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Old 1970's scrum Rules

ozenzud

Juniors
Messages
651
Having a debate at work regarding scrums. I know there were different rules in the 70's as to attacking team, error etc as to who got the head and who got the feed.

I remember playing under them as a school kid but cannot remember how the rules worked.

Anyone?
 

LineBall

Juniors
Messages
1,719
Having a debate at work regarding scrums. I know there were different rules in the 70's as to attacking team, error etc as to who got the head and who got the feed.

I remember playing under them as a school kid but cannot remember how the rules worked.

Anyone?

I believe the defending half back fed the scrum, while the attacking team had the loose head.

In 1982 it was changed to the non-offending team getting the loose head and feed.

Happy to be proven wrong though.
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
Ball was put in straight

There was even a season when the referee would feed the scrum
 

unforgiven

Bench
Messages
3,138
I believe the defending half back fed the scrum, while the attacking team had the loose head.

In 1982 it was changed to the non-offending team getting the loose head and feed.

Happy to be proven wrong though.
That was the rule from 1931 to 1982 when it changed to the non offending team getting loose head and feed for a scrum from a penalty as you said. The only difference to this was from 1963 the loose head and feed went to non offending team in a scrum resulting from a penalty.
 

ozenzud

Juniors
Messages
651
So when we kicked for touch from a penalty, there was a scrum? I started playing in 1971 or 72 (was only 5) but I don't remember that!
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
Scrums were formed 10m from the sideline rather than 20m

Or 5m from the try line

You could score pushover scrum tries

Or burrow through a scrum as a attacking move

Winning the ball against the feed was common - a good hooker was vital when you 41-34 scrum counts
 

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,708
Having a debate at work regarding scrums. I know there were different rules in the 70's as to attacking team, error etc as to who got the head and who got the feed.

I remember playing under them as a school kid but cannot remember how the rules worked.

Anyone?
70’s scrums..

Ball fed by attacking halfback.

Pack tight.
Hold.
Push push push.
Push punch push.
Punch punch push.

Ball pops out, halfback grabs it.

Lock smashes halfback.
 

Leigh Howlett

Juniors
Messages
661
I loved the old days when a scrum was formed immediately without a committee meeting on how to form it, the props crashed in so no sneaky bastard could steal the loose head or gain it, yeah until Alfie Langer came along you were penalised for feeding the second row, oh for the old days when being a Hooker was an honest profession!.
 

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,965
Scrums were formed 10m from the sideline rather than 20m

Or 5m from the try line

You could score pushover scrum tries

Or burrow through a scrum as a attacking move

Winning the ball against the feed was common - a good hooker was vital when you 41-34 scrum counts

In a game from 1985 Balmain v Canterbury, the Bulldogs played Steve Folkes at hooker against Benny Elias as the game got tense in the second half Elias was canning him in the scrums and won 3 tight heads giving the Tigers plenty of possession forcing Warren Ryan to get his specialist hooker, Billy Johnstone into the game.

 

Canard

Immortal
Messages
34,147
I loved the old days when a scrum was formed immediately without a committee meeting on how to form it, the props crashed in so no sneaky bastard could steal the loose head or gain it, yeah until Alfie Langer came along you were penalised for feeding the second row, oh for the old days when being a Hooker was an honest profession!.

Alfie didn't get a start in the NSWRL until 88.

Sterlo, Mortimer and Co were putting at the locks feet by 84/85.

Everyone romantices scrums but 40 a game was boring as f**k and repeated scrum penalties even worse. I'd suggest Union if you want to get your fix
 
Messages
13,793
Alfie didn't get a start in the NSWRL until 88.

Sterlo, Mortimer and Co were putting at the locks feet by 84/85.

Everyone romantices scrums but 40 a game was boring as f**k and repeated scrum penalties even worse. I'd suggest Union if you want to get your fix

They brought in the differential penalty due to the amount of scrum penalties seeing kicks at goal taken.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,147
The restart after a penalty should be a scrum. That would make teams less likely to give penalties away in the red zone as they do now.
 

LineBall

Juniors
Messages
1,719
Alfie didn't get a start in the NSWRL until 88.

Sterlo, Mortimer and Co were putting at the locks feet by 84/85.

Everyone romantices scrums but 40 a game was boring as f**k and repeated scrum penalties even worse. I'd suggest Union if you want to get your fix

40 a game would start to wear thin, but I doubt too many games would even get into the 30's.

Watching the games from the early 80's - most scrums were over and done with fairly quickly, definitely quicker than what happens now. Sure there were some scrum penalties, but with them being a differential - it just became a handover with some extra territory thrown in. Nowadays it's basically a handover anyway.

IMO a lot of rules changes that have happened since the late 80's has been a detriment to the game as a spectacle.
 
Messages
13,793
I wish they would get rid of scrums.

Never going to happen. It is one of the few times in a game where players and officials get their breath back and able to get their heart rates down. If you did, for safety reasons, they'd have to increase the interchange.
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
I like them but need three basic changes

1 - put the ball in straight
2 - reduce the time to pack the scrum back to 20 sec
3 - allow scrums to be set 10m in from the sideline or 5m out from a try line
 

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