http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/11/30/shot-clock-golden-point-on-the-agenda-at-nrl-coaches-meeting/
The NRL coaches meeting took place in Sydney today, and have delivered the recommendation that the NRL should implement a shot clock for scrums and line dropouts in an effort to further speed up the game. 14 of the sixteen club coaches were at the meeting that delivered the recommendation.
The committee has said that a shot clock timing of 35 seconds for scrums and 30 seconds for line drop-outs should be added to the rules for the 2016 NRL season. This was trialled successfully in the under 20s competition last season, and was deemed appropriate by the competition committee.
Along with the reduced interchange (10 to eight changes allowed next season) the NRL is attempting to speed up play, and allow fitter players into the game as forwards get tired.
According to the NRL release, other things addressed at the meeting include:
– Trends from the 2015 NRL season, including tries, line-breaks, and ball-in-play time. the performance and accuracy levels of referees in 2015 and interpretations leading into the 2016 season.
– A recommendation to consider ways to stop attacking teams presenting a “wall” of players in order to prevent charge-downs from field-goal attempts.
– The future of golden point in Finals and the Grand Final.
– The progress of the Central Command Centre.
– The coaches were given feedback from seven trials of the shot clock late in the 2015 NRL and NYC seasons, during which scrums took on average 32 seconds to pack (down from 43 seconds without shot clock technology), while line drop-outs took on average 29 seconds, down from 37 seconds.
NRL Head of Football Todd Greenberg said the feedback would be added to the discussion around rule changes for next season. “Shot clock will be an important change to the game next season and we have put a lot of work into ensuring we have the appropriate timings and rules,”
Greenberg said. “The Competition Committee considered the recommended timings and the coaches also assessed those timings, as well as the trends which may occur as a result of the introduction of the shot clock. “The Commission will now look at all the views of the stakeholders before forming a position ahead of the 2016 season.”
Another important item on the agenda was whether ‘golden try’ would be added for the NRL finals only, keeping regular season NRL games as golden point.
South Sydney coach Michael Maguire, a new member of the Competition Committee, said the coaches conference gave those in charge of teams a vital opportunity to have their say.
“We were able to address a number of areas including rules and interpretations and bigger picture issues including golden point and the Central Command Centre.
As a group, to have the chance to offer our own observations to help mould the future of the game is important,” Maguire said.
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