Re: 10 interchanges from next season : Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:49 pm  

Old Feller wrote:

I read it as encouraging the referees to allow play to continue so as not to disadvantage further the team against whom the offence was committed.
If an advantage does not accrue then go back to the point of the offence, if it does, allow play to continue then at an appropriate break in play deal with the offender(s).

That's how I read it - say for example a player gets taken out late after passing the ball and the player he passed it to then makes a fifty yard break upfield before getting tackled.

If you take it back for the original penalty, where's the advantage to the team offended against - particularly if the break comes early in the tackle count?

Re: 10 interchanges from next season : Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:51 pm  

What I have struggled with is trying to understand if there is a change to the "rules"/"laws" "conventions" on the ball going dead in touch or in goal.
Can anyone explain if these have changed & how?
PS the drop goal for penalties/conversions seems so obviuos I was amazed that it wasn't already allowed.
I think there was a game last year where one side wanted to do this but wasn't allowed to.

Re: 10 interchanges from next season : Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:55 pm  

How long after an offence are you willing to allow an advantage?

A tackle (as is often the case at present) seems about right to me.

Will this new protocol change that? Gawd forbid we end up like Union where several phases (which can last seemingly minutes) can go by before going back to award the original penalty.

Re: 10 interchanges from next season : Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:01 pm  

Old Feller wrote:

What I have struggled with is trying to understand if there is a change to the "rules"/"laws" "conventions" on the ball going dead in touch or in goal.
Can anyone explain if these have changed & how?.

From an article in the Warrington Guardian...

Amendment - Section 9 Law 1 Ball in touch The ball is in touch when it or a player in contact with it touches the touch-line or the ground beyond the touch line or any object on or outside the touch line except when a player, tackled in the field of play, steps into touch as he regains his feet in which case he shall play the ball in the field of play.

The ball is in touch if a player jumps from touch and while off the ground touches the ball providing the ball has not bounced in the field of play. The ball is not in touch if during flight it crosses the touch line but is knocked back by a player who is off the ground after jumping from the field of play.

Amendment - Section 9 Law 2 (a) Touch in Goal The ball is in touch in goal when it or a player in contact with it touches the touch in goal-line, or any object on or outside the touch in goal line.

Addition - Section 9 Law 2 (b) Dead in Goal The ball is dead in goal when it or a player in contact with it touches the dead ball line or any object on or outside the dead ball line.

Addition - Notes to Section 9 4. Ball dead and in touch Where the ball which has bounced or has been passed in the field of play or the in goal area comes into contact with a player in touch, touch in goal or over the dead ball line, the ball is deemed to have been made dead or taken into touch by that player. Where the ball is played at from a kick that has not bounced in the field of play by a player who has at least one foot on the touch-line or in touch then the ball is deemed to have been made dead or taken into touch by the kicking team.

IIRC weren't the interpretations different depending on whether the player coming into contact with the ball was straddling the dead ball line or the touchline?

This seems to standardise them - if the ball has bounced and you touch it while you're in touch/dead in goal then you're deemed to have taken it over the line.

If you catch it on the full and you're in touch/dead in goal then it's deemed to have been put dead/in touch by the kicking team.

Re: 10 interchanges from next season : Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:11 pm  

Sounds like the RFL are finally doing a bit of housekeeping with the rulebook rather than making any noticeable changes to existing interpretations.