How To Make Our Great Game Better

[Vieux Talonneur]

We've just had a great feast of rugby, but I reckon there's scope to make it even better. Here are a few of my ideas:

* Substitutions are my pet bug bear as they ruin the flow of the game and give cheap caps. Have a bench of 8 as now, but limit the number to 4 (there are seldom that many game ending injuries) and keep the front row requirements. That way coaches have to be much more selective about their use of subs and a player's default mind set will be that they're going to play the whole game. Hey presto we revert back to a team rather than a squad game. Massive improvement in my book....and if I thought I could get away with subs for doc certified injuries only I would!

* Change to 45 minute halves. Why not, the wendyballers do it. The players are fit enough and it would give the fans much better value for money. What's not to like? Imagine, props having to train for 90 minutes rather than 50 as now; would help to reduce the size of players and slightly depower the collisions. Allied to fewer subs, much more space would open up for the runners. Has to be good.

* Others have suggested giving captains the chance to have a couple of TMO appeals. No brainer for me.

* Bar a few defined offences like serious foul play, refs should be able to penalise transgressions with either a penalty or a free kick as they see fit. Would be subjective, but enable more empathetic reffing. Could start from a default option of a free kick with pens reserved for the serious, cynical or persistent. For instance the pen in the last minute of AUS v SCO was given for playing a knock on. That was a reflex action so why a pen? A free kick would have been more proportionate; if the ball had ballooned up giving a couple of seconds thinking time that could have been deemed deliberate and worthy of a pen. Free kicks also force players to be more creative and use the ball rather than the formulaic kick to touch and regaining possession from the line out that we see from most pens.

* Bring back a degree of footwork in the ruck to free the ball or remove an offside player.

And now the scrum, the jewel in our game's crown.

* We can start by making the ref enforce the feeding rule properly. On a similar vein, I'd introduce another rule that the scrum WILL be reset if the the ref deems that the hooker of the side putting in does not make a genuine effort to strike for the ball. Would bring back a dying skill and most likely reduce the size of the hookers.

* Deliberate dropping of the scrum is bl**dy dangerous and should be an automatic card in the way that tip tackles are. Scrums do sometimes go down accidentally, but where the ref deems it intentional, out comes the card. Given the invariable points swing during a sin bin, coaches would soon put a stop to it.

* Allowing wheeling up to 90 degrees should be reintroduced. It's a unit skill that both defence and attack can use to their advantage.

Hopefully my free kick / pen suggestion would stop dominant teams in the scrum simply using it as a weapon to get penalties. Where's the incentive to win a free kick when you already have the ball and the oppo are going backwards at a rate of knots?

I'm sure others will have many more suggestions, Let's hear them.

 

[megaresp]

Substitutions are my pet bug bear as they ruin the flow of the game and give cheap caps. Have a bench of 8 as now, but limit the number to 4 (there are seldom that many game ending injuries)...

Thanks in no small part to substitutions. My view is the current limit and the way it's used is fine.

Change to 45 minute halves. Why not, the wendyballers do it.

I'd like to see 45 minute halves too. As you say, it would reward athleticism over brute force, although as the All Blacks and Wallabies have shown, the current format does that also.

Others have suggested giving captains the chance to have a couple of TMO appeals. No brainer for me.

Same. Rather than having the ref, a set of rules dreamed up in a board room, or (worst of all) the TMO injecting himself into the game, let the Captains make the call in the heat of battle. And limit the number of calls they can make. It's an excellent idea.

Bar a few defined offences like serious foul play, refs should be able to penalise transgressions with either a penalty or a free kick as they see fit.

Personally, I think the game would benefit from the reverse. I'd like to see these rules clarified rather than left open to interpretation.

And now the scrum, the jewel in our game's crown...

This is the hardest area to work out in my view. All suggestions seem to me to have their own set of down sides. For example...

Deliberate dropping of the scrum is bl**dy dangerous and should be an automatic card in the way that tip tackles are...

Well sure, but who brought down the scrum? I think it will lead to many poor calls, and much grumbling.

*****​

As for my own preferences, I'd like to see fewer points awarded for a penalty. And give the ref greater scope to award a penalty try if he deems the opposition have deliberately incurred a penalty in an effort to rob the attacking team of a try.

I'd also like the ref to be able to sin bin a player he deems to have acted in such a manner. And to keep on sin binning players who do so, no matter how many players from that team are already in the bin.

In other words, set up the rules so it's strategically disadvantageous to...

• Have a game objective based around obtaining kickable penalties
• Deliberately incur a penalty to prevent a try

 

[smartcooky]

* Substitutions are my pet bug bear as they ruin the flow of the game and give cheap caps. Have a bench of 8 as now, but limit the number to 4 (there are seldom that many game ending injuries) and keep the front row requirements. That way coaches have to be much more selective about their use of subs and a player's default mind set will be that they're going to play the whole game. Hey presto we revert back to a team rather than a squad game. Massive improvement in my book....and if I thought I could get away with subs for doc certified injuries only I would!

Safety, safety, safety!!! Rugby is no longer the mere contact sport it was 30 years ago, it is a collision sport, and the collisions are massive. The additional substitutes and replacements have been added to the game at the recommendation of leading Doctors in the field of Sports Medicine who have become concerned at some of the long term injuries being suffered by players when they are encouraged to play when tired or injured. There are limits to human endurance; the game is played at a much, much faster pace than it used to be. Limiting substitutes will force players to play beyond their physical limits, which will create safety issues in scrums, mauls and rucks, and limit the lengths of careers.

* Change to 45 minute halves. Why not, the wendyballers do it. The players are fit enough and it would give the fans much better value for money. What's not to like? Imagine, props having to train for 90 minutes rather than 50 as now; would help to reduce the size of players and slightly depower the collisions. Allied to fewer subs, much more space would open up for the runners. Has to be good.

Yes, I agree (except for the subs bit at the end)

* Others have suggested giving captains the chance to have a couple of TMO appeals. No brainer for me.

Under some conditions
1. Limit to one unsuccessful appeal per half.
2. Unused appeal from first half does not carry over into second half.
3. Extra appeal allowed in extra time.
4. The standard same as the NFL - conlcusive evidence required to overturn the on feild call.
5. Captain cannot appeal a TMO decision.

* Bar a few defined offences like serious foul play, refs should be able to penalise transgressions with either a penalty or a free kick as they see fit. Would be subjective, but enable more empathetic reffing. Could start from a default option of a free kick with pens reserved for the serious, cynical or persistent. For instance the pen in the last minute of AUS v SCO was given for playing a knock on. That was a reflex action so why a pen? A free kick would have been more proportionate; if the ball had ballooned up giving a couple of seconds thinking time that could have been deemed deliberate and worthy of a pen. Free kicks also force players to be more creative and use the ball rather than the formulaic kick to touch and regaining possession from the line out that we see from most pens.

Too subjective. I would rather see the following

- All infringements to become Free Kicks except Law 10 (Foul Play) which would remain Penalty Kicks.*
- Free Kicks would get a gain in ground but the throw in to the opposition.
- The referee may rule any infringement repeated/intentional, making it Law 10.2 and therefore awarding a Penalty Kick
- If halves go to 45 minutes then the yellow card goes to 15 minutes.
- A red carded player can be replaced after 15 minutes but the team are docked one of their eight allowed tactical substitituions plus it will cost them an additional substitution to bring on the replacement for the red carded player. If they have only one or no subs left at the time the red card is given then that player cannot be replaced at all.

* For those who worry that dangerous things like collapsing scrums and rucks and mauls would not be Law 10 and therefore only a Free Kick, I should point out that those dangerous acts are also covered in Law 10.4 (k) so penalty kicks would apply.

* Bring back a degree of footwork in the ruck to free the ball or remove an offside player.

100% agree - Bring back rucking!!!!!!

And now the scrum, the jewel in our game's crown.

* We can start by making the ref enforce the feeding rule properly. On a similar vein, I'd introduce another rule that the scrum WILL be reset if the the ref deems that the hooker of the side putting in does not make a genuine effort to strike for the ball. Would bring back a dying skill and most likely reduce the size of the hookers.

Agree.

Make it an infringement for the non-throwing in team's hooker to put his feet back until the ball has been won by either side.

* Deliberate dropping of the scrum is bl**dy dangerous and should be an automatic card in the way that tip tackles are. Scrums do sometimes go down accidentally, but where the ref deems it intentional, out comes the card. Given the invariable points swing during a sin bin, coaches would soon put a stop to it.

I dislike automatic cards, and if you did this where one scrum was clearly dominant, you could run out of props quickly and have to go to uncontested scrums which is more likely to disadvantage the dominant, non-infringing scrum.

* Allowing wheeling up to 90 degrees should be reintroduced. It's a unit skill that both defence and attack can use to their advantage.

I would go the other way and not allow wheeling at all


Here are my 10 points to improve the game;

THE TACKLE
1. Incorporate those aspects of the tackle that are currently matters of referee interpretation and protocols as Laws in the Law Book
a: Define "clear release"
b: Define "The Tackle Gate" properly in the Law book, with a description and a diagram or drawing.
c: Define the order in which things must happen at the tackle i.e. tackler release > tackled player place/pass/push/release > jackler plays ball through gate etc

REASONS:
So that we have have all referees following consistent protocols at the tackle in all levels of the game

2. Remove Law 15.4 (c) to take away the tackler's right to play the ball from any direction, i.e. make him roll away and then come through the tackle gate like everyone else.

REASONS:
a: Reduced decision-making for the referee, who no longer has to determine who is a tackler and who isn't.
b: To make it so that all players on their feet at the breakdown are treated the same way.

3. Outlaw squeeze-ball completely as it is lying on the ball, a breach of Law 15.5 (a). The tackled player must not position himself over the ball, or remain positioned over the ball, and then push the ball between his legs. If a player is tackled into such a position, he must immediately roll onto his side and release, or push the ball out one side.

REASON: Reduced decision-making for the referee, who no longer has to judge whether or not the tackled player is intentionally slowing down the ball.

4. Only allow clean-out of players in the tackle gate and immediately either side of the gate, and specify this in Law. Players more than 1m beyond or "abeam" the gate must not be cleaned out.

REASON:
Reduced decision-making for the referee, who no longer has to judge whether or not the cleaner has run past the side or too far beyond the tackle.

TACKLE/RUCK
5. When a Ball Carrier goes to ground with the ball, the ball is deemed to be on the ground even if it is not in contact with the ground.

REASON
Reduced judgement requirement for the referee, who no longer has to judge whether or not the ball was on the ground before the ruck formed.

6. Outlaw the saddle/gator roll completely as this is collapsing a ruck - Law 16.3 (c). Arriving players at the tackle may push players in the gate back (in a direction roughly parallel to the touch-lines) and to the ground if they wish, but must not grasp roll & them to the side and to the ground.

REASON
Player safety and consistency with Law

MAUL
7. Change priority order in Law 17.6 (c). Make whoever took the ball into contact irrelevant. If a maul ends unsuccessfully, the throw-in to the scrum is determined in the following priority...
a. the team going forward
b. the team in possession
c. the attacking team

REASON: Reduce the incentive to collapse a maul to turn-over possession.

MAUL FROM LINE-OUT
8. When a player jumps or is lifted to catch a ball in a line out he may tap, hit, or throw the ball to a team-mate while still in the air but he must not begin to hand the ball to a team-mate (and no team-mate may touch the ball in the jumper's hands) until the jumper has returned to the ground with both feet.

REASON:
To make it more difficult to illegally form a maul at a line-out that prevents the opposing team from having opportunity to sack it

PENALTIES & FREE KICKS
9. Change some of the allowed options a result of Free Kicks

a. Free Kick gets gain in ground but opponents get throw in
b. No scrum option from a Free Kick. Only tap kick or kick for touch
c. Throw-in not straight at a line-out is a Free Kick
d. Not 10m or kick direct to touch from a kick-off or restart is a Free Kick.

SCRUMS
10. Change a few scrum Law details

a. No wheeling allowed
b. both hookers must not put feet back and puch until ball is won
c. Non ball winning scrum half cannot follow past the feet of the opposing flanker
d. Allow No, 8 to change positions at any time

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

PENALTIES & FREE KICKS
9. Change some of the allowed options a result of Free Kicks

a. Free Kick gets gain in ground but opponents get throw in

Not sure i understand what you mean. Mind elaborating please?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Durbanite]

Always been curious as to why the assistant ref closest to the scrum doesn't run onto the field as a second "scrum ref"? Surely this is a simple way to police both sides of the scrum? He'll still be an assistant so the ref can have final say. When he's happy he can return to touch. I guess the concerns are that he'll be on the field during play or won't be able to return to touch if the dominant team goes blind really quick. Just a thought

 

[smartcooky]

Not sure i understand what you mean. Mind elaborating please?
Thanks in advance.

Currently

1. If a team kicks a Penalty kick into touch, the lineout is where the ball crosses the touchline (gain in ground) and the team kicking it into touch throws the ball into the lineout.

2. If a team kicks a Free kick into touch from outside their own 22m area, the lineout is in line with where the ball was kicked from (no gain in ground) and the opposing team throws the ball into the lineout.

3. If a team kicks a Free kick into touch from inside their own 22m area, the lineout is where the ball crosses the touchline (gain in ground) and the opposing team throws the ball into the lineout.


I propose this change

Keep 1. the same

Change 2.

2. If a team kicks a Free kick into touch from anyhwere on the field, the lineout is where the ball crosses the touchline (gain in ground) and the opposing team throws the ball into the lineout.

Delete 3

This would mean a team could kick a Free Kick into the opponents corner knowing that while the oppoenents will throw into the lineout, they will be able to put pressure on the defence. The opponent will be allowed to take a quick throw in of course as they can with any Free Kick, so the kicking team will need to kick into the stand, or send chasers downfield to cut off that option.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Understood. Thanks.

 

[Mattybuck]

The Scrum - Ref to call time off and clock not to restart until satisfactory scrum is achieved...

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Blackjack and Hookers.

In fact forget about the Rugby........... and the blackjack

 

[Sarrie77]

I would say limit the TMO's and give each team three challenges to the refs decision like tennis. Some Refs over use the system.

 

[TheOvalBall]

The Scrum - Ref to call time off and clock not to restart until satisfactory scrum is achieved...

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[nzlizard]

Here are my 10 points to improve the game;

2. Remove Law 15.4 (c) to take away the tackler's right to play the ball from any direction, i.e. make him roll away and then come through the tackle gate like everyone else.

REASONS:
a: Reduced decision-making for the referee, who no longer has to determine who is a tackler and who isn't.
b: To make it so that all players on their feet at the breakdown are treated the same way.


4. Only allow clean-out of players in the tackle gate and immediately either side of the gate, and specify this in Law. Players more than 1m beyond or "abeam" the gate must not be cleaned out.

REASON:
Reduced decision-making for the referee, who no longer has to judge whether or not the cleaner has run past the side or too far beyond the tackle.


MAUL
7. Change priority order in Law 17.6 (c). Make whoever took the ball into contact irrelevant. If a maul ends unsuccessfully, the throw-in to the scrum is determined in the following priority...
a. the team going forward
b. the team in possession
c. the attacking team

REASON: Reduce the incentive to collapse a maul to turn-over possession.

MAUL FROM LINE-OUT
8. When a player jumps or is lifted to catch a ball in a line out he may tap, hit, or throw the ball to a team-mate while still in the air but he must not begin to hand the ball to a team-mate (and no team-mate may touch the ball in the jumper's hands) until the jumper has returned to the ground with both feet.

REASON:
To make it more difficult to illegally form a maul at a line-out that prevents the opposing team from having opportunity to sack it

SCRUMS
10. Change a few scrum Law details

c. Non ball winning scrum half cannot follow past the feet of the opposing flanker

I like all these a lot, great suggestions.