NSWRL 1908 Rugby League rules

15th March 1908

For the upcoming NSWRL premiership clubs will utilise the new English Northern Union rules which had been established in 1895. These rules consisted of -

  • 13 players per team rather than 15 (as introduced in 1906)
  • Any type of goal is worth 2 points (as introduced in 1896)
  • 3 points for a try (as introduced in 1906)

    Restart of play -

  • Kick out on full resulted in a scrum where the ball was kicked from (not a line-out which had been abolished in 1897)
  • Only kick in this manner is a penalty kick in breach of rules
  • Every time a kick out following a penalty a scrum is formed 10 yards in from the sideline, attacking team gets the feeds
  • This also occurs when the ball bounces out or finds touch
  • Restart in play is a drop out from inside halfway when a try conversion misses
  • Restart in play is a place kick from the center when a try conversion is successful
  • 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 attacker makes ball dead in the opponents in-goal (where opponent kicked or carried ball across the goal-line): 25-yard line drop-out.

    Charging the goal kicker

  • You cannot charge a player when he is about to kick a ball (preventing many a injury)
  • Cannot charge a man about to take a mark
  • Players must remain motionless while goal kicking.They cannot reach out and touch a place kick for goal

    The tackle

  • On being tackled with the ball in his possession a play-the-ball occurs(as introduced in 1906). Before any person can play the ball, he must pick it up and put it at his toe(technically forming a scrum) and play on.
  • 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
  • No limit on number of tackles a team can retain possession

    The scrum

  • The scrum formation provides that the pack must not breakup until the ball is outside the pack
  • Lifting the feet in a scrum is penalised
  • 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.
  • 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).

    The penalty

  • 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 from a opponents side; the catcher must claim it by immediately making a mark with his heel at the spot where he made the catch" and earns a ‘free kick’ (can drop or place-kick for goal or tap kick)
  • 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
  • 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

    Replacements

  • A replacement player was allowed for an injured player

    Ref - FN-17

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