New rule sure to have all concerned at sixes and sevens

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Jethro

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Rugby league could be at sixes and sevens this season, with a new zero tackle call creating confusion for referees, players, fans and broadcasters. Any team kicking the ball over the dead-ball line will see the opposition restart play from the centre of the 20-metre line on zero tackle. This is in addition to the other zero tackle ruling, in use for some time, which applies when a team gains possession from a knock-on. In other words, there are now two situations where a team receives seven tackles, rather than the standard six.

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Rugby league could be at sixes and sevens this season, with a new zero tackle call creating confusion for referees, players, fans and broadcasters. Any team kicking the ball over the dead-ball line wi
DalyC-297x2021.jpg
ll see the opposition restart play from the centre of the 20-metre line on zero tackle. This is in addition to the other zero tackle ruling, in use for some time, which applies when a team gains possession from a knock-on. In other words, there are now two situations where a team receives seven tackles, rather than the standard six.

Rugby league operated for nearly 50 years as a six-tackle game but now has seven tackles whenever a team regains possession from a knock-on, or when a ball is kicked dead. Codes like football pride themselves on the simplicity of their rules, aware that the same laws which apply for Manchester United also prevail when Penrith under-16Bs play Emu Plains.

While the NRL has match referees, pocket referees, video referees, coaches of referees and statisticians counting tackles, together with a plethora of broadcasters, they can still miscount, as occurred during last year's finals when Cronulla scored a try after a referee lost count midway through a set.

NRL general manager of football operations Nathan McGuirk does not believe the new seven tackle ruling will create more blunders: ''Tony Archer [NRL referees coach] said the effect [of the additional zero tackle ruling] will be very minimal in terms of its impact on miscounting.''

Some coaches argue the NRL has overreacted to the ball deliberately being kicked dead by teams determined to keep the Steeden away from brilliant fullbacks such as Billy Slater and Ben Barba.

They claim the NRL could have simply applied the zero tackle rule to say a ball kicked from 40 metres out that slams into the back fence. Here the intent is clearly to stop the opposition running the ball back and to slow down the game, allowing the kicking team time to regroup their defence at the 20-metre tap. Compare this with a deeper kick that stops a centimetre over the dead-ball line. The new rule could discourage those finely weighted in-goal grubbers from players like Cooper Cronk. However, there is method in the madness of McGuirk's rules committee, which includes coach Wayne ''Old Man Winner'' Bennett, a long-term proponent of zero tackles. Teams will now run the ball more on the last tackle in the opposition quarter, rather than launch a speculative bomb or gamble on a grubber.

Consider the defensive advantages of running the ball on the last tackle, rather than kicking.

First, assuming a try is not scored, play will restart, say, five metres from the try line where the last tackle was made, rather than at a 20-metre tap.

Second, the team receiving the ball from the handover has six tackles, not seven. Therefore, by running the ball rather than kicking, the change of possession is made 15 metres closer to the attack's line, with one less tackle to use the ball.

McGuirk says his committee hoped the new rule would encourage more ball running on the last tackle.

''South Sydney did it one or two times in the Charity Shield match,'' he said. ''We hope it brings more unpredictabilty to the game.''

He argued 20-metre restarts with an additional tackle will see teams ignite their dangerous attack midway through the set. ''Instead of taking a grinding set, tackle three could see them over the halfway line and they can play more of an attacking brand in the opposition half,'' he said. McGuirk concedes that 90 per cent of the time NRL teams will still kick on the last tackle in search of a try or a repeat set, but says the new rule could have a ''multiplier effect''.

Indeed it could. If a team receives a restart on the 20-metre line from a team kicking the ball dead, it could use six tackles to reach the opposition line and run it on the last tackle.

If it doesn't score a try, it knows play restarts with a changeover at the last tackle, rather than at the 20-metre line on zero tackle. In other words, a team that attacked from a 20-metre tap punishes the opposition twice - for kicking it dead and then, seven tackles later, forcing it to bring the ball out from its own goal line at the other end of the field, with only six tackles. It's head-spinning stuff, even if referees may be at sixes and sevens in the tackle count.


Roy Masters

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/new-rule-sure-to-have-all-concerned-at-sixes-and-sevens-20140228-33r5z.html
 
No one from the NRL has yet explained why referees in the WCC and trials were giving a 20m zero tackle restart when a team made an error in the opposition goal.

I understand if they kick the ball dead that means a 20m restart with a zero tackle. But when a team chases a kick into the ingoal but then knocks on trying to score a try the referees have been ruling it as a 20m restart with a zero tackle.

Yet another case of the NRL referees been given a rule for one thing and then deciding themselves to expand it to other things.
 
Jethro said:
Rugby league could be at sixes and sevens this season, with a new zero tackle call creating confusion for referees, players, fans and broadcasters. Any team kicking the ball over the dead-ball line will see the opposition restart play from the centre of the 20-metre line on zero tackle. This is in addition to the other zero tackle ruling, in use for some time, which applies when a team gains possession from a knock-on. In other words, there are now two situations where a team receives seven tackles, rather than the standard six.

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One thing is for certain. Some ref, probably Hayne or Checcin, will manage to f**k it up against us at some stage of the season.
 
Might stop the dreaded plethora of bombs supposedly heading our wingers way!

I'm not sure it's that confusing. I mean footballers are not typically painted with the Einstein brush, but c'mon, it's not that hard to understand.

Though I don't know why it was made to be a zero tackle instead of a normal restart (article says to really, really make sure teams don't kick the ball dead) and mickqld is probably right as well....the ref's will probably screw it up for us.
 

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