Why Can't the Video Ref Rule On a Forward Pass?

[Bengal]

Trouble with that is 1 man will think that was obvious obvious forward but his mate might think it wasn't that obvious at all.

Can be applied to any given situation by any given ref. Interpretations, within games and between refs, differ all the time.

Where does it stop? Can of worms opened up. Something for the Telecrap to write about I suppose.

Like all other rules or interpretations thereof, there needs to be a standard - one that all parties agree upon and work towards achieving and maintaining. Forward passes should be no different. Bottom line is we're hamstrung and that's a stupid place to be in this tech-heavy era we live in now and even sillier given that another sport has little qualms about using technology to rule on them.

 

[Tommy Smith]

The issue for me isn't about more or less influence, but consistency. I've never liked that this is the only thing in the entire rulebook that is treated differently by the video ref.

Reason I bring it up again is that I think the changes to the BOTD ruling could clean it up nicely. We wouldn't see every video decision scrutinising forward passes - it would have to be a blatant, beyond doubt ruling to overturn the on-field ref's decision.

The fact that the referees are incompetent geniuss shouldn't influence the actual rules of the game, imo.

But that still comes down to interpretation. What is blatant and what is not?

They'd still f**k it up, no doubt.

 

[adamkungl]

But that still comes down to interpretation. What is blatant and what is not?

They'd still f**k it up, no doubt.

Well why have a video ref at all? I just don't see how this argument applies to forward passes but not knock ons, offsides, obstructions...etc

 

[mepelthwack]

The current situation is ridiculous.

It was always the right time for the vid ref to call fwd passes.

Ffs make it simple just let them call the blatantly obvious ones in the name of common sense.

 

[POPEYE]

The current situation is ridiculous.

It was always the right time for the vid ref to call fwd passes.

Ffs make it simple just let them call the blatantly obvious ones in the name of common sense.

What you do for the goose has to be done for the gander. If you stop a try because a pass is blatantly forward you will have to give the ball back when a pass is called forward that definitely wasn't

 

[Bengal]

Ffs make it simple just let them call the blatantly obvious ones in the name of common sense.

Indeed. The blatantly obvious during a try scoring movement only sounds like a simple enough place to start. Stick with the status quo for everything else i.e. no ruling on possible forward passes in any other instance - shouldn't have a problem with that given how that's the norm at the moment anyway.

 

[Bandwagon]

Video should only be used to adjudicate in goal.

Why should the lead up play for a try be given more scrutiny than the play or plays that precede it?

As an example, If a team makes a line break from a forward pass, that goes unnoticed. runs fifty meters, is tackled, scores simply off the next play as the defence fails to set. It is still the forward pass that creates the try, yet that will never be and should never be adjudicated by the video ref.

The only difference in a play where a try is scored is the act of actually scoring the try. And as that can happen in only one section of the field, it's the only logical place to draw a line whilst retaining consistency in the way in which the game is adjudicated.

 

[firechild]

Well why have a video ref at all? I just don't see how this argument applies to forward passes but not knock ons, offsides, obstructions...etc

Pretty much this. We see so many subjective calls on knocks ons that would be no different to the vast majority of forward pass calls. Off sides are probably a little less subjective but definitely obstructions are subjective and there is very little consistency in these calls. If we're going to allow video refs to make calls on whether plays leading to tries are legal then they MUST be allowed to rule on all things that occur in those plays.

 

[B-Tron 3000]

So, in the offseason the NRL changed the way the video ref is used. Now the ref makes a call and for it to be overturned the video ref has to be certain that a mistake was made.

If this is the case, why can't forward passes be back on the video ref's agenda??

If it's obviously forward (or not), overrule the call.

 

[Canard]

Ask yourself is a camera set up on the halfway the best way to judge forward passes?

 

[beave]

Would be good if they did the camera placement like they do in the states for their football, have 3 main cameras on the broadcast side. One on halfway and one on each 25 yard line. This may help with video ref adjudication with onsides from kicks as well.

Radical thinking i know but f@$&.........

 

[B-Tron 3000]

Ask yourself is a camera set up on the halfway the best way to judge forward passes?

No, and that is the reason they didn't allow it when the ref just went straight upstairs - forward passes were too hard to call.

But now the ref makes a decision, tell me why the video ref can't overrule if there is an obvious mistake? Sitting at home it is easy to pick the obvious forward passes that are missed.

When Jarryd Hayne threw a ball that went 5 metres forward for Parra to beat Manly a couple of years back, as a Parra fan I was laughing hysterically, it was that bad a call. No parallax error would have stopped the correct call being made by a video ref in that situation.

 

[beave]

The only way the VR could save a clanger forward pass is by disallowing the try and claiming that the reciever of the pass was in an offside position........

 

[The Engineers Room]

They need to look into that Hawkeye system. I am sure it can track the change in forward velocity of the ball as it leaves the hands.

 

[thorson1987]

Rail Camera like they use in Athletics would be best, still wouldn't get it 100% correct all the time though.

 

[Talanexor]

It wouldn't be perfect, but it would definitely stop a lot of the forward passes that the refs currently aren't picking up.

I think the video ref should be allowed to have final say on everything - IF IT'S CLEARLY OBVIOUS.

But yeah, there's definitely better technology out there. We should be making use of it. League has gotten to the point where there are so many refereeing mistakes in every single game it's a joke.

Better training for referees and a bigger pool of them is part of the solution. Better technology for crucial calls is also a part of it.

 

[thorson1987]

It wouldn't be perfect, but it would definitely stop a lot of the forward passes that the refs currently aren't picking up.

I think the video ref should be allowed to have final say on everything - IF IT'S CLEARLY OBVIOUS.

But yeah, there's definitely better technology out there. We should be making use of it. League has gotten to the point where there are so many refereeing mistakes in every single game it's a joke.

Better training for referees and a bigger pool of them is part of the solution. Better technology for crucial calls is also a part of it.

The thing is with the mistakes, they are generally confined to the NRL refs.

Sure Holden Cup, NSW Cup and below refs make mistakes, but they arent as bad as the ones in the NRL.

 

[Feej]

Could you imagine what it would be like if we started reviewing forward passes? People would switch off in droves.

 

[Usain Bolt]

They use it in rugby now, unless it's obviously forward the on field decision stands

 

[adamkungl]

Been saying it for years. It's common sense.