Technical Coach said:
Sometimes i think refs and commentators over exaggerate the impact the momentum argument has on ball flight to justify a forward looking pass.
I have no idea of the distance a ball can travel forward at a given speed due to momentum but "most" times in my uneducated opinion the speed the player is running at would normally be under 25km/h.(yes i understand top speeds are more but most passes are executed under this speed) I doubt passes that look obviously forward have been due to momentum so i'm totally for just simplifying the rule at present---i mean in the end 90-95% of decisions are probably correct so this technology would have to be almost full proof to justify the expense---- if so i'm all for it.
In the end i dont blame our loss due to a forward pass that was executed after a yawning gap was run through we only have ourselves to blame for poor defence---i hate the forward flat and no look passes that can change a way a defense reads a play though---some flat passes i can deal with but some that are described as flat are not.
Totally agree. 25km/h would be pretty much spot on for top speed in the NRL.
Over 60m the record is 33.8km/h and over 100 37.58km/h by Ussain Bolt. Not even our competitions fastest runners would be close to that.
Add to that, not many players are running at top speed when they pass, at list 90% of the time they slow down, even if a little to pass the ball.
25km/h isn't very fast and wouldn't carry a lot of momentum with it, which is why these guys can stop almost on the spot