Sort this play the ball garbage out!

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

3 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

Not True, in the Fev V Bradford game quite rightly the ref gave the decision the other way

I'd disagree that it was given 'rightly'. As stated above the directive was for deliberately passing into prone players at the ruck not one standing several yards away, making no attempt to get out of the way and effectively preventing the attacking side from using that side of of the pitch.

[Bullistic]

Last year stepping off the mark seemed to be penalised much more frequently. In effect the attacker is stepping off the mark to clear the ruck area and get a fast PTB. The defender is disadvantaged by that (often due to the presence of other defenders). 

It is a complete mess but many times the first offence is ignored and that enables the attacker to then milk the second offence. 

Whatever steps are taken coaches will find a new way to gain an advantage and others will copy. 

I look back over six decades and I'm sure that's always been the case, it's just more sophisticated now........ and more infuriating. 

 

 

 

[Marauder]

8 hours ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Remember when we used to have some moral high ground over football..........

Spot on mate, we could ridicule the footballers without fear of comebacks.

[Marauder]

22 hours ago, doc said:

Has this always happened? Only i can't remember it much in the past. Same as all the offsides. Maybe players know the rules better?

The ref used to just shout play on.

[Bearman]

Sorted!

RFL have ruled

[Chrispmartha]

Well done to the RFL

 

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/54770/amendments-to--referee-policy

 

The following additions / amendments to 2019 referee policy have been introduced with immediate effect:

Placing the ball on the defender lying on the ground – It is the responsibility of the player playing the ball to place the ball on the ground at their feet. If necessary the player should step backwards to ensure this can be done. OUTCOME – If the ball is placed on the tackler, this will be ruled a knock-on.

Moving off the mark / stepping over to deliberately place the defender in the ruck - It is the responsibility of the player playing the ball to place the ball on the ground at their feet, and not to advance off the mark - if necessary the player should step backwards. OUTCOME – The player in possession will be penalised for moving off the mark if deliberately stepping over a defender to place them in the ruck.

Playing the ball into a defender in the ruck – The player playing the ball should maintain balance and control when heeling the ball to the acting half-back.OUTCOME - In this situation the player in the ruck will be penalised if hit by the ball - or if in the opinion of the referee the half-back is prevented from picking the ball up. EXCEPTION – A penalty will be awarded against the player playing the ball if the ball is forcibly heeled back with the intention of contacting the defending player with the ball.

Passing into an opposing player – Any ball passed into an opposing player in and around the ruck, in any direction, will be deemed to be acting against the spirit of the game. OUTCOME - The passer will be immediately penalised.

Steve Ganson, the RFL’s Head of Match Officials, explained: “A number of high-profile incidents during and before the Easter weekend have shown certain teams or players acting contrary to the spirit of the game, in a manner that has infuriated fellow professionals, broadcasters and, crucially, supporters.

 

[hindle xiii]

I do admire how rules get amended pretty quickly in this game. Holding the ball in the scrum, trapping arms, cannonball tackles, passing into prone players, etc. from years gone by. The only sky game I've seen in 18 months or so was the last half of Toronto bottling it in the MPG, so it sounds like the spectacle has gone completely down hill quickly.

[Dave T]

29 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Well done to the RFL

 

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/54770/amendments-to--referee-policy

 

The following additions / amendments to 2019 referee policy have been introduced with immediate effect:

Placing the ball on the defender lying on the ground – It is the responsibility of the player playing the ball to place the ball on the ground at their feet. If necessary the player should step backwards to ensure this can be done. OUTCOME – If the ball is placed on the tackler, this will be ruled a knock-on.

Moving off the mark / stepping over to deliberately place the defender in the ruck - It is the responsibility of the player playing the ball to place the ball on the ground at their feet, and not to advance off the mark - if necessary the player should step backwards. OUTCOME – The player in possession will be penalised for moving off the mark if deliberately stepping over a defender to place them in the ruck.

Playing the ball into a defender in the ruck – The player playing the ball should maintain balance and control when heeling the ball to the acting half-back.OUTCOME - In this situation the player in the ruck will be penalised if hit by the ball - or if in the opinion of the referee the half-back is prevented from picking the ball up. EXCEPTION – A penalty will be awarded against the player playing the ball if the ball is forcibly heeled back with the intention of contacting the defending player with the ball.

Passing into an opposing player – Any ball passed into an opposing player in and around the ruck, in any direction, will be deemed to be acting against the spirit of the game. OUTCOME - The passer will be immediately penalised.

Steve Ganson, the RFL’s Head of Match Officials, explained: “A number of high-profile incidents during and before the Easter weekend have shown certain teams or players acting contrary to the spirit of the game, in a manner that has infuriated fellow professionals, broadcasters and, crucially, supporters.

 

Apart from the first one, which seems too vague, that seems positive. 

Will need to monitor for an increase in players in the ruck, but it does look like it should add some balance to the ruck.

[DavidM]

Better late than never in placing responsibility on the ball carrier . The stripping rule should be added to that if it’s unclear . I would say this hadn’t come out of the blue over Easter , it’s been a factor all season and before , and it shouldn’t need publicity to earn a reactive response. But thankgod they’ve acted as we among increasing numbers called for . Let’s see how the refs interpret it as that will be key now

[Clogiron]

Interesting the bit about heeling the ball back into a player in the ruck, does that mean we are finally going to get proper PTBs  with players using the foot and not just rolling it backwards, too much to hope for I suppose

[Old Frightful]

Good luck to the Sky TV SL guinea pigs of Wigan v Cas on Saturday, could be the longest ever Wigan match thread, and that's saying summat!

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

Are we calling it the Leeming Rule?

[Ullman]

1 minute ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

Are we calling it the Leeming Rule?

Greg Bird's ears must be burning too.

[DavidM]

45 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

Interesting the bit about heeling the ball back into a player in the ruck, does that mean we are finally going to get proper PTBs  with players using the foot and not just rolling it backwards, too much to hope for I suppose

I was thinking that . It would be ironic when eddies gone when he’s been calling for it for ages !James Child is gutted they’re stopping all his fun . He won’t need four whistles a game 

[langpark]

Great news, but I really don't see why it even had to reach this point.  1) referee discretion, and 2) common sense, should over-ride absolutely everything else!

[Marauder]

5 minutes ago, langpark said:

Great news, but I really don't see why it even had to reach this point.  1) referee discretion, and 2) common sense, should over-ride absolutely everything else!

Referee's have become controlled and sterile, back in the day the likes of Billy Thompson and Fred Lindop would have had a whisper in the players ear hole, IMO the referee has a duty to keep the game flowing without taking centre stage,

[Futtocks]

I know it was more a case of cynicism and childish ######-for-tat, but Cats v Cas really couldn't have made a finer case for precipitating a decision from the RFL.

Let's hope the referees get stuck in and use these new directives. It may bring quite a few more penalties at first, but coaches and players will adapt soon out of self-interest.

[Futtocks]

17 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Referee's have become controlled and sterile, back in the day the likes of Billy Thompson and Fred Lindop would have had a whisper in the players ear hole, IMO the referee has a duty to keep the game flowing without taking centre stage,

One fan's "keeping the game flowing" is another fan's "letting the opposition get away with murder".

One fan's "good communication" is another fan's "far too chummy".

One fan's "whistle-happy ref" is another fan's "applying the laws correctly, as he should".

[DavidM]

4 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I know it was more a case of cynicism and childish ######-for-tat, but Cats v Cas really couldn't have made a finer case for precipitating a decision from the RFL.

Let's hope the referees get stuck in and use these new directives. It may bring quite a few more penalties at first, but coaches and players will adapt soon out of self-interest.

Indeed . It’s surprising how quickly players will adapt when things change . The refereeing early on will be interesting , as some things there are still open to interpretation , but hopefully whoever the refs the first game will set the tone . Big change for the better . Even at our level we saw five penalties for this stuff on Friday 

[Futtocks]

1 minute ago, DavidM said:

Indeed . It’s surprising how quickly players will adapt when things change . The refereeing early on will be interesting , as some things there are still open to interpretation , but hopefully whoever the refs the first game will set the tone . Big change for the better . Even at our level we saw five penalties for this stuff on Friday 

If the referees are as frustrated as the rest of us by this, and they are RL fans too*, they should get on top of this with gusto.

*not in the way that the professional victims like to imagine, of course.

[chuffer]

2 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

Well done to the RFL

 

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/54770/amendments-to--referee-policy

 

The following additions / amendments to 2019 referee policy have been introduced with immediate effect:

Placing the ball on the defender lying on the ground – It is the responsibility of the player playing the ball to place the ball on the ground at their feet. If necessary the player should step backwards to ensure this can be done. OUTCOME – If the ball is placed on the tackler, this will be ruled a knock-on.

Moving off the mark / stepping over to deliberately place the defender in the ruck - It is the responsibility of the player playing the ball to place the ball on the ground at their feet, and not to advance off the mark - if necessary the player should step backwards. OUTCOME – The player in possession will be penalised for moving off the mark if deliberately stepping over a defender to place them in the ruck.

Playing the ball into a defender in the ruck – The player playing the ball should maintain balance and control when heeling the ball to the acting half-back.OUTCOME - In this situation the player in the ruck will be penalised if hit by the ball - or if in the opinion of the referee the half-back is prevented from picking the ball up. EXCEPTION – A penalty will be awarded against the player playing the ball if the ball is forcibly heeled back with the intention of contacting the defending player with the ball.

Passing into an opposing player – Any ball passed into an opposing player in and around the ruck, in any direction, will be deemed to be acting against the spirit of the game. OUTCOME - The passer will be immediately penalised.

Steve Ganson, the RFL’s Head of Match Officials, explained: “A number of high-profile incidents during and before the Easter weekend have shown certain teams or players acting contrary to the spirit of the game, in a manner that has infuriated fellow professionals, broadcasters and, crucially, supporters.

 

Hurrah!!

[Man of Kent]

Inevitable after yesterday’s game. Credit to Daryl Powell for calling out this garbage after the game.

[TBone]

To my mind this offers a workable solution

 

An Aussie take...

[Chris22]

The changes make sense on the face of it. Hopefully the threat of being penalised will dissuade players from attempting it. This happened when we last enforced a similar policy a couple of years ago, before it creeped back in. I'm not sure why the rule changes / interpretations weren't maintained.

The negatives are that we are likely to see a more inconsistent approach from referees when asking them to use their judgement. Also, as long as there are rules, players will find new ways to get around them. I wonder if players may now place themselves deliberately in the way of the hooker and first receiver, hoping to be hit to win a penalty.

But all in all, good to see that we are aiming to enhance the sport and remove its negative aspects.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Fantastic! Good to see it get sorted so quickly!