"AMENDED LAWS."
"Kindly sent us by Mr.W.Wicks, Hon. Sec. Society of Referees (Glos.)."
"At a recent Conference of Referees,Admiral Royds, a member of R.U. Laws Committee, explained that:-"
"In order to avoid much trouble in getting the ball into the scrum, the half-back is to throw it into the scrum from a range of not less than a yard and at moderate speed. (The ball shall be thrown by half-back with both hands and below his knees.)"
"The ball is fairly in when it has passed the first foot of the outside men on side it is being thrown in and has alighted on the ground."
"When the ball has been thus thrown and has reached the ground beyond the outside foot of each outside man, on the side being thrown in, it is fairly in and any foot may then be advanced."
"If the above conditions are observed it is practically impossible for the ball to come out between the feet of the outside man on near side, should it do so the referee may penalize."
"It is possible for the outside man to play the ball with his inside foot in conjunction with centre man's near foot and thus get the ball out between first and second row this is permissible."
"THE TACKLE."
"A man is tackled when he is held by an opponent in such a manner that he cannot play the ball. He must then be released and allowed to drop or place the ball on the ground when it can be brought into play again only by the foot."
"A man when brought to the ground and held by an opponent, the ball having come into contact with the ground, is tackled."
"Should a man be brought down by an opponent, get rid of the ball before it comes into contact with ground he is quite in order in doing so. Should a man be thrown to the ground and not held by an opponent, he may get up and run on with the ball even though it has touched the ground; he is not tackled."
"Should a man be brought down near the line and held by his opponent, the ball having touched the ground, be carried over the "line" by his speed, he has not scored a try, the ball must be brought into play at the place where he was tackled."
"THE PENALTY KICK.
"The "penalized" players to retire 10 yards from the mark. The ball must reach the line of mark unless previously played by an opponent. The penalized side may advance as soon as the ball has been kicked and so intercept its flight before it has reached the mark."
"A FEW NOTES"
"Hearty congratulations to our University on their fine win last Saturday. We are pleased to find such a strong side and here’s hoping Bristol will win the Varsity Championship this season."
"Our visitors to-day will not be at usual strength as V. J. Law, W. Travers, L. Evans, W. Legge and I. Adams will be in the Welsh Trial."
"Of course this means drawing on the reserves so we shall have Albert Fear, the old Welsh forward, playing. He has been captaining the Reserves with much success."
"Despite these absentees the Usksiders are brimming over with confidence that we shall have to fight very hard to win."
"Congratulations to Don Cummins on catching the selectors' eye for the first trial. May he play at Cardiff on Jan. 15th."
"Please note the Old Cothamians are holding a dance at the Coliseum on Friday, Dec. 10th. Music provided by Monte Stanford. Tickets 3/6 from N. G. Parsons, 85, Gloucester Road."
"If you travel G.W.R. please note your train service for Dec. 14th, 11th, 18th and 27th: Temple Meads, 1.58; Parson St. 1.45; Bedminster, 1.48; Lawrence Hill, 2.2; Stapleton Road, 2.5. Return Ashley Hill, 4.20."
"Here are this season's records of Newport. Played 16; Won 8; Drawn 3; Lost 5. Points for 165; against 106. Our record is Played 12; Won 5; Drawn 2; Lost 5. Points for 129; against 93."
"The Goucestershire XV is being chosen after the game to-day to meet Devon next Saturday at Plymouth."
"Should Devon beat Gloucestershire and Cornwall do likewise to Somerset, then we have replays – and nobody wants that."
"Gloucestershire can win the South Western Group by drawing at Plymouth."
"THE REFEREE"
"It is said that a referee can make or mar a match. We usually have most efficient referees and thank them for the service they give to the game. It should be noted that they do this job voluntarily and receive only bare out-of-pocket expenses. Here is a good story told by E. H. D. Sewell, the famous Rugby critic, "A Blue and an International were strolling through a cemetery. They paused before a stone whereon had been carved this famous inscription: 'Here lies the body of --- He was a famous referee, and an honest man'. "
"The two strollers moved on."
"A pause."
" 'That's the first time,' said the International to the Blue, 'that I've read of two men having been buried in the same grave'. "