Quote: BackrowSaint "The forward pass thing is ridiculous, it could easily be shown, 100% accurately by using something similair to Paul Cullen's analysis on Boots n All. Take the point of which the ball is released from the mans hands and freeze the frame, draw a virtual line across the pitch from that point (like Cullen did with Joel Tomkins try last week, where the debate was if he was offside. Then run the play on with the line still there, at the point the man catches the ball freeze the frame. If he's infront of the line its forward, if he's behind its not. Simple.'"
They dont play only that type of forward rule though thats the problem. Its also (unofficially) based basically on being behind the passer when you receive it assuming he is still moving forward (aka the momeuntum rule) this is why Charnley's try seemed forward because whoever passed it out to him is tackled after he has passed it (penalty btw for all those moaning about wheeler!) and so doesn't continue to move forward however the ball does and so does charnley.
If they only played to the rule you state for checking then I can guarantee that about 90% of tries sent to VR would need to be chalked off.