5 . deep 16 May 2014 03:18 PM
My biggest gripe is the scrums, which have degenerated into randimised penalty restarts.

Instead of wasting time with putting down a scrum, just flip a coin and give the penalty to the team who called it. Same result just a lot faster!

Being more serious, there are 2 main scenarios that cover about 75% of the penalties.

1. The ref hasn't much clue but decides a penalty must be awarded because they picked up on one perceived technicality, probably one of the many that actually took place.

2. A domoninant team dominates. The pummelled team gets smashed, and then as if that weren't enough they get penalised for their trouble.

Like a lot of people, I can think of answers to some of this, but not all of it.

What I do know is that scrums are a mess, and have become a major problem. Stopping the clock while this rubbish carries on is a great idea - a good chance to snatch another beer, or sneak a 'yup' to the missus so she thinks you're actually listening.

3 . Bulpil 16 May 2014 10:05 AM
I agree that many rules are up for change, but "I hate this and I hate that" is no reason to change a rule. Example: you hate about the quick taps. Maybe there is a reason, like how far "on or behind' should the player be. 1 metre, 2 metres, 10 metres? I hate it too, but for the most see that players who should know where to take it, err on the border of stupidity.

In general I believe that rules where the ref has to interpret are those that should be changed. Breakdowns are a typical example. Most fans are frustrated and in most cases the ruling could have gone to any of the two sides. Better to simplify, e.g. by returning the ruck. May be slower, but less frustrating. Forward pass is another such thing where refs interpret. Scrums are the worst.If a prop pops from a scrum, he is penalised - so how does the ref know that his opponent didn't push upwards - which happens in most cases. I know, since I have been there and have done that. What the heck is the difference between a wheeled scrum and one that is pulled around. One prop pulls, while the other pushes - depending on the abilities of the opposition. Same trick, ruled in different ways.

In the breakdown, there are about 6 different ways to interpret 'joining from behind' or 'entering through the gate'. Or many refs have bad sight. To be behind the last man's feet in the breakdown - laughable, because of either interpretation, or blindness. Some teams can't get their game going when the ref applies this rule correctly.

There are more areas of the game that is open to interpretation. When a player hit another player, it could be overseen, penalty, yellow card and should be a red card. Consistency is also an issue and no rule can fix that, except for the rule where the ref's pay is docked.

I would suggest that a list of 'interpretation areas' is made and those rules must be simplified in the spirit of rugby. Another good exercise would be to set a target where the number of rules is reduced a percentage, e.g. 20%. The spirit of rugby should remain - there is a reason why rugby fans don't watch badminton.

1 . Unmentionables 15 May 2014 06:56 PM
I think calling time off if a scrum needs to be reset would help the game immeasurably. So much wasted time when scrums keep collapsing etc! Can be very frustrating to watch.