Rugby League History - The Evolution Of The Rules Of The Game Over 100 Years
One of the great strengths of Rugby League has been its ability to evolve over time as the demands of fans and players shape what they want from our great game.
The games administrators over time have come of with some radicle rule changes, some to promote the free flowing game we all enjoy today, others to reward effort and good play and penalise negative tactics.
Here is a look at how the rules of the game have changed in Australia over the course of 100 years.
Australian Rugby League Rules In 1908
The rules Rugby League was first played under in Australia were considerably different to the rules we play under today. Rugby League in the UK had already made some major rule changes from the original code of rugby. He is a look at some of the laws in place during the first Rugby League season in Asutralia.
• No limit on number of tackles a team can retain possession.
• Scrum formations not regulated (no loose-head rule, numbers in each row not specified, ball permitted to come out from anywhere behind front row). Front rows bind against each other before subsequent rows pack behind.
• Play-the-ball: provided they are onside (no minimum distance specified) all players in vicinity permitted to kick or rake for the ball in any direction.
• Attacking team (the team in the opposition’s half of the field) to put ball into the scrum.
• Scrum feed method unrestricted (spinning and bouncing the ball not illegal).
• Penalty options: drop, place or punt kicks only.
• ‘Fair catch’ rule: catching the ball on the full from an opponent’s kick, knock-on or forward pass earns a ‘free kick’ (can drop or place-kick for goal; ‘tap’ impractical).
• All goals valued at two points. Penalty goals and ‘free kicks’ permitted to be either placed or drop-kicked for goal. All conversions to be place-kicked. ‘Soccer-style’ field goals (kicking a loose or bouncing ball from the ground over the cross-bar on the full) permitted.
• Kicking to touch from penalty results in a scrum (feed given to attacking team).
• Defenders permitted to stand on the ‘mark’ at a penalty or ‘fair catch’. The subsequent kick must go beyond the ‘mark’ for play to continue (‘tap’ impractical).
• Restart of play after unconverted try: drop-kick from inside halfway (ball must cross halfway).
• Kickoff or drop-out crosses touchline on the full: recalled for a scrum (opposing team to feed).
• Restart of play after defending team makes ball dead after carrying, kicking or passing ball into own in-goal: five-yard scrum, with attacking team to feed.
• Restart of play after defender makes ball dead in own in-goal (where opponent kicked or carried ball across the goal-line): 25-yard line drop-out.
• All other significant rules are essentially as per today’s playing laws.
Note on Replacements: A local rule operated in NSW between 1908 and 1925 whereby a replacement player was allowed for an injured player. From 1925 to 1963, no replacements were allowed.
Rule Changes Between 1909 to 2009
After gaining a foothold in Australia the game down under led the way as far as rule changes go. Here is a look at some of the major rule changes over time.
1909 - Maximum of three forwards in front row of the scrum; other rows remain unrestricted.
1920 - Scrum half required to roll ball into scrum.
1922 - Goal from ‘fair catch/mark’ and soccer-style ‘field goal’ abolished.
1925 - A second football provided at the touch-line to eliminate delays during all first-class matches.
1926 - Goal-line drop-out (instead of from the 25-yard line) after defender makes ball dead; play-the-ball modernised - only marker and man playing the ball to be involved in contest for the ball, and marker to keep both feet on ground until ball is dropped or placed.
1930 - Defending halfback to feed scrums, with attacking side having the loose-head; ‘3-2-1’ scrum formation made mandatory.
1932 - Hooker must have both arms over props (loose-arm rule); penalty extended to include optional scrum (instead of ‘free kick’).
1948 - Front rows cannot pack against each other until ordered by referee.
1951 - Five-yard ruck rule introduced (for one season only); previously there had been a ‘no-yard’ ruck rule.
1952 - No-yard ruck rule reinstated; dummy-half and second-marker to stand one yard behind the two men at the play-the-ball.
1954 - Tap penalty introduced, with offending team to retire 10 yards.
1956 - Three-yard ruck rule, with no minimum distance for dummy-half and second-marker.
1959 - Abolition of tap penalty.
1961 - Dummy-half caught with ball resulted in a scrum.
1963 - Reinstatement of unrestricted dummy-half runs; ball from scrum to come out from behind the second-rowers; non-offending team given feed and loose-head for scrum from penalties (including after kick to touch); teams can replace a maximum of two injured players up to and including halftime.
1964 - Scrums minimum of 10 yards from goal-line; place kickoff from halfway line to restart play after unconverted try; penalty at halfway if kickoff out on the full.
1966 - Five-yard ruck rule implemented.
1967 - Four-tackle rule replaced unlimited tackles; tap penalty reintroduced; scrum replaced by tap kick for restart after penalty kick into touch.
1968 - Restart after attacking team makes ball dead: 25-yard optional kick.
1969 - Front row to pack ‘square’ in the scrums.
1970 - Two replacements for injured players allowed at any time during a game, provided those replacements had played at least half of a lower-grade game.
1971 - Value of field goal reduced from two points to one, and six-tackle rule introduced.
1981 - ‘Sin-bin’ and differential scrum penalty introduced; four replacements allowed.
1982 - Scrum feed and loose-head given to non-offending team.
1983 - Value of try increased to four points; handover after sixth tackle if caught in possession.
1986 - Twenty-metre restart when ball caught on full in in-goal.
1987 - ‘Head-bin’ introduced (players suffering minor head injuries allowed to return to the field of play after 10 minutes without affecting team’s quota of replacements).
1988 - Two fresh reserves allowed.
1990 - In-goal touch judges used in finals series.
1991 - Interchange rule introduced, allowing four players (two of whom could be fresh reserves and two of whom must have played half a game in the preceding Reserve Grade or President’s Cup) unlimited interchanges throughout a match. This rule was brought in primarily to cut down the risk of the spread of blood-borne diseases. By April an angry public reaction forced a modification which provided for a maximum of four players to be available for a total of six interchanges in a match. Players sent to the ‘blood-bin’ did not count among these six interchanges.
1993 - Ten-metre rule introduced mid-season.
1996 - Unlimited interchange reintroduced.
1997 - Striking in the play-the-ball banned; no minimum distance for attacking team behind dummy-half; ‘40/20’ rule introduced; new guidelines introduced to combat ‘dangerous throws’.
1998 - ‘Zero tackle’ introduced; video referee introduced.
2001 - Limited interchange rule reintroduced allowing four replacements and a maximum of 12 interchanges.
2003 - The Golden Point introduced to decide drawn games
2004 - Attacking player held up in-goal: play-the-ball 10 metres from goal-line.
2006 - Tap from penalty kick to be taken 20 metres infield.
2009 - The introduction of a second referee on the field.
Comment: Its amazing to see in black and white how the game has evolved. You have to wonder how the game would look today if some of the major rules had not been changed.
Posted by League Freak
on August 11 2007 22:22:00·
0 Comments ·
1234 Reads ·
League Freak 01/08/2010 04:11 Ridiculously, it all resets after every World Cup. Or the WC doesn't count. One of the two.
fazerino 30/07/2010 06:46 Ref Willie Manu. Didn't Hayne play for Fiji in 2008 WC then tour with the Kangaroos 2009??
League Freak 21/07/2010 03:27 Solid buys. Finch is a handy play maker, Lima a good prop. Hoffman has had injury probs though.
wiz66 20/07/2010 22:34 Lima, Hoffman and Finch signed for Wigan next season back with Mcquire good buys or not
League Freak 03/04/2010 04:05 People like you keep my fires burning. That and the Deep Heat I rub into my genitals.
john 02/04/2010 15:12 very funny,you nearly had me, keep up the garbage you prick
League Freak 01/04/2010 01:39 Hes not bad. Good mobility, gets stuck in. Doesn't mind playing in the middle of the field, unlike Gareth Ellis!
wiz66 31/03/2010 23:29 Freak - Have you seen and what do you make of young Flanagan that signed for the West Tigers from Wigan at the end of last year
League Freak 06/11/2009 02:13 Rich backers, the exchange rate and relaxed salary cap monitoring.
fazerino 06/11/2009 01:03 Fair enough, so why does SuperLeague have more cash than NRL? (if it's only played in grotty Northern towns in England?)
League Freak 03/11/2009 23:21 A Nation Comp means a bigger TV deal and bigger sponsorships. The NRL's deals are smaller because they don't have the national reach on a weekly basis.
fazerino 03/11/2009 07:24 Freak- why does AFL have more cash to lure players from league when there is absolutely no international scene?
League Freak 06/10/2009 22:14 To be honest all I know about him is that he is an assistant coach at Melbourne. He should be pretty good though.
wiz66 06/10/2009 15:28 Freak - what is the form of Micheal Mcguire who is supposed to be coming to replace Noble at Wigan as coach
League Freak 12/08/2009 13:09 You know, they can blame Smith all they want, they are just playing dumb, soft football.
NEWCASTLE 09/08/2009 21:58 I dont want to talk about how awful the knights have been playing lately its like they have lost all hope
League Freak 26/07/2009 22:29 Saw a bit of him against Leeds, he played well!
wiz66 26/07/2009 18:28 Seems Kris Rads has been coaching his full back play at Wigan to great effect
wiz66 26/07/2009 18:26 Cameron Phelps is turning into one of the best imports in SL at the moment
NEWCASTLE 22/07/2009 11:02 I bet newcastle are gonig fall back to their old culture next year.
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