YOUR experimental law variations.

[terry j]

Do you have any?

I have a few, but hey don't laugh m'k?!

A couple to get the ball rolling...wait, that's soccer. Oh well you know what I mean.

Well, unlike most I suspect, I love scrums. God forbid they ever get emasculated to the stage of the farce we see in that other code...but equally I can see the frustration that comes from (at times) repeated resets.

So, seein as how *we* want the scrum to be part of the game, but hate any protracted affairs, how about some concept like 'is PART of the game, but not IN the game.'

What I mean by that, when the scrum is called, either naturally or as a result of a ref signal, time is stopped, and is only restarted when the ref calls 'scrum completed' or some such. Hence, the scrum stays and it does not matter on those occasions where it takes four or five resets.

Can someone give a good reason why in the modern game it is still acceptable to kick out on the full from within the 22? We have already seen (and approved I feel) that passing back means it cannot be kicked out on the full, but I wonder why at any time now in the modern game we should be able to kick out on the full?

At times the game is going for such protracted periods of play, it comes to a sudden stop because of dreary defensive play and it gets kicked out. Sometimes that is not so bad due to a quick throw in, but contrast that to forming a line out etc.

Heck, speed the game up totally and simply go to a rule that says the ball must bounce before crossing the sideline from anywhere on the field under any circumstance.

Any thoughts on these, do you have any of your own?

 

[waratahjesus]

I want one player, to be nominated before the game from each team to never have to be onside, it would be fantastic

 

[TheNextBigThing]

I want one player, to be nominated before the game from each team to never have to be onside, it would be fantastic

This rule exists. The most obvious proponent is R. Mccaw. No wait, that's too obvious, Richie M.

 

[waratahjesus]

This rule exists. The most obvious proponent is R. Mccaw. No wait, that's too obvious, Richie M.

S.fingers doing a good job of making Ritchie look like a saint.

Would be great to have JOC (James O'Connor) up field and be able to kick for him and create one on one opportunities.

 

[antipodean]

S.fingers doing a good job of making Ritchie look like a saint.

Is he ever onside? Seriously.

Bring back rucking.

 

[Cat_A]

If a defending team doesn't contest a lineout it can't be called "not straight"

 

[terry j]

except for safety, if the ball is out and the front row collapses, LET IT GO.

maybe that is not new law, but a ref interpretation. well make it a guideline for refs

 

[qwerty51]

If a defending team doesn't contest a lineout it can't be called "not straight"

So throw it straight to the halfback then?

 

[RugbyFuture]

all kicks two points.

couple of places to bring the shortarm back

be more leniant with the time the ball can come out of a scrum

 

[matty_k]

The grey area there is what is contesting. Is just one guy making a half arsed job at jumping up with his hands above his head still contesting?

 

[ACT Crusader]

Missed drop goal attempts that go dead, team gets option of scrum back where the attempt was taken

 

[Alex-A]

Make the game about scoring tries and not about kicks for goal. Make the posts narrower, or have placed them at the dead ball line. This will give saffers and poms a headache and they may start getting creative. How many times do you see 3 soft penalties earning 9 points in the early exchanges of a of a test match when the team has barely threatened their opponents try line? Especially in the 6 nations!

Attacking players deemed offside from an attacking cross-fileld/chip/ grubber kick should not result in a penalty to the other team. It should become an opposition scrum ( just like a forward pass ). Overrunning the kick i an easy mistake to make and shouldn't give the opposition the right to kick for goal. It's also exciting to watch, and should therefore be encouraged by not penalizing a mistake to harshly.

 

[Doc]

My ELV: If as a spectator you don't like rugby, simply switch the channel and watch league. Seriously. Every five minutes the scrum is a problem, the breakdown is a problem, penalties being worth three area problem, we need to 'fix' this and that. All the problems of rugby have been solved by the mungoes. Rugby isn''t perfect but that's what makes it what it is.

If people want a game with rules not laws, no ambiguity at the breakdown, minimal scrum re-sets and penalty goals worth only a little, guess what? It already exists.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

allow hands in the ruck, but only if you are onside and on your feet

hear me out - the defensive line is now full of forwards, and so is the attacking line. There is no space anymore. teams commit no one to the breakdown. In attack, a great move is spoiled by a prop or lock getting in the middle of it. If you allow hands in the ruck, all of a sudden the ruck contest becomes about balance of numbers pushing over the ball and pulling it out. it sucks forwards into the ruck (where they bloody should be) and clears up the paddock for the flashy backs to do their business. It also gives the ref fewer things to look at to penalise, and he can focus on making sure everyone is onside (am looking at you, black 7).

 

[Alex-A]

If people want a game with rules not laws, no ambiguity at the breakdown, minimal scrum re-sets and penalty goals worth only a little, guess what? It already exists.

I wish it was that easy but I will always prefer rugby for its free flowing structure Vs a set number of tackles. And the international league is a pretty average occasion by comparison.

 

[terry j]

My ELV: If as a spectator you don't like rugby, simply switch the channel and watch league.

Serious or a gag?

Whilst I can agree that league has perhaps 'solved' the type of problems uner discussion here, it did so at a very great price...totally emasculated the very thing that makes rugby great...competition for the ball!

Which, when you think about it, is what all these suggested changes are addressing...how to clean up and help the heart of the game, competition for the ball.

NOT remove that entire concept! Because all you will end up with is that dull, turgid faint echo of union...rugby league. You mean there are no controversial ref calls in league? What's all that stuff I glance at in the papers then as I try and find rugby stuff ten pages back?

As always, in ANY game, there is the human element, you will never have a game that is so well worded rule wise that each ref will interpret it exactly the same way. Heck, each ref will not even see the 'exact same game' (depends on where they look for example) so there will never be consistency in all cases.

You think the league scrum is a better spectacle to watch? I mean I can't watch it, have usually got tears in my eyes from laughing so much at the stupidity of it. The best thing league could for the the game of league is remove the scrum! Why not? They already got rid of the lineout, the ruck and maul etc etc, why keep this grotesque caricature from union they call a scrum?

Quick question about the quick tap, what are the rules? I mean I don't like it..how CAN the forwards at the ruck get back ten metres when the halfback taps the ball? It is impossible. So why have it? (can they not be ten metres back and be fine as long as they make no effort to tackle? What is the rule, as I don't actually know)

 

[Zeno]

Halfbacks to retire behind their 8s immediately after the feed. It's hard enough to get clean ball out of a scrum; having a monkey climbing all over your 8 and 9 makes it even harder. A retiring rule would separate the teams properly and make an opportunity — an obligation, even —*for a contest between a free-running attack and an organised defensive backline.

Two points for PGs and DGs.

That's about it.

 

[Epi]

If a player accidently runs into the back of one of his own team mates it's not called obstruction unless a tackler was actually obstructed.

 

[#1 Tah]

If your team name starts with W and ends with aratahs you automatically win.

In all seriousness, Scrummies either need to be in line with the front row, or defending in the line, Foutoli'i was pushing it big time yesterday.

 

[Ash]

I would love actually to see something similar to what #1 Tah said, but limit each halfbacks to the second row of the other team. Some refs (or rather, some scrumhalfs) get away with murder by being all over the number 8 / opposing scrumhalf as they pick up the ball.