Rewriting rugby rules.......

[i_like_cake]

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@@@@SPAN style="font-weight: bold;">(coould this be moved to the BLABLA section... my mistake...... thanks..) ilc@@@@/SPAN>


Rewriting rugby's laws
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By Phil Harlow
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With a law book running to nearly 150 pages, rugby union does not make life easy for the casual observer.
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http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42335000/jpg/_42335910_carter270gi.jpg
<div>The IRB wants to encourage skilful play and a free-flowing game</div>
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Try explaining rugby's myriad offences at the breakdown area to your football-loving mate, for starters.
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But that may be about to change, thanks to experimental
laws formulated by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby
Board (IRB).
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Trialled by Stellenbosch University students in South
Africa, the ideas - which include allowing the use of hands in the ruck
and permitting teams to collapse the maul - may alarm purists.
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The IRB wants to maximise rugby's appeal to players,
fans, sponsors and the media and see these "Stellenbosch laws" as key
to that aim.
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"We'd be very silly if we didn't realise that,
especially since the game went professional, there is a commercial
element," IRB committee member Bill Nolan, who is leading the project,
told BBC Sport.
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Click for Paddy O'Brien's in-depth guide to the Stellenbosch laws (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_uni&#111;n/6165032.stm)
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And IRB referee manager Paddy O'Brien, one of the brains
behind the laws, says the changes are a necessary response to
professionalism.
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MAJOR LAW CHANGES
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Downgrading most penalty offences to free-kicks
Allowing handling in the ruck

Backs must be 5m behind rear foot at scrum

Removing corner flags

Permitting defending tea

[i_like_cake]

Click on the link for "paddy O Brien's in depth look at the stellenbosch laws"...

very interesting.. I agree with all of what that small link proposes.. except for collapsing the maul..smileys/mad.gif

[Drick]

you had it in blabla but I moved it.
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[i_like_cake]

i just remember the last BOk jersey thing I had put in this section.. and that started a bit of a chat, and it got moved to Blabla.. but i'm happy to leave it here...smileys/smile.gif

what are peoples thoughts on the subject?

(the new laws that is.. not the BOK flag thing...smileys/lol.gif)

[Drick]

The bok flag thing was going to be hijacked so thats why it got moved.

I'd need to see a few games with the new rules to see what teams would do to get bend the new ones.
the*

[Daky]

Allowing teams to collapse a maulsounds pretty dangerous to me. They are going to all this effort with new scrummaging rules to make it safer and then they suggest something like this. (It would also take away one of Munsters primary weapons)

[Riptide]

Methinks that


1) Tighthead is more valuable than ever. The 5m rule at scrums will ensure he'll reamin among the htop earners in the game.


2) Teams like the ABs will continue to excel and it will take the rest of us a while to catch up in skill base.


3)retain Jim Williams ! Munster will need a skills coach to assit in keeping the ball alive more than ever.


4) speed, speed, speed! If it's more difficult to suck defensive players into contcat/maul, it places a premium on speed out of contact and going wide.

[Daky]

Can't argue too much with what you are saying riptide, especially keeping the ball alive. Good quick ball is the only way. As for Keeping Jim Williams, absolutely. He is a very big part of the set up

[Riptide]

I think it will be very exciting times for the game.

[Drick]

Allowing teams to collapse a maulsounds pretty dangerous to me. They are going to all this effort with new scrummaging rules to make it safer and then they suggest something like this. (It would also take away one of Munsters primary weapons)</font>Munster havnt really used the maul this season, or last season. They have moved on. Our backs are now are primary attacking option.

It doesnt mean that the maul is at an end. while it can be collapsed legally, teams will work out how to keep the maul going.
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[Hugged Rugger]

two points:


the maul is a fantastic part of the game, one of my favourite aspects, and should be preserved


hands in the rook not a bad idea (what will joel "no hands" judge say from now on) but would it leave the pitch a bit crowded?


other comments
<DIV>MAJOR LAW CHANGES </DIV>
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<LI>Downgrading most penalty offences to free-kicks disagree, will promote teams fouling to avoid try's
<LI>Allowing handling in the ruck sounds ok
<LI>Backs must be 5m behind rear foot at scrum sounds ok
<LI>Removing corner flags agree, no reason a try shouldnt be a try because of a stick in the ground. john o'neill one eg of that. given touching the goal posts with the ball is technically a try, this makes no sence
<LI>Permitting defending teams to collapse rolling maul no, unless more detail is given on alternate attacking options, no
<LI>Ball cannot be passed back into 22 and kicked out on the full about time too</LI></DIV>

[blackadder]

Surely allowing teams to collapse mauls will just be plain dangerous.

[i_like_cake]

Surely allowing teams to collapse mauls will just be plain dangerous.

It sounds like that alright, and will take away one of the most enjoyable viewing experiences for supporters in rugby Union... Nothing better than seeing 8 guys working in unison to advance down the field...

[daveirl]

They monitored the injuries associated with rolling mauls and there was no increase. Regarless all mauls are pulled down nowadays anyway it's just a matter of getting pinged or not, you're thought how to keep it up if you've good coaching. So since presumably fewer teams will maul the ball there'll actually be fewer collapsed mauls.

[Balla Boy]

The guiding principle for the new rules is that there's no safety in contact, whether you form ruck or maul.


Remove the safety for the attacking team in the ruck and you have to re-engineer the maul or teams will use it all day. Whether allowing it to be collapsed is the right answer I'm not sure- you could just insist teams use the ball as soon as momentum is lost.


I don't agree with moving the backs 5 m back from the scrum - that's just creating space for the sake of it. I don't see that it will increase handling skills - if anything, it will give the gainline away cheaply and reduce the premium on good handling under pressure.

[Riptide]

Agree that the rules on the maul had to be changed to accomodate the most significant changethe gamewill have seen.. handling in a ruck. While I never bought into the argument that collapsing a maul wasparticularly dangerous, apparently thereis now some data to support that it isn't. Either way, it's a good move.


The only concern I have with the proposed law chnages is the downgrading of nearly all offenses (other than foul play) to a free kick, rather than a penalty. Clearly the refs will need to be courageous and consistent with yellow cards. The likes of experineced Leceister will beevenmore difficultto score against now!! smileys/smile.gif


Seeseveral things happening.. more drop goals, more aggressive play from 1st phase and the quick elimination of players who have hands of stone.

[danthefan]

Would it be dangerous though? I'd say a very good proportion of mauls collapse anyway, through fouling or they just run out of steam, or crossing the line etc...

[Riptide]

I also can see the whistle be blown less. Teams will be mercilessly policed on entering from the side, and the "professional foul" will need to be defined clearly.

[Balla Boy]

Having a think about this - if my own back row can use their hands after I've formed the (edit) ruck, what's the net effect of the change? I don't know if teams that kill the ball now will find it much easier than they do now, given that the players on the attacking side will be able to use their hands to get the ball back to the scrum half.


The downgrading of penalties is less of an issue than it might be, given that they are legalising so many penalty offences. But there's not much point in putting a 20 metre no mans land between the centres at a scrum if you only penalise offside with a free kick.


Does offside remain a penalty?

[Daithi]

Collapsing the maul- dumb-as it is dangerous.


hands in the ruck- silly- we already have the ball carrier allowed to present the ball and control it with his or her hand, and you are allowed momentary passing of the ball from the ground in a tackle- that's enough. Paddy O'B also recently said that players should be punished for use of the boot in rucking - this is silly, provided a player is not stamping or doing anything too dangerous use of the boot keeps a fast, clinical edge to rucking, keepsfouling by hands at bayand allows the game to move at pace, which is what you want IMHO.

[i_like_cake]

I don't agree with moving the backs 5 m back from the scrum - that's just creating space for the sake of it. I don't see that it will increase handling skills - if anything, it will give the gainline away cheaply and reduce the premium on good handling under pressure.

excellent point.... the trial staes will be closely watched by all........