We see some horrible things happen in Rugby League. Commonly, due to the quick nature of the game and at times, lack of vision by the officials, players are able to commit the crime without the appropriate consequence.

For those who do get caught, most of the time, a simple penalty is given. So what would justify an individual being penaltised twice? What could be so terrible, that an individual’s carelessness needs to be addressed more than once.

I have brought up this rule for many years and the chance to finally vent my frustration, is somewhat satisfying. The rule I would like to talk about is actually the most simple task there is in the game - the kick off.

This action occurs at the start and end of the game as well as after every try is scored, and for those languishing at the bottom of the ladder, a task they would like to avoid being accustomed towards.

Lets look at a scenario, where a player happens to kick the ball out on the full from the kick off. The current rule states that a penalty is given to the opposing team from the halfway line. This is where I have an issue. Surely they are already given an advance of piggy-backing down the field and starting their set from the half-way line. However, hold on, the player kicked out on the full, this is seen as the lowest act a player can commit. They definitely need to be penalised again so that the opposing team gets the chance to boot the ball every further towards the try line.

Rule Change: If a player kicks the ball out on the full from the kick off, the opposing team will play the ball and begin their set from the half-way line

Why should a player be penalised twice for making a mistake. Essentially, starting from the half-line is like receiving a 50 metre penalty, and to throw in another opportunity to march down field is absurd.

I have previously vented at others about this rule and I would receive the same response, “it’s simple, don’t kick out on the full”. Well, what about when this occurs during play and not from the kick off, a turnover occurs and no other penalty is given.

I would really like to see the tiny indiscretions of the game, seen as a minor offence in comparison to the situation in the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqXtJzB9fHg

While this warranted a 7-week suspension, on the field, one penalty was given!

The new Rugby League commission enters and out goes the extremely old “McIntyre System”, that should have been in a retirement home, a very long time ago. It amazes me how quickly it took for the newly appointed commission to change things, perhaps they may look to “As it is” for some more inspiration?

As an avid Rugby League supporter, it is quite hard for me to pick at the sport I love by expressing my opinion in a game that has been around for over a century. What we have learnt though, is that for a game to evolve, we need to look at ways to match the rules with the ever-changing athlete.

I appreciate the rules that have been put in place to speed up the game, but there is a part of a rule that simply borders on absurdity.

A few years ago, a rule was added so that players can stop the clock by forming a scrum quickly. The idea of this was to prevent a team who was behind on the scoreboard, to have to wait for the other team to stroll over to the scrum and hence, waste valuable time.

The problem though, is that at the time, they thought it would be a smart idea to make the players not in the front row (back three players of the scrum), to have to bend down with their heads tucked in and simply wait till the other team decides to put down the energy drink and join in (sorry if that sounded weird!)

Now take into consideration that a team would only really try and slow the clock down towards the end of the game. So after players have made over 40 tackles and a tonne of hit ups, they are now forced to bend down, putting pressure on their backs, and should they pop up to see what is happening, well the referee simply blows time back on again!

Rule Change: A team must only form the scrum shape (with the half-back there too) in order for the clock to be stopped.

The refs simply cannot expect players to bind in the scrum for up to 60-seconds, while the opposition walk over like they have rope tied around their ankles.

A frustrated player will finally lift their head up to see why it is taking so long for the scrum to take place and he will be penalised by the clock being re-started, giving the opposition even more time to waste valuable seconds… unbelievable!

Going through University, the “conceded pass” is a result given if a student just missed out on a 50% total score, yet showed initiative throughout the year. The idea of rewarding someone despite not achieving the desired mark sounded pretty strange, unless you were the one who was lucky enough to receive this.

Unfortunately this rule does not exist within sport. However, the one part of a sport that has always bothered me which is a close representation, is the “behind” in AFL. The logic of giving a team one point as there is an understanding that the player was trying to kick a goal but just missed, is simply mind-boggling.

You don’t see Rugby League players receiving two points when they nearly score a try or half a point for a Football player when they hit the post, so why does an AFL player receive the luxury of some recognition when they simply weren’t good enough in converting their chances.

In saying that, sometimes a player can be rewarded for hitting the post and still be given the goal (see link below), yet due to a lack of technology in the sport, nothing will be done. This is a topic for another day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB4GxjzPWt4

Now I must stipulate, that technically, the behind is not a rule and more so part of the game, but I still wanted to mention this in my AFL blog.

So what needs to be done. Should the outer posts be removed? Should a goal be worth 1 point and hence this is the only way to receive a score value in the sport? Obviously this is a bit drastic for a sport that has existed for over a century.

So by contradicting myself but at the same time, being reasonable with my suggested rule change, I have come up with the following:

Rule (Part of the game) Change: Reduce the distance between the outer posts and the inner (goal) posts, from 6.4 metres to 3.2 metres.

The behind in AFL will always exist, but why not reduce the chance of a player being rewarded for a miss.

I’m new to this sport. I probably have no right to make any judgements about the rules of a game that I have supported for less than a year. It was about 6 months ago that I was asked by a few mates to join an NFL fantasy competition and it only took a few weeks to become hooked.

These guys are “real” athletes. Don’t let the armour fool you. The pain that players put themselves through is pretty hard to comprehend. Aside from the physicality of the sport, their athleticism and natural ability to make incredible plays week in and week out, is something I admired immediately. A great example is Jerome Simpson from the Cincinnati Bengals (see link below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWXLKpNscMc&feature=related

If we want to find the player with the most ability, the captain, the one who gets all the accolades when the team wins and thousands of hateful tweets when they lose; well this is the quarterback. The QB is the star of the show. However, the pressure that is placed on what they can do with a flick of an elbow and the pin point accuracy to throw a pigskin ball 50 yards to a team-mate with opposition players literally inches away from intercepting, is a pressure that can only be understood by them only.

Yet if you ask a QB if they would have it any other way, without the notion that it is them who is “carrying the team” on their shoulders, I highly doubt that they would trade it all in to play somewhere else on the field.

But there is one player in the team that has just as much pressure, yet plays about five minutes a match. This is the Kicker.

The rule that needs to be changed is the “conversion”. Surely this needs to be looked at? For a kicker, this is as routine as a wide-receiver remembering to put on his mouth-guard.

In fact, until last year, Rian Lindell from the Buffalo Bills was perfect from conversion attempts and he has been playing for 12 years!

Rule Change: Conversion will be taken from where the touchdown is scored

The two-point conversion rule is definitely a great part of the game, but isn’t used enough. With the introduction of the new rule, we will see the chance for teams to gamble on whether their kicker can convert from the sideline or take the risk and try for a couple of points with the help of their talented QB.

The other option for the rule change could be that the kicker is asked to convert from further out after a touchdown is scored. This will make the task more difficult when the wind comes in to play.

Maybe as I enter my second year as a Saints fan, I’ll realise that the game is great just the way it is, but in my mind, now that I have had my first taste of the NFL and how much drama can occur each week, making things more difficult is just another chance to see what these athletes can do.

For a long time, Basketball has always been the “off-season” sport. The fill in the space while Rugby League, Rugby Union and AFL players are enjoying themselves over in Thailand and Bali.

When I realised that pretty much anything was more exciting that the local league, I looked to the NBA for inspiration. While I was aware of Jordan dunking from the free throw line and Shaq scaring the bejesus out of his opponents on a regular basis, I was yet to fully understand just how astonishing the breed of basketball players in America were.

Playing a staggering 82 matches per season, the NBA players are nothing short of remarkable. We have learnt over the years, that sport is not just a physical game, but also a test of the mind. This said, for these athletes to be asked to play every 2-3 days, is pretty much why they earn enough money to retire before they reach 30.

However, the physicality of the sport is undermined when compared to their rivals in the NFL. Playing once a week is definitely easier, yet the beating that their bodies take each week is something that a basketball player would not understand.

The idea that a basketball game, with 4 twelve minute quarters can last for up to three hours, is something that can be only accepted by sitting down, getting comfy, turning on a game and making sure you have enough snacks in the cupboard - thank heavens for IQ!

To understand just how long a minute can last for in the NBA, check out Tracy McGrady’s incredible effort many years ago against the Spurs - and this is without the time-outs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceLlz7dOOvY

Rule Change - To limit the amount of interchanges per team to 6 a quarter

Currently, the NBA enforces an unlimited interchange rule. While I respect how incredibly tactical the sport has become, this rule is contributing immensely to the duration of a match.

The other reason for the rule change, would be to bring a “toughness” back to the game. It pretty much forces the elite players of the game to play longer minutes and hence, tactics can be used in different ways such as targeting those who are fatigued.

The idea that a player can come on to defend a play, then be subbed off ten seconds later, is something that I would like to see eliminated from the game. We would also get the chance to see the rookie players gain more experience from a young age.

Only once we see the unlimited interchange rule removed, will we truly see just how mentally tough these players are.

Now reducing the number of full time-outs, 20-second time-outs and official time-outs, well that’s a whole other story on its own!

While watching the African Cup of Nations the other day, it seems that the average Joe is now able to be a “Doctor”. I don’t understand why people need to go to University to study Medicine for over 5 years, when we have clearly seen the team Doctor in Football matches, simply cure excruciating injuries with a splash of magic water.

The way that players carry on these days, is cringe-worthy. With so many incredibly talented football players, it’s such a shame that they stoop so low when faking an injury to waste time and if their lucky, have their opposing player sent off.

Now don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t just happen in the African Cup of Nations, but in fact, most competitions in the world. Even just last year, one of the worst cases was David Villa faking a broken leg, only to be cured by the miracle touch of Real Madrid players pulling him back to his feet (see link below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FgKM9FPFt4

While we refer to the sport as the “World Game”, I tend to see it as the “Stubborn Game”. Higher powers of the sport refusing to make any changes to a game that clearly has its imperfections. Why are they so naive to see that the sport has become the laughing stock by opposing sports fans around the world? Why are they so hesitant to realise that a serious injury cannot be cured by a spray, a tiny band-aid and the assistance of the so called “medics”.

Rule Change - If a player requires a medicab to leave the field, they are no longer allowed to return to the match.

This may sound harsh, but surely if an injury is so terrible that a player is unable to leave the field without assistance, then there is no way that they are capable of miraculously returning.

No longer will a player be allowed to roll around in agony, causing a red card to be shown, only for the guilty player to return a minute later after receiving a kiss on his boo-boo by the team doctor.

Without any bias, it seems that the A-League is one competition of the sport to have a lot less of this issue occurring regularly. I can’t stop laughing when watching the Asian Champions League and witnessing the difference in Australian teams to others and how players from our country simply just get on with the game after a tackle has been made.

Unfortunately there are many ways that players can get around this rule, but they need to start somewhere, and this rule should be seen as a scare tactic to those who continue to give the sport a bad name.

The dinosaurs who run the game need to stop acting like geriatrics and begin to see the bigger picture, by keeping the dozen team doctors and medicabs off the field to attend those who act like they are involved in a WWE cage match.