aute colleges are played at Palmerston during the Winter Show^week.

The match between Newcastle United and Barnsley (English Association Clubs) for the Association Cup final was played last Saturday, and resulted in a draw, each team scoring: a goal. The game was watched by seventy thousand people.

It is stated that the much-abused wing forward had a lot to do with England winning the Rugby championship of the British Isles during the season just closed.

Positive retirements from the Rugby arena at this stage include: Fred Roberts, the "All Black" half back, and Bill Hardham, Wellington's veteran representative, while Jack Henrys, a Nelson representative player, will not be an active participant in the game this season.

"A sum of £75 is in possesson of the [ Taranaki Rugby Union, accordine to a New Plymouth paper, for the purpose of erecting a memorial to the late Alfred Bayly, and another £25 wanted £to carry out the scheme which the promoters have in mind. The Otago Football Association has decided to abandon the district football Bcheme.

The usefulness of the Wellington Referees' Association may be gauged by the fact that 401 matches were played in the 1909 season, and not one had lapsed through want of a referee.

The balance Bheet submitted at the annual meeting of the Manawatu Referees' Association showed a credit of £2 6b 6d. The Association has a membership ot 27. A special meeting of the Wellington Referees' Association was held on Monday last, to consider certain alterations in the laws ot the game recently approved by the International Board and adopted by the English Rugby Union. These alterations were the outcome of the suggestions of the New Zealand and other colonial unions. The New Zealand Union has now forwarded them to all affiliated unions, and they will come into force in next Saturday's

games. The first alteration is the definition of "A tackle" in rule 2. This definition now reads as follows:—"A tackle j is wheu the holder of the ball is held by one or more players of the opposite side so that he cannot pasa it." It is further provided that if the ball pitch in touch from a kick ofi.the opposite side may have it kicked off again, or may have a scrummage at the centre of the field of play. Similarly, if the ball go into touch from a drop out, the opposing eide has the option of ordering another kick or having a scmm in the centre of the twenty-five yards line The option of taking a scrummage is a new idea. The rule holds only when the ball goes straight into touch, ami not when it bounces out. An alteration to rule 6 consolidates two sections, and reads that the ball may not be picked up "when, after a

player has been tackled, he puts the

ball down, nr when the player holding the b»M -has been thrown and the ball touches the ground." Rule 12, dealing with the putting of the ball 'into touch, now reads, "The ball lis in touch when it or a player carrying it touch or cross the touch-line; iit shall then belong to the side opposite to that last touching it in the field of ;play, except when a player carrying the ball is forced into toucii by ;an opponent." This rule meane that >i fa man carrying the ball deliberately runs into touch with the ball belongs to the opposing side for the t>hrow-*in.—After considerable discussion it as decided that Wellington referees rule that a man is not forced in unless heis actually touched by an opponent. Should he accidentally fall-or slip into touch when clear the ball : goes to the other side. The objject of the rule is to prevent a man from deliberately stepping into touch when his side is, pressed. v The referee is now gnen the power under rule 1-3 ioiuward a goal if he I reckons a goal wouldhave been scored but for illegal obstruction. Thus in a j case of "no charge" the referee may either allow another kick, or if he thinks the first kkk would have been

successful, award .a ;goal. Formerly a goa! could not be allowed even if the ball went over the bar after hav ihg been touched by an opponent, although that opponent was acting illegally. The law applies only to a kick from a try, mark, or penalty, and not to a droppe.l goal from the field during play.