Your changes to the laws

OK let's take a break from the Coronavirus.

What one law change would you make to the game to make it better?

Moderator National League Rugby Message Boards

Remember Wakefield RFC

An overall weight limit on the match day squad.

TJOS

Return to permitting a mark anywhere on the pitch and reintroduce the kick at goal following a mark.

Might cut down on the pointless kicks.

Sweeney Delenda Est

Full Bodied Red wrote:

Reduce substitutes and allow them to be used only for injuries. I’m aware this won’t be popular.

I think this would reduce injuries, but implementing this will mean a lot of teams - most teams in fact - will have to amend their game plans.

I'm for it, though, if it reduces injuries.

All referees at all levels to strictly enforce the laws

If Rugby is the game they play in Heaven ..... Why does it hurt like Hell when you retire?

Full bodied Red I totally agree with you and I am seeing more and more pundits also espousing this point.

It would stop the existence of 20 stone props, reduce injuries and increase the number of players actually playing.

And open the game up . . gets my backing 100%

Run with it

Camquin wrote:

Return to permitting a mark anywhere on the pitch and reintroduce the kick at goal following a mark.

Might cut down on the pointless kicks.

You're aware how rarely a goal was ever kicked from the mark?. The defending team was allowed to advance up to the point of the mark, meaning that the kick would have to be taken from further away. And the mark would hardly ever be close to goal anyway.

Funnily enough, this provision still exists in the NFL in the form of the "Fair catch kick" whereby a fair catch from a punt or restart after a score can be followed by an attempt at goal. It doesn't often happen because most fair catches will happen within the receiving team's territory, meaning that the kick will be a minimum of 60 yards. Also, there will usually be a better play available unless time is about to run out. So almost all attempts occur at the end of a half where the team attempting the kick is no more than 3 points adrift, as that is what a successful kick earns, same as a field goal.

It's such a rare play that there is usually intense consultation between the coaching teams and the officials on the field as to what formations are possible before the kick is attempted. Incidentally, the kicker is not allowed a kicking tee, so a holder must be used, but as there is no scrimmage,and no snap, a full run-up to the kick is possible, meaning that greater distance is possible than for a conventional field goal. Accuracy, however, remains an issue at long distance.

To put this in perspective, the last successful attempt was in 1976, by Ray Wersching, then playing for the San Diego Chargers vs the Buffalo Bills. This was from a mere 45 yards, so something clearly went wrong from the Bills' PoV. There have been 9 subsequent attempts, the most recent in October 2019 in London, when Joey Slye of the Carolina Panthers missed one from 60 yards at the end of the second quarter vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"What I need is a strong drink and a peer group"

Mine, for now, is the scrum...boring I know. This aspect of the game is vitally important to retain. It is unfair however that the ball into the scrum is never straight. Stop me there abd tell me it doesn't have to be, but I think it should. The infringements to create a scrum are minor and the scrum takes place as a small reward for the "victims" to have the advantage of the put in brining into play timing, anticipation and sometimes the "culprits" turning the ball over. I didn't have to tell you any of this, because you all know! I can see the time, RFU forbid, uncontested scrums may be introduced in which case we all also know the errr.... shape, weight and roll of the scrum will disappear. If the scrum is managed well by he of whistle it's a great part of our unique game. BUT the ball has to be fed to the centre. Sorry for the boring input before opening time - crickey- of course there's no opening time - I mean before Green Goddess Time!!

My other gripe is the increasing questioning of refs decisions, in my opinion quite often employed to delay a restart. Stop or lose 10 IMMEDIATELY, not after the fifth occasion !!

So if anybody wants to revisit much revisited topics please do so. If not things may get boring after 9am on this 23rd day of March 2020. All keep well see you in September...

Raider999 wrote:

Can't decide on 1 so

1) put an end to caterpillars at rucks - takes too long to set up

2) enforce the law that scrum halves don't feed the scrum

3) time-off from time a scrum is re-set until ball is back in play

4) no kicks at goal outside the 40 yard line

5) change maul rules so that ball must be at front, otherwise it's obstruction

6) increase points for a try to 6, possibly reduce conversion to 1 so there is an incentive to play open rugby

7) stop the RFU interfering in set-up of levels 4 and above

1 - Agree

2 - Agree

3 - Strongly agree

4 - Disagree - why?

5 - OK, but how do you get the ball out of the maul if it can't be transferred to the rear?

6 - No. Five points is fine for a try, and conversions are often tricky enough so as to warrant a two-point reward. The PAT in American Football is always taken from in front of the posts so one point is justified there.

7 - Ha ha, that'll never stop, no matter how much we might like it.

"What I need is a strong drink and a peer group"

billesleyexile wrote:

remove lifting from the line-out

What is the rationale for this?

With lifting, line-outs have:

1). Become an athletic spectacle;

2). Remained competitive;

3). Become much easier to police;

4). Become a great source of varied first phase attacking ball.

What’s not to like?

Edited by oneagainstthehead - 23 Mar 2020 at 11:19

Speak softly, but carry a big stick.