rule changes introduced for 2011

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Berkeley_Eagle

Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
The key rule changes introduced for 2011 are:

-    Defenders will be rewarded for making a good 'legs' tackle, with referees allowing them more time. They will also be allowed, within reason, to spin on top if they are the lone defender in order to get to marker;

-    Dominant tackles will only be called if dominance is gained upon impact. Gang tackles will not be called dominant;

-    A penalty will only be awarded against a leg pull if it directly affects the speed of the play-the-ball;

-    The attacking player must play the ball on the mark and will be penalised if he takes steps either forward or to the side;

-    Defenders will only be penalised for making contact with the kicker if contact is deemed unnecessary;

-    Any player that takes a kick-off or drop-out in front of the line by any margin will be penalised;

-    Tries will be awarded if decoy runners have no effect on the try being scored;

-    Scrums must bind correctly and players must not break until the referee calls 'out'. Players will be penalised if they break early; and

-    The 10-metre advantage rule has been scrapped, with referees to determine when a side has taken their advantage.

There have also been changes in the video referee's room, with Bernard Sutton moving upstairs as a result of ongoing knee problems and Paul Mellor and Rod Lawrence both video ref trainees.
 
These changes are starting to make the game fairer and more sensible. I think Gould was involved and you can tell some of his scathing comments might have had an influence here, such as the 10 mt advantage and decoy runners not effecting play.

I hope that having let a player walk down field off the mark for years that they aren't going to penalise players for small infractions. But this is still a great move. We copped heaps of second half penalties last year when refs let the opposition get a roll on and they charged forward off the mark playing the ball and we got pinged.
 
" Tries will be awarded if decoy runners have no effect on the try being scored;"

Sounds subjective and open for interpretation. Decoy runners are a blight on the game IMO

The other changes sound positive if they are correctly policed.
 
True C&C but most have been going to the box and they have been ruling on a decoy touching a player anywhere in the defensive line and ruling no try. Hopefully this will get that rubbish out.
 
absolutly agree with the first one but its probably not  as required should the players play the ball on the mark.
 
It all sounds good but there does seem to be a whole lot of subjectiveness (subjectivity?) being brought in. With good refs the game will be improved. With bad refs, we'll be kept busy having our say on this site during the week.

Look out "Have a whinge" forum.
 
Massive improvements IMHO.

predictably there will be DT reports of coaches whinging about these rules slowing down the game. That is only an issue IMO for teams that weren't playing by the rules anyway. Overall a farily well balanced set of changes for both attack and defence.

I disagree that making the issue of decoy runner interference on tryscoring as subjective is a bad thing. The shear number of contentious tries (and no tries) last year as a result of the existing rules meant that fans were always on edge when teams used 1 or 2 decoy runners in the leadup. The reason the rule change is good, is that it makes defending the try line consistent with defending at any other time. i.e. The Decoy runner is able to run at the defensive line (which is on or near the try line) without worrying about bumping into someone.
 
All very good changes. the dropout one is a bit silly there should be a margin of error there. If the player makes a genuine attempt to drop it on the line for the kick but the ball moves by a small margin, it's not the end of the world
 
Sensible changes. Can they translate to onfield/on screen improvement. We are in the hands of Harrigan.

But more importantly.........the big bad news in that article is the clearly demonstrated risks associated with watching sport on a TV screen.

Bernie Sutton far ked up his knee, just by sitting there watching....just like we do at home. I am fearful now.
 
The key rule changes introduced for 2011 are:

-    Defenders will be rewarded for making a good 'legs' tackle, with referees allowing them more time. They will also be allowed, within reason, to spin on top if they are the lone defender in order to get to marker;
Good for Stewy coming back and his try saving leg tackles

-    Dominant tackles will only be called if dominance is gained upon impact. Gang tackles will not be called dominant;
Should be an advantage for us in round 1 against the $torm and numerous other teams during the year that employ alot of gang tackles

-    A penalty will only be awarded against a leg pull if it directly affects the speed of the play-the-ball;

-    The attacking player must play the ball on the mark and will be penalised if he takes steps either forward or to the side;
Choc better watch out for this one and Gifty too

-    Defenders will only be penalised for making contact with the kicker if contact is deemed unnecessary;

-    Any player that takes a kick-off or drop-out in front of the line by any margin will be penalised;
Interesting, spose teams have been creeping forward for a few years

-    Tries will be awarded if decoy runners have no effect on the try being scored;
Awesome, especially with Snake and Wolfman coming back

-    Scrums must bind correctly and players must not break until the referee calls 'out'. Players will be penalised if they break early; and

-    The 10-metre advantage rule has been scrapped, with referees to determine when a side has taken their advantage.

There have also been changes in the video referee's room, with Bernard Sutton moving upstairs as a result of ongoing knee problems and Paul Mellor and Rod Lawrence both video ref trainees.
 
Players in Maroon and White jerseys shall be given a 4 week suspension if they are thought to be intoxicated. The rest of the comp is sweet.
 
Dan link said:
All very good changes. the dropout one is a bit silly there should be a margin of error there. If the player makes a genuine attempt to drop it on the line for the kick but the ball moves by a small margin, it's not the end of the world

Someone asked Bill this at the media briefing and he said they trialed it at training and one ref would say a kick was ok while another said it was too far and a penalty. There was no set rule on how far the margin of "ok" would be and made for big incosistencies cause it was almost impossible to set. Given this occurance they said, the line is the line, stick to it
 
I'm worried about Bill Harrigan being the refs boss.  For someone who used to at least try and let the game flow when he had the whistle (he was known for his low penalty counts), as a video ref he has just about been the most anal and following the letter of the law to a T. 

I'm expecting the usual start to the season which is the refs to go nuts and we'll have a series of nitpicking penalties ruining the flow of most games.
 
Harrigan: I'm concerned for fullback safety
Daniel Lane
March 10, 2011
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/harrigan-im-concerned-for-fullback-safety-20110309-1bo2u.html

NRL referees' boss Bill Harrigan is concerned an amendment to a contentious rule not only makes fullbacks fair game but also places them at risk of injury.

In previous years, fullbacks who ran - or ''speared'' - the ball out of their team's in-goal area and flopped to the ground in a voluntary tackle were not allowed to be dived upon by the chasers-turned-defenders. Now that rule has been revamped to end the surrender tackle. The edict effectively grants tacklers the green light to attack the prone fullback, and Harrigan admitted he endorsed the change despite some reservations.

''Yes, I am worried,'' Harrigan told the Herald of the potential danger to fullbacks. ''I was of the opinion if the player 'spears' out, why doesn't a defender simply place his hand on him to effect the tackle? No one gets hurt, he gets up and plays the ball and his team has to work out of their 20 metre, which is really hard to do.

''The players said, 'Billy, we've had a good set of six, and finished it with a well-weighted kick, why should he have the opportunity to 'dog' it? Why can't we smash him?' The players were all on the same wavelength. I thought, 'OK, they're the blokes playing; they're the blokes who want it'.''

Harrigan said he had voiced his concern to those who had mooted the change by offering the hypothetical situation of their own fullback being injured. ''Their view was for them to not dive on the ground but to run the ball,'' Harrigan said. ''One coach raised concerns about player safety, and I'm with him, but it's not about me. It's a consensus. It's the players' view. Though, I did say to [the players] to be careful because if they hit [the fullback's] head or neck they will be penalised.''

Harrigan, who refereed a record 10 grand finals and 21 State of Origin matches before his retirement in 2003, made his presence felt in his new role by ordering referees to crack down on any play-the-ball infringements during the trial matches.
 
Don't like the sound of this. Once the fullback is lying on the ground not making any progress theres no reason to belt him (except to cause injury).
 
I'm with the players on this one.
The fullback shouldn't be on the ground unless he's been put there. In any other part of the field, it's a voluntary tackle, so should it be on the try line.
What this rule might do is stop fullbacks "spearing" themselves at the defence. If somebody else spears you they get sent off, so why should you be encouraged to spear yourself?
 
So as I suspected with the rule changes the stupidest of all the rules the drop out one was the one that cost us.

I mean seriously had anyone really noticed or cared before this rule change that people were kicking the ball a little over the line?

1m in front does not equate to an extra 20 down the field. Seriously what a non issue this rule change is. All the other changes were reasonable apart from this one
 
Don't worry Dan they'll stop enforcing this nitpicking rule by round 6, just like they do every year when they have a crckdown on some pointless rule. How about crcking down on something like players moving off the mark when playing the ball. That can have a big influence on the game.
 

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