Theys seem to be becoming more and more frequent this season. I think the time has come for the VR to be allowed to rule on Forward passes, in the Leeds-Bradford game alone there were two tries allowed what seemed to be forward (JJB) & (Worrincy - Less dubious).

This one is always going to cause problems.

With regard to the VR, it's generally accepted that the TV angles can skew a person’s judgement.
Personally, I feel with use of the lines on the pitch you should be able to deem if its forward or not. This is of course based on judging the pass from where it leaves the passers hands and where it is caught by the receiver. Of course then there’s the momentum rule.......

I don't mind a few borderline ones going, so long as it happens across the board for all teams.

Last Thurs we saw F.passes get picked up painfully often at the Wigan v Sts game, then at our game on Fri, barely any.....the inconsistency is the annoying part for me.

It's all relative to the camera angle so really difficult to judge.

If only we had two refs then maybe one of 'em would see it, I wonder if anyones thought of that idea?

I`d definitely agree that there are far too many forward passes made today and I don`t by any means exonerate the Bulls `cos they do their share, but you can`t judge by how the ball travels in relation to the ground, this merits a particular mention in the notes to the rule.

A ball passed backwards by a player running forwards will nearly always go forward in relation to the ground...................does this thread sound a bit like déjà vu all over again?

All we need is Stevo's momentum rule explanation about him being chucked out of a train at Batley and I'll just have to lock the thread before my brain falls out of my ear.

Yep.....
If you throw someone of the bus at Batley......

As I said, this is an age old problem I don't think will ever be totally solved.

Ha, beat me to it!

If the touch judges actually bothered to join in a little more, we might see more pulled up.

Certain players seem to get away with it more than others. We have Terry Newton, Leeds have Rob Burrow, and I'm sure I could probably name one for almost every team.

Following on from that, we noticed at the Leeds game that the TJ's were both lined up with the defence, rather than one with each side. What's the RFL directive on this?

Dear Touchie

Here's a nice new orange uniform. Wear this and then run up and down looking as important as possible without interfering in the game.

Regards

Richard Lewis

P.S. Apologies to the ginner touchie who has to wear this outfit but just think of how coordinated you'll look.

TBH there's no team in the league who doesn't get away with forward passes. It's just one of those things that evens it's self out over the course of a season.

Yes it's frustrating when you lose a game to it, but tbh you wouldn't be complaining if it went the other way

Difficult but not always impossible. Certainly there are instances when knock ons and off sides are equally difficult. I dont agree with a blanket ban, I dont accept that its never possible for a VR to be able to rule on a forward pass, last weeks try by JJB being a good example. I'd let the ref at least consult the VR, with the proviso that, unless the VR is 100% happy with the view he gets, he reverts back to the refs/linesmen's decision.

And what about the last Leeds "No try", with a knock on being ruled.....how could they have deemed this had gone forward if cameras shouldn't be used?!

How could they have deemed the ball went forward off Mick Withers' hand to Leon at OT a few years back,even though he swears he never touched the ball, if cameras had not been used?

Oh hang on...

I think all of that is a fair point. If we accept that referees usually look at a player`s hands (if the hands are facing backwards then the ball must have been passed backwards........) rather than the ground when making the decision then, so far as I can tell, the video shows hands as well as it shows anything else so it must be a useful tool.

The video ref's struggle to get decisions right already. Let's not give them more opportunities to make a balls up!!

I'd be more willing to support taking away responsibilities of a video ref!!

If the receiving player is a yard in front of the passer, its usually a good indication. Or is that the momentum rule?

The only way a video ref could possibly rule on forward passes is if the pitch was lined every meter the full length of the pitch.

What about the momentum rule?



But I'm not sure the pitch would need a line every metre, surely Sky have the technology to do these using computers?

Yes it's the hawk-eye system which needs a minimum of 14 cameras to work in a normal stadium at Odsal you would talking around 20 cameras.

Spot on!.
Its not the marginal forward passes that are are a problem, nor the application of the "momemtum rule", its the blatant cases that you describe.
We dont need technology to identify these, simply touch judges to be up with play and call them competently if the Ref be unsighted, out of position or looking elsewhere.
Is this really too much to ask?

I can understand the ref missing the odd forward pass as he is stood with the defensive line. But i am always amazed at how the linesmen manage to miss forward pass after forward pass

some passes just lately are so far forward you cannot believe how they are not seen