The new technology that could end contentious forward pass calls

[Eagle 1]

The NRL is trialling technology during the upcoming pre-season games that it hopes will finally end one of the biggest frustrations in the game; definitively determining whether a pass has been thrown forward.

Surely if the hope of this trial is to determine whether the pass was 'thrown forward' then the technology will serve no use?

A football 'thrown' forward should be easily spotted by a referee/touchies watching the player's hands. Technology can't fix that.

The technology will only be of use if the rules of the game are changed so a pass thrown backwards is illegal if the ball travels forward. In other words, when team mates are running forward in support, they probably will never be able to lawfully pass the ball.

While on the subject of changes in the game, Knock on's, it should only be a knock on if the ball touches the ground going forward. To call a knock on when you momentarily lose your grip on the ball into an opposing player when being tackled, is just to harsh. Think of all the play on calls by the ref, no more of the ref blowing his whistle, when to the crowd it looks like it went backwards only to be called a knock on. But I guess a lot of people on here might say the games going fast enough as it is.

 

[Eagle 1]

WTF do touch judges do. What a useless bunch

True, when you see the real obvious forward pass in a try scoring situation, and the touchy just plainly misses it, I just shake my head.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

This will cause more issues then it solves, every time they try and fix something they create 6 more problems.
Will also slow the game down, so many passes are flat and should be let go but won't be.
A flat pass near your own line and the team runs 90 metres to score with the play been called back as it was a flat pass but the computer says was 3 inches forward.

Bang on, Duffman. As is always the case when they start tinkering with rugby league, you really need to be careful what you wish for. I reckon these things will be going off way more than anybody realised or intended.

 

[Brookie Bob]

If only this technology could reverse the results of the 1996 and 2013 Grand Finals.

 

[manly al]

Probably worth a try considering the Bunker can not rule on forward passes . , In theory should balance out for all teams and other sports have some pretty advanced technology these days which seem to eliminate human error and provide some more consistency . Consistency might be still over rated in some N R L quarters but might have a better application here . See how it goes in the trials and season lead up games and should get a better assessment from there if it will be an improvement .

 

[StuBoot]

There should be hefty fines for forward passes too.

Especially on long weekends and holidays

 

[Peter C]

If only this technology could reverse the results of the 1996 and 2013 Grand Finals.

No way BB, those Dragons didn't deserve the 2010 GF, let alone handing them the 1996 GF.
As for 1995, we get you

 

[Peter C]

There should be hefty fines for forward passes too.

And seventh tackle tries

 

[Shoe1]

Especially on long weekends and holidays

I think there should be warning signs at the grounds too: no forward passes, fines apply.

 

[Brookie Bob]

No way BB, those Dragons didn't deserve the 2010 GF, let alone handing them the 1996 GF.
As for 1995, we get you

What's one year between friends.....
While we didn't play all that well against the Bulldogs in the 95 GF, that forward pass was blatant and called by the commentators on the day.

 

[The '47ers]

My head hurts

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

SMH By Adrian Proszenko

The NRL is trialling technology during the upcoming pre-season games

It appears it is being trialled but no reports yet from NRL...
This from the US this week

"If the ball moves towards the opposition try line faster than you do as the passer, that's a forward pass."

A former NASA engineer could solve rugby's oldest problem | CNN

UK-based company Sportable has developed technology that’s inserted into a rugby ball to spot forward passes, and provide real-time kicking data.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Dee Why Eagle]

If the ball moves towards the opposition try line faster than you do as the passer, that's a forward pass."

Generally correct...
But what if you pass backward, momentum carries it forward but as you pass, you are crunched in a tackle & your forward progress (sorry Rex!) is halted?
That would be incorrectly deemed a forward pass by the above definition.

 

[jbb/james]

Probably worth a try considering the Bunker can not rule on forward passes . , In theory should balance out for all teams and other sports have some pretty advanced technology these days which seem to eliminate human error and provide some more consistency . Consistency might be still over rated in some N R L quarters but might have a better application here . See how it goes in the trials and season lead up games and should get a better assessment from there if it will be an improvement .

I would suspect if the NRL adopt this tech,mwill adjust the rules to allow the bunker to over rule the tech, and the ball

I also expect the tech to crash at very oppotune times

 

[globaleagle]

It appears it is being trialled but no reports yet from NRL...
This from the US this week

"If the ball moves towards the opposition try line faster than you do as the passer, that's a forward pass."

A former NASA engineer could solve rugby's oldest problem | CNN

UK-based company Sportable has developed technology that’s inserted into a rugby ball to spot forward passes, and provide real-time kicking data.

edition.cnn.com

"If the ball moves towards the opposition try line faster than you do as the passer, that's a forward pass."


It's interesting to read this in conjunction with the nrl thoughts which have been "It's the angle of the hands when the ball is released"

It's all adding up to a total poop show which is on point for how the nrl do things.

penalty broncos.

 

[globaleagle]

Generally correct...
But what if you pass backward, momentum carries it forward but as you pass, you are crunched in a tackle & your forward progress (sorry Rex!) is halted?
That would be incorrectly deemed a forward pass by the above definition.

It's amazing how every single time a player gets tackled like that, the refs call a forward pass, yet refs themselves say that the ball can travel forward with the momentum of the player passing it.

the whistling derpish just can't get their heads around the very thing they say they understand.

 

[DUFFMAN]

Forward is forward, to me it doesn't matter if motion has carried it forward its still traveled forward
.
Remove the grey area, there are too many grey areas in the game which always divides fans, usually there is nothing wrong with that or it's the wrong call depending if you are on the receiving end of the call.
A black and white rule reduces that frustration.

 

[Shoe1]

"If the ball moves towards the opposition try line faster than you do as the passer, that's a forward pass."


It's interesting to read this in conjunction with the nrl thoughts which have been "It's the angle of the hands when the ball is released"

It's all adding up to a total poop show which is on point for how the nrl do things.

penalty broncos.

Melbourne will perfect the art of a really slow forward pass, delivered by a player running at full tilt.

 

[HK_Eagle]

Give touchies back their cajones?

 

[globaleagle]

I wonder if they'll use it for knock ons, and for the times when a fullback goes to catch the ball...they touch it, it goes back yet the ref from 40 metes away can def see the ball travels towards the try line (b/s).

Though under the category of being careful for what we wish for... it has the potential to stop the game 100 more times.