When Laws Make No Sense
Laws or rules in sport are in place to help simplify sports or to make them safer, but in many cases have over complicated the obvious. When I was a referee in rugby I used to question certain rules as they can be interpreted differently depending on how you read the game. Players and ex players will see things in a different light compared to an official who has never played the game. I will get onto this part later as the reason for this post was a cricket catch taken yesterday that was correct, but it felt so wrong.
The Big Bash match between the Brisbane Heat and the Sydney Sixers saw Michael Neser catch the ball within the field of play and then throw it into the air as he was about to go over the boundary. He then re caught the ball over the boundary but kept his feet off the ground by jumping back up again. He then threw the ball back into the field of play which he again re caught which meant the catch was legal.
As long as your feet are not grounded whilst holding the ball then the ball is still live and doesn't matter how far over the boundary you have hit the ball. How many juggles makes no difference as long as the feet are not in contact with the ground whilst touching the ball. This kind of makes a mockery of the boundary line as in the past the boundary was the edge of the field being the stands/picket fence.
A fair ruling would be allowed for only 1 juggle and not multiple touches being two in this case. Fielders should be rewarded with the skills they have but allowing this to stand is unfair on the batting team. Modern sportsmen are showing up the rule book with the athletic skills they have added to the game.
If I think of the rule changes we have seen in rugby over the years all for trying to make the game safer they have failed miserably. Back in the pre 1990's the sport was in many ways safer than it is today. Rucking was seen as dangerous as you used your boots to clear players out the way freeing up the ball. Players today don't ruck as that is now illegal yet we see players bending over with their heads exposed and wonder why players are being brain damaged.
Rugby in general is a mess right now as the laws in place can be interpreted in so many ways and they will all be correct decisions depending on how you view the game. The only way I see this heading is a reset of the laws or the third official with a team of specialists is constantly advising the referee on the field with the right calls. The problem is the referee cannot be replaced by a team of consultants as then what is the point. Most players don't know all the rules as they are constantly being altered all in the name of safety.
I would like to see sports do a re think on rulings that make no sense or have too much interpretation available. How safe can you make rugby when it is a full contact sport as you cannot make it fool proof as injuries will happen. Common sense has to prevail like I believe cricket will come to it's sense with how catches can be taken over the boundary line.
The referee who has never played the game would always see things differently. The Premier League is full of so many changing rules so I can relate a bit to what you are saying there sir in the context.
You were once a referee in Rugby? I want to learn about that game. I enjoy seeing clips of it on Blitz but I've not really been vested in it.
Happy new year sir.
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I had never heard of this rule. It seems rather silly. Does it really happen all that often?
Fairly often but this was extreme as this is the first time someone has actually juggled the ball back and was still out. Normally players throw it back into the field of play and then re catch the ball.
I watched that game live and my first instinct was that can't be out.
With T20 now, we see so many of these kind of catches on the boundary rope but they usually involve a fielder throwing the ball back in play to avoid over-running or over-balancing across the rope while in contact with the ball and then returning to the field of play to complete the catch. I can't remember ever seeing it the other way, i.e. the fielder actually throwing it over the boundary then throwing it back!
I don't actually mind if they allow those catches. Firstly, it's an outstanding piece of skill and awareness from Michael Nesser to pull it off and teams around the world now work specifically on those kind of skills. Secondly, boundary ropes are forever being brought in to encourage more big hitting. In many ways that's created the opportunity for this to happen, because 30 years ago the fielder takes that catch 5 yards from the boundary rope and it he wants to throw it over the boundary then he's going into the crowd to get it!
It's a great example of the way cricketers innovate to meet changes in playing conditions which aren't/can't always mirrored by changes to the laws.
They should move the ropes back out as use the entire field. If you can't clear the boundary then it is your lack of ability and should not be about having higher scores as this is a false reflection.
Six months ago today I didn't know much about this game but now the more I know about this game I think it's not real ....I think this is a stupid move.... is it a fact???
Last year, when the match between India and Pakistan was taking place in the world Cup T20, Due to this no ball, Pakistan lost that match and scored six runs on this no ball. The whole world was saying that it was not a no ball but the umpire would have given it. We hope that in future such mistakes will not happen in cricket which causes fans to break their hearts. When there is a match between Pakistan and India, people close everything and go home to watch the match.
In general, I'm a little more expert on the rules of football, I agree with you, however, that in sports the rules that there are often more than simplifying make everything damned more complicated.
By now, however, the economic part has unfortunately taken over in sports and this discussion of the rules sometimes I think also depends on that.
Sport is no longer fun and passion but business, it is for all teams, players and obviously judges and referees.
Suffice it to say that in football the team of referees including the var is made up of seven people, who do the job that by now could simply be done by technology and one referee would be enough... despite everything, many mistakes are still made lol!
Simple to fix. To be fair to the batters, replace the boundary ropes with picket fences :)