'downtown' rule

[m0nty]

Sure, that's what rugby league needs... ELVs to make the game more like union... :sarcasm:

 

[jc155776]

Make the rule simple. Do not advance when the ball is kicked unless you are behind the kicker or are run onside.

 

[andrew057]

It's a great rule. Bravo.

 

[Gaba]

i guess they should also re introduce the law of where the attacking team players must be 10m behind the dummy half when the play the ball is played, then there would be no iffy decision whether the players in front of the kickers were blockers or not it will take away the downtown rule fullstop

 

[Moffo]

why didnt they just increase the distance to 15-20m?

ffs dickheads

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I think it's a great rule! Fullbacks continually get dominated by a wall of defense. I miss the days of a fullback making a break by being in a one on one situation when bringing the ball back. I'd say the rule will also change the way kickers these days continually drill the ball low and flat when trying to make metres. I can see the high and long torpedo kick coming back into the game.

 

[RufusRex]

i guess they should also re introduce the law of where the attacking team players must be 10m behind the dummy half when the play the ball is played, then there would be no iffy decision whether the players in front of the kickers were blockers or not it will take away the downtown rule fullstop

Actually it was 5m that the attacking side had to be back ... and if they brought this back the game would be a lot faster ... Both attacking and defensive players would be 10m apart however (as it is now) but with the defensive line only needing to retreat 5m instead of 10 the ruck wouldnt have to be as slow and you get rid of all the crap surrounding dominant tackles. You would also get rid of dummy half running as the benefit would be removed and you would also get back the passing five eighth.

 

[RL1908]

Actually it was 5m that the attacking side had to be back ... and if they brought this back the game would be a lot faster ... Both attacking and defensive players would be 10m apart however (as it is now) but with the defensive line only needing to retreat 5m instead of 10 the ruck wouldnt have to be as slow and you get rid of all the crap surrounding dominant tackles. You would also get rid of dummy half running as the benefit would be removed and you would also get back the passing five eighth.

Stop it, please - you're making too much sense!

 

[sydneysharkbrisbane68]

We are going to see return of mid field bombs, as fullback is waiting inside 20, put a bomb up that comes down 30 metres out, anyone's ball considering with new rule, most fullbacks will make it 30 metres out

 

[The Engineers Room]

They could simplify this. If you are infront of the play the ball when kicked you must not advance and cannot make a tackle until or unless the kicker runs you onside. Players behind the play the ball in front of the kicker must still give the 10m.

 

[myanonymoususername]

They could simplify this. If you are infront of the play the ball when kicked you must not advance and cannot make a tackle until or unless the kicker runs you onside. Players behind the play the ball in front of the kicker must still give the 10m.

I think thats pretty much the rule in union. Players in front of the kicker can't advance or get involved in play until the kicker puts them onside.

I think the new interpretation is a good idea - remains to be seen how well/consistently it will be applied/

 

[jc155776]

I think thats pretty much the rule in union. Players in front of the kicker can't advance or get involved in play until the kicker puts them onside.

I think the new interpretation is a good idea - remains to be seen how well/consistently it will be applied/

Any player behind the kicker can run people onside.

 

[Paulie Jay]

This is not so much a new rule - it is a throw back to an earlier time when players were penalised for being in front of the ruck when kicks were taken. The rot started around the mid 1980s (at a similar time when scrums started to go to pot) when players started to encroach the ruck by small distances but weren't penalised. It snowballed from there.

 

[Loudstrat]

Personally I like to see a fullback smashed. Or kicks contested. Fully Slater is allegedly advocating it after what he and Croker did to Snake - with no penalty.

 

[***MH***]

Any player behind the kicker can run people onside.

Negative.

There are only 5 ways an offside player can be placed onside.

Section 14. Law 3.

Placed onside
3. An off side player is placed onside if:
(a) an opponent moves ten metres or more with the
ball.
(b) an opponent touches the ball without retaining it.
(c) one of his own team in possession of the ball
runs in front of him.
(d) one of his own team kicks or knocks the ball
forward and takes up a position in front of him in
the field of play.
(e) he retires behind the point where the ball was last
touched by one of his own team.​

Law 3, d advises that one of his own team kicks or knocks the ball forward and takes up a position in front of him in the field of play. Nothing advises that a player behind the kicker can place an offside player back onside.

 

[ratsack2]

Easy to negate, just a long kick over the dead ball line, tap 20 metres out with your defence set, I dont know why someone didnt work it out year ago.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I think the other aspect is that players in front of the kicker are used as obstructions but it seems to be OK if the player is kicking the ball. But what if he doesn't kick and runs it? Will they penalise for the obstruction?

 

[Canard]

I think this rule change will actually have the opposite effect. Coaches will just instruct their kickers to deliberately kick it dead instead. This tactic was used a lot last season against Slater in particular.

It means waiting for another minute or so to pack the scrum, and another forward standing at pivot to take the hitup. Making the game slower and less interesting, instead of giving fullbacks more room to run in a broken field.

Besides, kickers who chase their own kicks (Thurston, Kimmorley etc) will just bring everyone back onside anyway won't they? Or are the offending plays considered offside until the defending fullback catches the ball?

Kicking the ball dead on the last tackle has been around for a lot longer than Billy Slater.

 

[DRef]

Hi all,

The Downtown Rule has been in the laws for at least the past 30 years that I can remember, so nothing has changed. All that's happening now is they have decided to place more focus on this law and enforce it the way that it should have always been done.

The rule has nothing to do with being within 10m of the catcher as this rule only applies if they are in front of the kicker and they are behind the point of the play the ball when the ball passes them from the kick.

If they moved pass the point of the play the ball before the kick is taken, then the Downtown Rule applies and they are concidered to be automatically off side at his point.

The penalty for this breach is awarded at the point they passed the play ball area, unless they stop moving forward towards the ball or the player in possession.

Hope this helps to explain the rule.

Cheers,

D Ref

 

[Vossy]

well it didnt take long for Ben Cummins and Gerrard Goose Suttor to forget this rule..was non existant last night eg: inglish puts up his bomb and everybody is offside..