1938-11-14 — Page 22

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THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER: 14, 1988""""

PROPOSED NEW LAWN TENNIS RULE

REFEREES DEFEAT THE PRESS

HODGKINSON INJURED

THE

FOOT FAULT PROBLEM

(By F. R. BURROW)

(By AIR MAIL)

"REVIEWER'S" SPORTS

UNDETERRED by the failure of four years deli- COMMENTARY

A. M. OMAR SCORES FINE GOAL The annual Press v. Referees rule," a new solution has been brought forward, soccer match was held at Sookun- the merits of which will probably provide plenty of poo yesterday and resulted in a discussion during the dead season. win for the latter by 4 goals to 21

berations of a special committee of the Inter- national Federation to settle on a workable altera-

tion of what is commonly known as "the foot-fault Scrummage Law Quite

Unworkable

+

THE Rugby authorities have recently The proposed new rule is worded thus: The server shall through-maging which demonstrated one thing seen a slow-motion film of scrum- in a fast and interesting match. out the delivery of the service either (A) keep both feet in continu- very clearly.

Hodgkinson, backbone of the

It showed that even so ous contact with the ground, or (B) replace on the ground behind expert a hooker as H. B. Toft could Press defence, was unfortunately the baseline prior to placing it on the surface of the court either not time the advancing of his foot ac- injured and carried off the field early in the first half, but the Re-foot which has not maintained such continuous contact. The deli-curately enough to secure the ball and

also conform with the law. ferees, sportingly, allowed a sub-very of the service shall be deemed to have been completed (1) Very occasionally, he managed to under condition A at the moment of the impact of the racket synchronise his movements perfectly, stitute to be played...

Referees fielded a much stronger

and the ball, and (2) under condition B at the moment when a foot, but we may now take it as proved be or the foot which has last broken contact with the ground, has mage laws in their present form are fyond reasonable doubt that the scrum- side than their opponents, their half-been placed on the ground as required by that condition. back trio breaking up Press for-

entirely unworkaole.

Here, then, is a pretty state of at- ward movements time and again. The rule suggested above is, of turn of the service. If, on

the fairs.

We have known that it existed Referees dominated the first half exchanges, Stone and Gamlin being course, designed, firstly, to di- other hand, he is not a "swinger," ever since the present laws were

but replaces his lifted foot pretty still has its "Alice in

promulgated, but then Rugby football very much in the limelight with minish the advantage which the well in the same place he lifted it phases.

Wonderland" some good work on the right wing. server possesses by making it from, his power of service will be Press forwards. however, were by moré difficult for him to start in diminished because there will be the ball is put it at moderate speed, as no means idle, Munton being always on his run to the net; and, second- dangerous, while Omar gave Hartley ly, to make it easier for the um-

several 'anxious moments.

no body swing, and it is by body of weight that pace is given to the swing and conséquent transference service.

The main difficulty is this. When legally prescribed, the hooker must in each front row. beyond one foot of the nearest player wait until it has touched the ground

Only then may be advance or raise his foot to hook; but the authorities have now had ocular proof that if he does wait, it is physically impossible

of

Hooper and Gamlin gave Referees pire or linesman to decide on the a two clear goals lead at the in-hotly debated question, under PROPOSALS ANALYSED terval, but Roberts reduced the the present rule, of, "swinging Press arrears almost immediately over."

It would be quite easy to pick for him to swing his foot and secure after the start of the second half,

holes in the wording of this pro-the ball in the split second which and soon after Omar had Hartley have both these effects, is beyond mention

That it would, if passed into law, posed alteration e.g., there is no elapses before it has passed him. beaten all the way with a magni-doubt. If the

of the impact of racket law as it stands, the mere fact

The inference is obvious. By the ficent shot to level the scores.

server is to be and ball in (2) of the second securing the ball is evidence of illegal obliged to replace a lifted foot off paragraph, and, strictly, under it, booking. Ip returned the lead for the Re-the ground behind the baseline, the service might be deemed to be the ball is hooked the referee, if he It follows that every time ferees and Gamlin netted their and still retain the type of service completed as soon

abides strictly by the law, must award fourth goal soon, after to complete of which "swinging-over" is a con- had lifted a foot and put it down makes nonsense of the game, and In as. the server a penalty kick against the hooker. This the winners' ́tally..

stituent part, he will have to take again, without making any attempt practice referees have to use their Mr. B. I. Bickfard refereed and

up his stance two or the teams were:-:

farther from the base-line than he¦ I doubt if it will obtain much sup-tage over his opponent.

three feet to serve. But, apart from wording, judgment, and decide whether a hooker is attempting to gain an unfair advan- Referees, Hartley; McLaughlin, does at present. Fraser; MacCormac, Castil, Rees:

port from players, or, at any rate, There is no need to labour the con- Stone, Gamlin, K. K. Ip, Hooper and Consequently, if he runs in to from the crack players, who are fusion caused by the existence of a the net, he will be that distance accustomed to run in on their ser- Press. H. Brokenshire; Martin, further from the net all the way on vice. To-day, service is not mere A. T. Lee; Giffen, McNeill, Joughin; his run in, and be far more likely ly a means of putting the ball into Roberts, G. C. Burnett, A. M. Omar, "Munton and C. E. Wong,

to be trapped at his feet by the re-play: it is a powerful method of

attack. And that it can be a There never was a more absurd powerful method of attack under situation, and delay in dealing with it the present rule, and yet be per law must be simplified and made posi- does infinite harm to the game. The fectly fair, has been demonstrated tive, so that there can be no possibility consistently by such players as of misunderstanding its intention. - At Perry and Budge and Vines, There present we talk glibly of referees, in- is, indeed, absolutely no

terpreting the laws. What kind of reason law is it that requires interpretation, whatever why the rule should bejas if it were written in a foreign lan- altered. Those who persistently quage?

Clarke.

TRADE

WW WW

MARK

AQUARIUS

MINERAL WATERS

FROM

THE AQUARIUS CO.

SHANGHAI

"EVERY DROP DISTILLED”

SOLE AGENTS;

demonstrably unsound law. Players immediate action shall be taken by the responsible authorities to straighten have a right, to demand, however, that

the matter out.

break it must be made to conform The laws are there, not to be inter- to it. Even for their own sakes it preted according to individual-fancy, is obviously better that they but to be applied strictly, Impartially should; for nowadays consistent and beyond dispute. The scrummage foot-faulters are not going to get and revision is therefore essential:

laws make such application impossible, through the later stages, at any It seems to me that the International rate, of championships without Board are making unnecessarily heavy being penalised; and the effect of weather of it. Let them say that the being. suddenly and unexpectedly straight and equidistant from the two ball must be put in at moderate speed, pulled up by the foot-fault judge front rows, and that it may only be always has the effect of putting hooked in the first instance, by the far them off their game, as recent inci- foot of the middle man. Leave the dents in America have demonstrat- Test to the players and the referee, and I warrant: we shall have very · littlo ed, if, indeed, proof were neces- trouble. sary. こ

LONG WAY OFF

..

The matter, at any rate, is urgent.. The farce of Law 15 has endured too long. It is time our legislators eschew- ed dialectical sübtleties, admitted-the word hooker to their vocabulary and came down to a plain and practical ruling which players could understand.

But any change is a long way off, Even if the proposed alteration, or amendments to it, were brought forward at the annual meeting of the L.T.A. and carried, it would then have to go to the International and be requested to reconsider, and Federation for confirmation, since it report again, and, in the end, it is Is the L. which makes the rules more than likely that nothing would of the game.The IF would then be done, after all. This is the nor volik sub-committee to inquire mal procedure with regard to al

this proposal, and the next two terations in the foot-fault rula and

years would be passed in there seems to be no reason why.... }

CALDBECK MACGREGOR & CO., LTD.correspondence to find but the should be departed from in the ad

the individual stituent sent instance. Ald ons the IF

“Don't tinker..WHH- mittee, would report,s

minister them