I have been watching this game for quite some time now but there are things happening every game that I can't square with the rules as I thought I understood them. For example-
Penalty kick awarded. At one time the kicker had to kick through the mark. Now the penalty mark is where he starts his run up for the kick and he may kick the ball up to 10 yards from where the penalty was given.
When did the forward pass rule change from flat being forward ?
When the game is based on a 10 yard defensive line, why are teams sometimes taken back 15 yards or more without any consistency between teams or throughout the game?
The defensive line is supposed to only move forward when the ball is played by the foot. This was always an issue before using the foot was recently re-enforced. At most play the balls, the defensive line moves forward as the tackled player bends to play the ball the by the time the ball has "touched" the foot the defenders are virtually at the first receiver. This is sporadically managed by the referees with the main offenders, Wigan and Saints, being granted superhuman status re fitness and speed, always getting away with bending this rule at the expense of the overall game.

There are probably many other examples of "rule drift" or is my imagination running wild?

Another one for the book is the voluntary tackle. Players now catch the ball and throw themselves to the floor. I watched the Wigan Leigh game last week and Bevan French took a Leigh kick behind his try line and escape being tackled run 40 yards up field and basically sit down.
I'm with you FSW, I just think it's an age thing.

I have to wonder if the game would be better if the rules were properly and equably enforced.

Most of those issues have been going on for over forty years.

Players will always try and steal a few yards, either when taking a penalty to touch or, move the ball in when taking a conversion.
The "flat passes too have always been a "feature" of the game, along with issues with the defensive line.

Some ref's are better than others and sometimes, especially if your team is behind, the calls always seem to go the wrong way.

There was some severe heckling of the ref yesterday, especially in the first half but, for many of the "incorrect" calls, the ref was right.
Sure, he missed some stuff but, they always do.
The best we can hope is that it doesn't affect the result.

There has never been a voluntary tackle rule.
Or certainly in the last 30 years.

You can lay on the floor with the ball if you want.

Sorry PT I think you're wrong, Bradford Saints grand final. There was a big debate regarding Chris Joynt not being penalised for a voluntary tackle in the dying seconds.
The trouble its another rule that's just not penalised or has been allowed to disappear.

https://www.rugby-league.com/governance ... f-the-game

https://www.rugby-league.com/governance ... f-the-game

Im sure I remember Luke George's knee giving way as he was carrying the ball and the ref (Ganson?) giving the opposition a penalty for a voluntary tackle as Luke was helped off the pitch.

Voluntary tackle 4. A player in possession shall not deliberately and unnecessarily allow themselves to be tackled by voluntarily falling to the ground when not held by an opponent. If a player drops on a loose ball they shall not remain on the ground waiting to be tackled if they have time to regain his feet and continue play.

Ok I stand corrected Poplar

I may have dreamt this, cos my memory is not as good as it once was!
Under John Kear, when we had to win was it 4 out of 6 etc; we played Bradford away. A Bradford player laid on the ground with the ball and David Solomona hovered over him and did not touch the player. I think we were given a penalty and this had a result on the outcome - a win.

Perhaps I have dreamt it, perhaps wrong match/player etc
Perhaps it's one of those folk law tales!

Back in the day, you could be penalised for "feeding" the scrum, imagine if they enforced this nowadays !

How about hookers penalised for 'Foot Up' in the scrum, you're never likely to see that ever again although you never know with that bloke we had on Sunday.

Scrum Half not 'retiring' behind the scrum after putting the ball in.

Double post

If/when we get back into Super League will we be allowed to pass the ball forward or does that still only apply to Wigan, Leeds and Saints or is it all Category A clubs?

Thanks Spook
It's always interesting to read the definitive version. This is what the rule book says about the play the ball -

Retire at play-the-ball (g) players of the side not in possession other than the player taking part in the play-the-ball and the acting half back are out of play if they fail to retire ten (10) metres from the point at which the ball is played or to their own goal lines. Players of the side in possession other than the player taking part in the play-the-ball and the acting halfback must retire behind their players involved in the play-the-ball or to their own goal line.

(h) having retired the distance prescribed in the preceding paragraph no player of the team not in possession may advance until the ball has cleared the ruck. A player who is out of play may again take part in the game when the advantage gained by not retiring has been lost.

My understanding of the term "cleared the ruck" is when the acting halfback has passed the ball but I don't recognise that as any part of a rugby league match.