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After years of procrastination, football is finally turning to rugby for inspiration
The legend goes that it was in 1823 that William Webb Ellis “with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his hands and ran with it”, and rugby was born.
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Last week, 194 years after our game took so much from football, the International Football Associations Board (IFAB) launched their new “Play Fair” initiative. A programme that looks to improve their game, and it seems in many ways, to make it more like ours.
The “Play Fair” initiative lays out three main improvements. Player behaviour, playing time, and increasing fairness. In all of these, they’ve found parallels to rugby.
The IFAB & @FIFAcom announce new initiative to improve fairness & image of the game – find out more about #playfair! https://t.co/4FcBbn6mDi pic.twitter.com/P7zziWiX5w
— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) June 15, 2017
One of the most noticeable changes is the long awaited roll out of video refereeing. To us it’s the TMO, to them, the VAR.
Having in the past been trialed in youth and amateur competitions, the Video Assistant Referees have launched onto the world stage at the Confederations Cup, FIFA’s preparation tournament for next years World Cup in Russia.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino spoke positively about the technology this week, saying he was “extremely happy with VAR so far” and felt the Confederations Cup “is a milestone tournament.”
So far the VAR system has disallowed goals, and resulted in the retrospective sending off of a player. It’s safe to say there’s been controversy over its effect on the game, fans and players alike have voiced their opinions with the distinctive tone of disrespect we associate with football.
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#MEXNZL is the single worst game for officiating I have ever seen, the officials have made a complete mockery of football let alone VAR..
— james farmer (@jefarmer1987) June 21, 2017
It’s this tone that the IFAB are attempting to address with more of their initiatives. Proposals are in place to follow rugby’s lead and make the captain the only line of communication with the referee. With this they hope to stamp out any argumentative attitude in players and promote respect for the referee and the game.
This positive attitude has seen football look again to rugby, although unsuccessfully, in failed trials of a sin bin system for yellow card offences. The project at England’s performance training centre was canned after being said to impact on the style of game too heavily.
Rugby’s final gift to football is one that aims to do the opposite and help the game flow as much as possible. The IFBA proposed last week to shorten halves from 45 minutes to 30, and in doing so changing from their current timing system to rugby’s.
The game at this moment have 25 minutes of effective playing time per half so you would actually see more football! https://t.co/0UrEAnKv2W
— Petr Cech (@PetrCech) June 17, 2017
In rugby, whenever the game stops, so does the clock. In football, the clock continues and “injury time” is added to the end of the half. However, statistically each half of football only sees between 23 and 26 minutes of effective play, from an average 48 minute half.
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The IFBA’s proposal is an attempt to help the game flow and to speed it up. They hope that avoiding the time wasting that causes such a lack of effective play will lead to more time for football and a more exciting game.
It seems the two sports have gone full circle. Almost 200 years after the two sports diverged from a shared parentage, football has begun to implement some of the best parts of rugby to address some of the worst parts of their game. It’s great to see such positive interaction between sports that historically are chalk and cheese. These innovations are to football’s gain, but who’s to say rugby won’t again learn from other sports in the future.
Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments