I've just had this great idea. Why don't we let the touch judges earn their corn and actually MAKE THE DECISION and not just suggest to the referee that a forward pass has been made. At the moment there is no reason, other than standing behind the posts for goal kicks, for them to be anywhere near the pitch.

PITT THE ELDER

A frustrating thing about the Sunday was the Frenchy ref, twice he was going to make a decision but let the play run on until a try was scored and then immediately scuttled up to the video referee. If he sees it call it and don't rely on a try being scored to pull you out of the brown stuff.

I am of the opinion that the video referee is a failed experiment...

1. there is no way that the RFL can afford to have a VR at every game (they can barely afford decent touch judges)
2. 1 means that the game is played to 2 sets of rules
3. It gives the defending side valuable recovery time in what might be a tight game
4. even the video ref makes monumental f* ups!

So, the answer drop the VR and let us fans get on with bemoaning the injustice when we see the replay. Then either go with 1 ref or employ 2 refs on the field.

P.S. Call me old fashioned, but I also fail to see how professional refs has enhanced the quality of decisions



P.P.S. OOOPS forgot the original post. Yes, technology could track the ball but you'd also need location tags on all the players and a set of samples of the passing players location leading up to the pass to be able to calculate the vectors needed to make an accurate decision. Oh, and (economically priced) location devices don't tend to be overly accurate. Maybe one day!

Unfortunately most of the said Touch judges are not fit for purpose.

Did you see the Warrington game this weekend?

Warrington missed a relatively easy conversion, one T.J got it right the other (the old looking guy – grey hair, stuck his flag up!)

If they can’t manage that, how the hell can they assist the Ref!

With better quality training? (available when the RFL lose the cost of full time refs!!)

This has been going on since the game began (and is an inevitable consequence of two observers looking at the same event from different viewpoints). It's why there's a specific clause in the rules on how to address this very situation (and that is: the ref decides)

But there's an easy solution to this one. On match day, you fix an array of extra high power light sabres fixed to the crossbar pointing straight up. Whenever there's a goal kick you switch them on. If the kick is good, the ball is burst by the laser, if it makes it in one piece, then it missed. This would work, definitely.

That's mad, think of the cost. then calls are like fifty quid each

According to Shaun McRae there is no momentum rule, heard him say it in commentary at the weekend, I would much sooner take his word for it than Stevo.

I agree that we (and the ref) should be getting alot more from the touch judges, some of the decisions they make/don't make, are just cringingly embarrassing.

To have a "momentum" rule would suggest that a player's mass has an effect on the direction of the ball whilst passed as momentum = mass x velocity. It doesn't.

However a player's forward motion (velocity) whilst carrying the ball does have an effect on the direction of the ball whilst passed which can make the ball appear to travel forward relative to the pitch markings even though it's clear at the point of release the player has passed it behind himself. Which is why the rule is relative to the player not the ground because otherwise you'd have a pretty static game.