The History of the Game

Stewards

by Ken Rodgers LM

B.R.L. Stewards were directly appointed by the League with the exception of the Referees Steward who was selected by the Association as required. Generally, members who were no longer active were selected for these positions. The role consisted of duties such as:

1. Obtaining match cards and official program.
2. Check footballs (3) for inflation and check use of only current sponsored balls.
3. Distribute match cards to team managers.
4. Ascertain that Referee and Touch Judge are in attendance.
5. Check ball persons and their understanding of their duties and their presentation.
6. Prior to game check players' numbers as per program.
7. Check safety conditions of players' boots, fingernails, rings etc.
8. Locate Appointment Official in case of non-appearance of Referee or other relevant matters.
9. In the event of a Referee not showing, the two Captains are called to select a Referee from available Touch Judges.
10. Fifteen minutes prior to game, notify P.A. of program changes.
11. Assemble Captains for toss before kick off and inform Referee who won toss.
12. Five minutes before kick off inform team officials of such.
13. At 2 minutes and 1 minute to start, respectively, request Teams and then Referee to make way to field.
14. Monitor / remind 'on field' trainers, no scissors or sharp objects to be taken on field.
15. In the event of a send off, collect charge card for team manager of player involved.

In the event of any alleged damage or breaches of Code of Conduct brought to the attention of the Steward, he is to convey this to the Host Club Chief Executive and forward a written report to the Divisional Officer at his earliest convenience.

Judiciary Committee

Before the present system was adopted the Judiciary Committee was made up of three (3) members and one (1) proxy member. Both the player and the referee had an advocate and the following was the procedure at all hearings.

1. That the usual procedure be followed with natural justice prevailing; and a decision made on the evidence submitted.
2. Player to be identified.
3. Game, Ground and Date quoted.
4. Charge to be read.
5. Evidence of Referee to be taken.
6. Evidence to be read back.
7. Player to be asked to plead.
8. If plea of guilty, advocate can speak on behalf of player regarding conduct.
9. If plea of not guilty, Referee's evidence is open for questioning, first by Player's advocate, then by the Referee's advocate.
10. Player's evidence to be taken.
11. Following (j), Referee's advocate is allowed to cross-examine player on his evidence.
12. At all times Judiciary Committee Members can ask questions of both parties.
13. The Committee is at all times guided by the principles of natural justice to all parties.

It has been suggested that the Proxy Member could act as the Minute Secretary.

QATB Ambulance Officers

Before the advent of Trainers on the touchline, Ambulance Officers from the QATB were on duty for fixtures. Due to some differences a meeting was called to sort out the problems.

Attending this 1947 meeting were the BRL, N & G Cook (Senior Bearers), J Mackay (Secretary QATB Union) and the Referees Management Committee, where the following was resolved:

1. Referees adopt standardised signal for Ambulance Officer.
2. Before signalling ascertain if possible whether the bearer's services are required.
3. In all cases, after sufficient time has been given for the bearer to diagnose, Player to be removed to the side line for the necessary treatment, provided that the player can be moved without further injury.
4. Bearer not to go on to the field until such time as he has been signalled to do so by the referee, except in cases where an obviously severe injury has been received by a player and which has not been seen by the Referee or Touch Judges.

The BRL cooperate by giving every publicity through their programs - Press etc to the accepted practice for the benefit of the public generally.

Rule Changes

by David Manson LM

Did you know the distance the defending team had to retire from the play the ball has been changed a number of times? Our game has had the one metre rule, the three metre rule, the five metre rule, and now we have the ten metre rule in today's modern game.

The game as we know it today has undergone many changes to the game the referees and players were involved well before some of us came on the scene.

Listed below are some of the changes to our game in no order of implication:

1. A try 3 points now 4 points.
2. A field goal 2 points now 1 point.
3. Control the ball and you had it all day, in came the four-tackle rule.
4. This was replaced with the current six-tackle rule.
5. During the days of the four-tackle rule there was no changeover after the 4th tackle, a scrum would pack.
6. The six-tackle rule results in a change over after the 6th tackle.
7. Find touch from a penalty and the game would restart with a scrum.
8. Now we restart with the free kick.
9. The play the ball once was a contest, not now. No striking for the ball.
10. No playing the ball forward.
11. The scrum has had change after change. Where to start?
12. The contesting for the ball is all but gone.
13. The ball being feed, I will leave it at that.
14. The players not involved in the scrum shall retire 5 metres or more behind the last row of forwards.
15. Tap restarts from the 20 metre line where we once had drop outs.
16. Find touch within your opponents 20 metre line from a kick taken inside your own 40 metre line and you get the loose and feed.
17. The use of substitutes, changes a plenty.
18. The days of once you were replaced you were finished for the day are gone.
19. We now have the SIN BIN.
20. We know players are sent for 10 minutes, but once we could give a player 5 minutes or 10 minutes.
21. I don't think I listed all the changes, but then again I am a referee and just listen to the sideline critics everyone knows we referees have been missing it all day or should I say for 75 YEARS.

Before I go, did I tell you the days before TV and replays they were the days. So I'm not surprised we now have the video referee.

I must not forget the touch judges who have saved the referee in the middle more times than I can remember. They now have communication equipment so they can get the message to the referees without using hand signals.