Adam SutcliffeNRL amend contentious rules
May 28th 2007 07:54
MEDIA RELEASE - National Rugby League
NRL players will now be allowed to decline taking conversion attempts, in a direct response to the controversial finish to yesterday's Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers match at CUA Stadium.
Effective immediately, only captains of NRL teams can now approach the on field referee to decline the shot at goal, after investigation of the official International Rule Book today shed no light on an offical ruling.
The NRL, through the ARL, will also present a submission to the Rugby League International Federation to seek a universal change to the current ruling, as well as a proposed change at international level to the contentious 'grounding of the ball' ruling.
The immediate change at NRL level is another attempt to quash the current controversey surrounding the wave of contentious video referee rulings, with NRL Chief Operating Officer Graham Annesley today announcing the reasoning for the change.
"The rules of the game were framed at a time that did not contemplate the ability of modern technology to dissect every possible frame," Annesley said.
"The video referees concede that they are finding themselves now being forced to question try decision that in the past would have been awarded with little question."
The current Rules state that a try is scored when: " a) placing the ball on the ground with hand or hands..."
The interpretation given to video referees in the Telstra Premiership from this point will add:
"For the purposes of Section a, if, in the process of grounding the ball, the ball leaves the hand(s) but at all times remains in contact with the arm(s) or fingers of the player, the ball will be deemed to have been correctly placed on the ground if there is downward pressure
applied to the ball."
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