League Overhaul

[Hodgey]

NRL season 2009 marks the biggest overhaul of the rugby league's rules in history of the game, including the lure of more tries than ever with only "glaring" mistakes to stop the video referee awarding a try.

Changes include:

THE introduction of two on-field referees;

PLAYERS not having to control the ball while scoring a try and being able to ground it with their arm;

FORCING the attacking team to stay bound to the scrum, with backs who rush to pack down in order to have time suspended forced to contest the scrum;

AWARDING tap kicks from penalties 10m in from touch, not 20m;

STOPPING the video referee assisting on stripping-the-ball and foul-play decisions;

CUTTING reliance on the video ref, to make the game more fluid.

The introduction of two referees is shaping as one biggest rule changes in the games history.

It was implemented to stop referees tiring. It is predicted the referee's average maximum heartbeat will drop from 180 to 170 this year under the new rule, while still controlling 80 per cent of the game.

[daleyboy]

PLAYERS not having to control the ball while scoring a try and being able to ground it with their arm;

Before you know it you wont even have to ground the ball at all ... NFL here we come!

[zrealist]

Before you know it you wont even have to ground the ball at all ... NFL here we come!

TOUCH DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!