NRL rule changes to cut time wasteing

[Guest]

NRL changes rules to cut time-wasting, says Todd Greenberg

Date
January 26, 2014

Daniel Lane
Sports reporter & Video journalist

NRL head of football Todd Greenberg has signed off on a series of significant rule changes - including structured times when a captain can talk to the referee during a game - in the hope of cutting time-wasting.

Greenberg said the changes were made after consultations with the clubs, coaches, the competition committee and 11,000 NRL members and fans who responded to an online review.

The NRL has also enforced the rules aimed at deterring the crusher and canon ball tackles, with the match review committee directed to charge crusher tackles at the ''higher end'', while referees are advised to call ''held'' earlier when a player is trapped in an upright position to prevent the third, and late, defender from coming in.

Greenberg conceded the changes to ''captain communication'' could raise some debate.

Under that rule, a skipper can only talk to a referee during a stoppage in play and as players leave the field for the half-time break. Penalties and scrums, however, are deemed not to be considered as breaks in play.

''There was a level of frustration from players, fans and members when they watched games that when a player gets penalised, the attacking team should have the right to take a quick tap or kick for the line when they're ready and the referee has given them the mark,'' Greenberg said.

''It'll no longer be permitted [at the penalty] for a captain to rush up to talk to the referee. There'll be ample opportunity for them to do that in a structured manner. One of those times will be at half-time as they walk off the field.

''People want to see football, they want to see the ball in play, and the decisions we've made complement that view. It's not taking away the opportunity for the captains to talk, but it certainly allows for the game to move on.''

The changes include:

Zero tackle from 20-metre restart: The first tackle after a 20-metre optional kick will be called a zero tackle. The rule change provides an extra tackle to discourage tactical kicks and negative play when the ball is kicked dead to slow down the game and deny wingers and fullbacks the chance to return kicks.

40/20 restarts: The team that performs a 40/20 kick will restart play with a tap kick 20 metres in from the touch at the point it crossed the line instead of at a scrum.

Restarts from kicks out on the full: A handover will be awarded when the ball is kicked out on the full.

Stop the clock: During the last five minutes of a match, the clock will stop following a conversion or penalty kick at goal until play restarts at halfway.

Quick taps: A quick penalty restart will be permitted on any infringement except 10-metre penalties, where the referee issues a caution or within 10 metres of the opposition goal line. The change encourages more continuous play.

Goal-kicking time limit: The referee will call time-off at about one minute, 20 seconds following a try. Fines will still apply to clubs when a player takes longer than 1:40 to take a conversion.

''This has been the end of five months of heavy consultation with clubs,'' Greenberg said. ''We've been able to get around and get opinions, which is important, but the point I've made to coaches is 'We'll always listen to you and we'll take your opinions on board but our charter is to make decisions that are in the best interest of the game'.''

Quick taps will have a big impact..

[Hawkeye]

Don't see how a tap benefits a team who just kicked a 40-20.
Surely a scrum (that you're feeding) is more to your advantage as at least half the opposition team is engaged in the scrum and out of the way for that first tackle as you attack the try line.

[milanja]

Don't see how a tap benefits a team who just kicked a 40-20.
Surely a scrum (that you're feeding) is more to your advantage as at least half the opposition team is engaged in the scrum and out of the way for that first tackle as you attack the try line.

Yep they haven't really thought about that one.

I like the zero tackle rule, will be like getting a free 10m, so if you deliberately kick out on the full you will give up 30m, crucial if playing for a field goal.

the stop the clock rule should just apply to all trys throughout the game if they are gonna do it in the last 5min. So they are saying, waste as much time as u like if a try is scored with 6min to go, but with 5min to we stop the clock? Silly.

[The Rooster Oracle]

I like all the rule changes. We will see more footy getting played which can only be a good thing! The picture that goes with the article of showing an example of a cannon ball with $am $quirrel burge$$ performing one, why was he not cited for that incident??

[roosterproud]

Don't see how a tap benefits a team who just kicked a 40-20.
Surely a scrum (that you're feeding) is more to your advantage as at least half the opposition team is engaged in the scrum and out of the way for that first tackle as you attack the try line.

a srum isn't a scrum any more. it is a time waster and if you can take a hand over or a kick tap restart its a good thing.
there would have been less than 5 wins against the feed in scrums in 2013. this is what happens when you feed the second row I guess.

the miss out one more rule change.

every time a grub(innis,watnow) approach a ref flapping their arm around pleading for jack shit, they should be sent for 5

another is every time catai fiens an injury he should be sent off as an interchange

[Yak]

Don't see how a tap benefits a team who just kicked a 40-20.
Surely a scrum (that you're feeding) is more to your advantage as at least half the opposition team is engaged in the scrum and out of the way for that first tackle as you attack the try line.

Because it is a quick tap scenario and not a turn over it will actually benefit the attacking team greatly. If the attacking team puts in on the kick chase and the ball crosses the touch line for a 40/20 that means most of the kicking team may be at the 20 ready to take the quick tap while the defending team is still lumbering upfield to get back and defend their line after a big set of defence. It will be similarly advantageous as making a clean line break back to the oppositions 20 from a kick return I would imagine.

I do not like the rule whatsoever as it takes emphasis and encouragement away from good defence and a good kick chase. To force the kicker to kick behind his 40 is achievement that should be rewarded. Instead this rule now means fullbacks will have to be more wary of protecting their sidelines and will position more laterally meaning a slightly larger corridor down the centre of the field so even if you don't go for the 40/20 you get more space to kick into (basically because you had shit go forward). More space means the team that defended well gets disadvantaged on the next set because their kick return was not as great. In my opinion, even though they are trying to make the game more exciting with this, I think it will just amount to less 40/20s (because fullbacks will cover more) and more football played between the 20 metre lines (because a good defensive set may no longer necessarily mean that you'll be playing the ball on first tackle on the 40 which would see a more attacking set).

If I were an NRL coach I'd be telling my boys any time you make a tackle between the 40 and halfway walk the player upright closer to the halfway and make sure he ends up on his back. This would mean the fullback doesn't have to worry about a possible 40/20 and can defend normally. Better to give up a few metres at the end of your set if it means more on the kick return. Obviously this would not apply if your team kept them within say the 35m where the kickers angle for a 40/20 (probably kicking from the 30) is much more closed off and the risk is low.

This will however be a good rule for when teams are willing to kick early in the tackle count. If this starts happening coaches will have to stress kick pressure much earlier in the count which could lead to more space for switches back behind the ruck.

On the 20m tap restart first tackle being the zero rule change, this will mean one of two things. 1. Pearce gets a lot better with his grubbers. Or 2. Even more bombs.

[ROC181]

It's like they got together for a drink one afternoon and decided they had to change the rules for 2014. Whilst I don't mind the 'stopping the clock' rule, the extra tackle on the 20m is a bit much. Yes it is a tactical ploy to slow it down but it really isn't such a big problem IMO.

[Andrew Walker]

The game has gone mad Penalising players now for tackling around the legs What is next penalising them for tackling too hard

[Guest]

The game has gone mad Penalising players now for tackling around the legs What is next penalising them for tackling too hard

Only if your big like masoe

[SConcierge]

I think the rule changes will benefit us the game will be quicker, it will hurt the bigger and unfit teams. The early held on a player tackled upwright to prevent 3rd man will finish off the storm.

[Guest]

Gives the refs more to rules on. And we all know how they are 'coping' with rules as they were...

[roosterproud]

good luck refs, you have struggled for 20 years getting the zero tackle right and the off sides wrong since adam played for the moses brothers

[Darkone]

I think the rule changes will benefit us the game will be quicker, it will hurt the bigger and unfit teams. The early held on a player tackled upwright to prevent 3rd man will finish off the storm.

yeah the rules will be Friend(ly) for us with our speed & fitness, like last year more pain inflicted upon the enemy

[Guest]

The biggest blight on the game is the wrestle in the play the ball. What have they done to stop that?
Focus on cannonball tackles, let's get the wrestle out of the game. Increase all penalties across the board for crushers,chicken wings, leg twists,neck cranks,rear naked chokes, figure four leg locks and what ever other stupid names they have. Make it a mandatory 4week suspension for first offence,6-8 for a second offence and 10-12 for a third. That will stop the shit in the play the ball.
I don't have an issue with the rule changes but think there are other areas that need to be addressed first

[Guest]

If you've built a lead during a match then you've earned the right to time waste.

And the worst thing in the game is the wrestling. **** you bellamy!