Reasons behind the Rules?

[Pontefractious]

fairly certain you have always been able to pass off the ground as long as it is your one play and immediate (ie cant place it than then flick it up)

but assuming it is a change, it make the game faster, less standing around a ruck, balls already out, also more chance of catching a retreating team out possibly leading to tries.....that is nowhere near making the ist of rules i think need to change

I'm talking about 60 years ago - didn't realize the rule was changed that long ago. Seems to me that the immediate release rule makes it much harder to retain possession. We would therefore see a lot less of the run into a tackle/pass back/run into a tackle/pass back monotony that for me makes modern rugby look a lot like rugby league.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I'm talking about 60 years ago - didn't realize the rule was changed that long ago. Seems to me that the immediate release rule makes it much harder to retain possession. We would therefore see a lot less of the run into a tackle/pass back/run into a tackle/pass back monotony that for me makes modern rugby look a lot like rugby league.

im not even sure the rule has chance...just people have realised that the rules never stipulated you have to put it on the ground, just release...and the modern player is faster and honestly smarter so want to play faster

also, if you literally just let go...your knock it on more times than not due to momentum, so players always placed it on the ground

 

[Wattie67]

I remember playing in the late '70s and then having to stop as I got a job which meant working weekends.
I went to watch Gloucester with a few friends around 2006- boy! Kicking off had changed- drop kicking the ball and charging instead of kicking from the ground towards the players gathering on whichever wing you were intending to attack.
Once tackled, instead of dropping to a foetal position and placing the ball down it appeared you could get up and continue- my strict Welsh Coach would have gone mad!
And being hoisted by a team mate to catch the ball from a throw in….. Speechless!
Even today I'm still trying to get my head around the scrum- I may remember this incorrectly but didn't we once have to push the opposing team over the ball which had been placed between the two sides?
Having said all this- what a game, love it and regret having had to have worked all those weekends for so many years!

 

[BPM]

Sounds like you have a lot of catching up to do!

The aim of the scrum is still to 'push the opposing team over the ball'. However, it rarely happens. Usually the weaker scrum will collapse before it gets push back over the ball resulting in a penalty.

A 'throw-in' is a lineout and lifting is an essential part of it. Each team will have a plethora of different lineout calls which are intended to minimise the opposing team's opportunity to compete for the ball.

 

[Wattie67]

Sounds like you have a lot of catching up to do!

The aim of the scrum is still to 'push the opposing team over the ball'. However, it rarely happens. Usually the weaker scrum will collapse before it gets push back over the ball resulting in a penalty.

The ball doesn't have to enter the scrum between the two teams now does it? It appears to be rolled towards the back row?

A 'throw-in' is a lineout and lifting is an essential part of it. Each team will have a plethora of different lineout calls which are intended to minimise the opposing team's opportunity to compete for the ball.

I got that- however alien it appeared at the time!!

 

[Kiwiwomble]

The ball doesn't have to enter the scrum between the two teams now does it? It appears to be rolled towards the back row?

its still supposed to be down the middle

 

[dullonien]

its still supposed to be down the middle

Not quite. It's still 'supposed' to be rolled in straight, but the scrum half is allowed to be slightly over to his side (shoulder in line with the centre of the scrum from memory).

This blatantly still doesn't happen though, with most 9's allowed to feed the ball straight to the second rows feet at best, backrow feet at worst.

I find it odd that the lineout is scruitinised so closely, even in terrible weather hookers are called back for slightly skewed throws sometimes, despite throwing into the lineout being a far, far harder skill than just rolling a ball straight when feeding a scrum i.e. hookers are called up for slight errors in their technique, whereas scrum halves are allowed to blatantly cheat!

 

[Wattie67]

I thought exactly this, lineouts have to be straight but it seems that putting into the scrum doesn't.
And the referee is stood right next to the number 9 as he puts in- it's not like the ref is on the other side of the scrum is it?!

 

[Flankers' paradise]

I thought exactly this, lineouts have to be straight but it seems that putting into the scrum doesn't.
And the referee is stood right next to the number 9 as he puts in- it's not like the ref is on the other side of the scrum is it?!

Well, they have slightly relaxed this in that if the throw is deemed 'not straight' but - and I need to double check the exact terms on this - either the opposition don't go up, or go up but aren't in a realistic position to compete, i.e jump at the back but the ball is not straight to the front jumper, then it's play on

 

[Saintjay]

As said the great Nigel Owens "I'm straighter than that".

 

[dullonien]

Well, they have slightly relaxed this in that if the throw is deemed 'not straight' but - and I need to double check the exact terms on this - either the opposition don't go up, or go up but aren't in a realistic position to compete, i.e jump at the back but the ball is not straight to the front jumper, then it's play on

Yeah, trialled at this years U20 WC + are they also using it during the current Rugby Championship? Makes sense to me, might as well let the game continue if opposition weren't going to compete anyway.