Wednesday 8 June 2016 19:07, UK
Last week I asked for your assistance. I wanted to know your thoughts on the modern day application of rules in rugby league.
I wasn't interested in rule changes or refereeing consistency, I wanted to know if you are prepared to accept the fact that we ignore certain rules to keep the game as fast and entertaining as it can possibly be.
Thank you for your contributions, but many of them missed my point, which might indicate that I am in the minority and worrying about something that is not a problem. Several people said that the scrum looked a mess and was an embarrassment to the sport. Others suggested that we need to debate the exact role of the video referee. Most people agreed that most play-the-balls are done incorrectly so often that it almost renders all the other rules redundant. This is my point.
Can we pick and choose which rules we want to enforce? I know that we live in an 'entertainment age' and the competition to attract viewers and fans has never been greater but at what point does it become a game without rules?
It does seem as though the sport has made a small step to address this problem. This season we have seen almost a 100 per cent increase in the number of penalties for offside 10m (ie in front of the referee when the play-the-ball takes place).
We have also seen a 50 per cent increase for penalties when the 'marker defenders' (the two men who stand In front of the man playing-the-ball), are offside and not stood in the correct position. In general there has been a 20 per cent overall increase in the penalty count of matches when I checked last week. I am not aware that this had been noticed by the public.
One of the comments left last week by Paul Hampton is perhaps the most important one we have to debate. He said that we need to make the game easier not harder for the referee. The evolution of attacking play with lots of decoy runners moving so quickly around the ball has made some decisions almost impossible to get right. It was sensibly suggested that we need to think about junior and community matches, and the referees for those games, whenever we look at how the game is officiated. I fully agree. It was pleasing to hear Tony Smith speak in favour of all referees this week. He knows that they are essential to the health of the game.
Many people felt that players should be forced to play-the-ball with their foot. I agree, because if we don't enforce this rule then all the rest are irrelevant. Are we, as a game, prepared to see a spike in penalties for a period, if it means that the players play to the rules more? This is the question which has led some people to take the easier option, in my opinion, and ignore it if it doesn't lead to a try. I have felt that we have had a decade in which it has seemed that the goal of the referee was to end the match with an even penalty count which is as low as possible.
I am sure that is not a direct instruction to all referees but it is felt like the ethos in which the sport has been managed for a while. In my opinion, if it is not addressed soon we will end up with a situation in which fewer and fewer rules are applied. We may create more problems for ourselves by not sticking to the rules.
The current interpretation of the rules allows a player to run behind a team-mate, which would have been a penalty for obstruction in the past. Now, he is not penalised if he approaches a defender and succumbs to the tackle. He effectively goes down onto his knees and lets the nearest defender touch him. How long will it be before a clever player or team decide not to touch him? The referee will then have no option but to award a penalty for a voluntary tackle.
Applying the rule in the first place makes it easier to me. We protect the integrity of the sport even if it means that we get more penalties. For some fans more penalties might be a good thing because we would probably see more tries. Either way, we need to keep it simple and stick to the rules.
I would like to conclude by picking up on a point made by some who talk about referees needing to be more consistent. Well, I listen to the coaches every week and they seem to want their players and teams to do the same, how do you expect the referee to be any different.
I know that this is not a 'black and white' subject, each game needs the referee to manage certain aspects of it, but let's make sure we stick to the rules.
