IRL Approves Changes to Laws Ahead of RLWC 2021

[Gomersall]

https://www.intrl.sport/news/international-rugby-league-approves-changes-to-laws-ahead-of-rlwc2021/

[Man of Kent]

Good stuff.

Six again for ruck infringements but not offside, 'pick where you pack' scrums but PTBs after a kick to touch. And the captain's challenge. Happy with that.

[DavidM]

Captains challenge is the big one there . You’d think SL would be looking at that if it’s gonna be used in the WC . I like a penalty for breaking early at a scrum , that’s being used quite cynically 

[Rugbyleaguesupporter]

1min 20 for a kick- wasn't that a minute recently? 

[langpark]

3 hours ago, Rugbyleaguesupporter said:

1min 20 for a kick- wasn't that a minute recently? 

Perhaps to compensate for the lack if stoppages elsewhere. That said, I actually thought it was 90 seconds in NRL.

There are too many unnecessary ones in there for my liking. Moving scrums around all over the field, for example, just unnecessarily complicates things IMO. 

[RP London]

4 hours ago, DavidM said:

Captains challenge is the big one there . You’d think SL would be looking at that if it’s gonna be used in the WC . I like a penalty for breaking early at a scrum , that’s being used quite cynically 

yes this needs to be run in super league for them to get used to when and how to use it.. 

[Dunbar]

Illegal play the ball – in the case of an illegal play the ball the ball will be handed over to the opponents who will re-start with a play the ball.

This one just seems petty, I can't remember the last time I saw an illegal play the ball.

[Spidey]

6 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Illegal play the ball – in the case of an illegal play the ball the ball will be handed over to the opponents who will re-start with a play the ball.

This one just seems petty, I can't remember the last time I saw an illegal play the ball.

There’s loads every week, current interpretations allow the referee to ignore them

[langpark]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

Illegal play the ball – in the case of an illegal play the ball the ball will be handed over to the opponents who will re-start with a play the ball.

This one just seems petty, I can't remember the last time I saw an illegal play the ball.

I think it is good. A penalty always seemed too harsh.

This is one interpretation that seems to run a big cycle. Ignore it entirely, then order a massive crackdown. Allow it to slowly deteriorate over the next 2-3 seasons until the next big crackdown.

It would be good if NRL and SL (and IRL of course) could all get in synch with this one. Because right now NRL does enforce it (you see the foot touch the ball at every PTB) whereas SL is allowing players to just step over it. 

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

Illegal play the ball – in the case of an illegal play the ball the ball will be handed over to the opponents who will re-start with a play the ball.

This one just seems petty, I can't remember the last time I saw an illegal play the ball.

Would be a good bet that England will be pulled up for it the most at the WC unless things change.

[Odsal Outlaw]

Looks like the Aussies making sure we play under their rules!

[DavidM]

4 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Illegal play the ball – in the case of an illegal play the ball the ball will be handed over to the opponents who will re-start with a play the ball.

This one just seems petty, I can't remember the last time I saw an illegal play the ball.

 

32 minutes ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

Looks like the Aussies making sure we play under their rules!

In that case we’ll see a hundred restarts in games full of SL players , the NRL refs are quite strict on ‘ roll ball ‘ . 

[DavidM]

.

[DoubleD]

8 hours ago, DavidM said:

Captains challenge is the big one there . You’d think SL would be looking at that if it’s gonna be used in the WC . I like a penalty for breaking early at a scrum , that’s being used quite cynically 

You’d only be able to do it for the live games with the video ref though, that’s the problem over here

[DavidM]

1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

You’d only be able to do it for the live games with the video ref though, that’s the problem over here

Yes , that’s a good point . I was in NRL mentality mode there !

[Odsal Outlaw]

14 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

You’d only be able to do it for the live games with the video ref though, that’s the problem over here

Which makes you wonder how the IRL have justified bringing the rule in as a standard 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

4 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Illegal play the ball – in the case of an illegal play the ball the ball will be handed over to the opponents who will re-start with a play the ball.

This one just seems petty, I can't remember the last time I saw an illegal play the ball.

You kidding? At the rate of illegal play the balls I see, we could be stuck in an infinite loop because of this rule!

[unapologetic pedant]

26 minutes ago, DavidM said:

 

In that case we’ll see a hundred restarts in games full of SL players , the NRL refs are quite strict on ‘ roll ball ‘ . 

It`s astonishing to me that some people still haven`t realised that in the UK we don`t just have the occasional bad PTB. It ought to be clear to everyone with eyes to see that the rollball is now standard. It has been legalised. All that`s now required is "balance and control". Players no longer have to make a genuine attempt to play the ball with the foot.

The only doubt is whether this applies internationally, and this announcement by IRL doesn`t tell us.

[Dunbar]

36 minutes ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

You kidding?

Yes. I was.

[unapologetic pedant]

3 hours ago, langpark said:

This is one interpretation that seems to run a big cycle. Ignore it entirely, then order a massive crackdown. Allow it to slowly deteriorate over the next 2-3 seasons until the next big crackdown.

It would be good if NRL and SL (and IRL of course) could all get in synch with this one. Because right now NRL does enforce it (you see the foot touch the ball at every PTB) whereas SL is allowing players to just step over it. 

In the UK this isn`t the usual cycle, dependent on interpretation, or degrees of latitude given. This is the formal replacement of the PTB with a rollball. The change just hasn`t been publicly acknowledged by the RFL.

If coaches knew a rollball would concede possession, they would never allow their players to use it. Nor would they train with it. They`ve been assured by the RFL that the rollball is legal. 

In Australia when referees penalise an illegal PTB they actually say "rollball". So, we have the extraordinary situation where something specifically cited as proof of illegality in other countries, is perfectly legal and standard practice in the UK. And we have no idea what the relevant rules will be in international competition. 

[langpark]

8 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

In the UK this isn`t the usual cycle, dependent on interpretation, or degrees of latitude given. This is the formal replacement of the PTB with a rollball. The change just hasn`t been publicly acknowledged by the RFL.

If coaches knew a rollball would concede possession, they would never allow their players to use it. Nor would they train with it. They`ve been assured by the RFL that the rollball is legal. 

In Australia when referees penalise an illegal PTB they actually say "rollball". So, we have the extraordinary situation where something specifically cited as proof of illegality in other countries, is perfectly legal and standard practice in the UK. And we have no idea what the relevant rules will be in international competition. 

I could have sworn SL did a big crackdown on it about 3 seasons ago.

You are right. This should have been the top priority issue to give clarity on. A lot of the other stuff they seem to be focusing on, is just gimmicky rubbish (2040 rule, moving scrums around the field etc). 

[unapologetic pedant]

5 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Yes. I was.

The fact that anyone didn`t realise you were kidding is hard to fathom. Some people must still think these rollballs are inadvertent, or poor attempts. I suspect the RFL would be surprised at their pretence deceiving a single person.

[Rupert Prince]

6 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Illegal play the ball – in the case of an illegal play the ball the ball will be handed over to the opponents who will re-start with a play the ball.

This one just seems petty, I can't remember the last time I saw an illegal play the ball.

Thats put in to allow the NZ ref to stuff England even more as we try to clear our line.

[unapologetic pedant]

7 minutes ago, langpark said:

You are right. This should have been the top priority issue to give clarity on. A lot of the other stuff they seem to be focusing on, is just gimmicky rubbish (2040 rule, moving scrums around the field etc). 

This debacle is a failure of UK RL journalism as well as administration. 

A recently-posted Martyn Sadler piece covering the ball-stealing rule change and the 2-point field goal included this -

"When considering a new rule, the question is always how it will impact on the game. Will it make it better, more entertaining and enjoyable, or will it make it worse?  In my view, the crucial question is whether a new rule increases the skill level required by a Rugby League player".

All good points, but I`ve looked in vain for a similar article on the implications of the de facto change from PTB to rollball in UK RL. Given how fundamental to the game of Rugby League the PTB is, it`s a reasonable expectation that RL journalists might notice and address the matter. Perhaps try to elicit an explanation from the RFL and hold them to account.

[The Rocket]

7 hours ago, RP London said:

yes this needs to be run in super league for them to get used to when and how to use it.. 

 

2 hours ago, DoubleD said:

You’d only be able to do it for the live games with the video ref though, that’s the problem over here

Yes somehow you would need to get this rule into your system or if not Wane will have to certainly bring the English team up to scratch on ways to use it, early on over here teams were frittering it away and despite 50% of the time now, maybe even more, it is used to challenge knock-on calls by the ref, and more often than not successfully, it could be the sort of little thing that a team will need to use wisely, because you wouldn`t want to be wasting it 5 minutes in, in a big game.

The wise discretionary use of the Captains Challenge has become a crucial 1%er now.