Introduction
Australia has four major football codes, Australian Rules Football (AFL) Rugby League, Association Football (Soccer) and Rugby Union. Support for these codes varies by geographical area, demographics history and social class. A recent survey of sports popularity in Australia ranked AFL as the most popular sport in Australia (1) followed by Rugby League (2), Soccer (8) and Rugby Union (10)1. These rankings are based on a combination of the number of players, crowd attendance and media ratings. Yet those watching the recent female world cup would be convinced that soccer is our national game and only the Australian cricket team, the Socceroos and the Matildas are truly national teams. However, during the winter and spring months AFL and Rugby League dominate.
Each of the codes go through cycles in popularity. Presently, Rugby league is enjoying a growth period in both Australia and New Zealand 2 The AFL has dropped from its lofty heights but still has the largest match attendances. Soccer goes through periods of intense interest when the Socceroos and the Matildas are engaged in world cup games but has also had steady growth in support in domestic competition and has now surpassed Rugby Union to occupy 3rd place in football popularity in Australia. Rugby Union, since a period high interest in the 2003 World cup, has seen significant falls in all dimensions of support.
The importance of rule changes
All four codes mentioned began in the 19th or early 20th century in Australia and all have faced the challenges of professionalisation, media changes, and competition from other sports and leisure activities, Sports around the world have faced these challenges and often respond by rule changes to cater for audiences with changing taste and time preferences. For example, the introduction of the three-point field goal in basketball can be traced back to the American Basketball League (ABL} which implemented the three-point line for the first time during its inaugural season in 1961-1962. The idea behind introducing the three-point shot was to add excitement to the game, create more scoring opportunities from beyond the arc, and encourage teams to play a more up-tempo style of basketball.
The growth of Rugby League in the Rugby Union stronghold of New Zealand may be a temporary phase but it is unquestionable that Rugby League has benefitted from rule changes that speed up the game and make it more appealing to spectators 3. These include, the removal of the corner post as a barrier to scoring tries which has led to spectacular tries being scored on a regular basis and the more recent 6 again rule (despite needing fine tuning) has succeeded in reducing ruck infringements. By contrast rule changes in Rugby Union have been criticised as making the game too complex.4
This highlights the strong link between game structure (rules and referee standards)) and game performance including type of players required, the speed of the game and its efficiency (in terms of fan interest) This note suggests simple rule changes that would improve each of the 4 major codes . The suggestions are deliberately delivered concisely and subjectively, comments are welcome.
Soccer (Association football football)
Soccer is the world’s most popular football code but not in the United States, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. Part of the reason behind this is the apparent disconnect between effort and team scores, where teams my dominate on the field in terms of general play but fail to score or even lose’ This is in contrast to popular US sports such as Basketball, and NFL where playing dominance is closely connected to scoring rates., Moreover, scoring opportunities are concentrated in the area inside the box
Problem 1 and 2
Play currently has too much emphasis on playing inside the box either for headers and/ or getting penalties/ disconnect between effort and scoring
Solution
Award additional point(s) for goals scored outside the box, this will encourage longer range shots, bring attacking midfielders more into the game and very much reduce the incidence of penalties, which can be arbitrary and milked.
Australian Football (AFL)
AFL is evolving from a kicking game into one in which handball passes are becoming an important part of the game and an important means of retaining possession, being less risky than a long-range kick. Throws are not allowed, making the handball the primary means of disposing of the football by hand, and is executed by holding the ball with one hand and punching it with the other. The ball cannot be struck with an open- hand nor may it be thrown in the air and hit with a fist.
Problem
The current method of hand pass is overly complicated and reduces the effectiveness of transferring the ball to players without the riskier kicking option.
Solution
Allow rugby style passes instead of the punching requirement. This would open the full range of direct, flick and Gidley style and torpedo passes that are used with significant effect in both Rugby codes. For example, the torpedo pass would dramatically increase the distances that the hand pass could be propelled. This in turn which would open a range of playing options and make the hand pass a more potent attacking weapon.
Rugby Union
Rugby Union had a long tradition of amateur participation. Having fifteen players on the field accommodated this amateur approach and tackling was often less intense than might be expected in a professional game The professionalisation of the game has seen better defences which, with 15 players on each team has makes scoring tries difficult and has led to a reliance on penalty goals as a means of scoring.
Problem- 1
Too many players on the field which reduces the opportunity for attack.
Solution reduces number of players per team to 13 or 12 (the two breakaways could go)
Problem 2
Over regulation – slows game down and encourages teams to play for penalties (goal kick opportunities,) reduces the number and relative value of tries and inflates the importance and prevalence of penalty goals5
Solution
Reduce value of goals to one and increase the value of long range tries
Rugby League
Problem 1
Bias towards attacking team. Rule changes such as 6 again, no striking for ball in the play the ball, sham scrums have loaded the dice in favour of attacking teams and teams “on a roll” witness points blow outs in latest games
Solution
Abolish 6 again rule at the same time as introducing 10- minute player send-off for repeated ruck infringements (for example 3 or more) this will alert defending teams to impending referee action. Currently the 6 again rule as administered has a strong arbitrary component Secondly use the rule trialled by UK Super League rules where scorer kicks off to the other side, again limiting the flow-on effect6
Problem 2
Players staying down inviting a penalty from the bunker
Solution
Where player stays down where bunker rules it is not worthy of a penalty. They should be required to undertake HIA as a penalty for milking.
Problem 3
7-tackle rule discourages players making attacking kicks
Solution
Abolish 7-tackle rule and go back to old rule where kicks fielded in goal or allowed to go out is simple 6 tackle start from the 20-metre line.
- “Top 10 most popular sport in Australia 2023. https://teqip.in/top-most-popular-sport-australia.html ↩︎
- See for example, ”Mind Blowing, New Zealand Swept up in League Fever as Rugby Union Falters, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/aug/25/mind-blowing-new-zealand-swept-up-in-league-ever-as-rugby-union-falters and “NRL’s record-breaking crowd figures surface as fans flock to live games post covid
See. “AFL Crowds fall to lowest in 26 years as Covid Conditions linger” https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/afl-2022-season-average-match-attendance-covid/ ↩︎ - “Rule Changes could be the turning point for Rugby league” https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/05/14/six-again-rule-to-increase-ball-in-play-by-two-minutes-per-game/ and Newton, A. and Kennedy, C (2021) “Six again rule increases the ball in play by 2 minutes per game” https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/05/14/six-again-rule-to-increase-ball-in-play-by-two-minutes ↩︎
- “Has Rugby Really Become More Boring Than It Once Was? Evidence Based on all 30 Five/Six Nations Championships Since the 5-Point-Try Was introducedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/10dgxon/has_rugby_really_become_more_boring_than_it_once/?rdt=46305 Kuper, S and Szymanski, S.(2018) Soccernomics Why England lose, Germany, Spain and France Win and why the rest of the World will Finally Catch UP “ Harper Collins ↩︎
- See, Kitson, R. (2016) “Has Rugby Union become too complicated for its own good?” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/jan/19/rugby-union-professional-youth-amateur-game
And Masters, R. (2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHXWa3LSuR0 ↩︎ - See, Walker, C (2022) “ Should the 6 again rule continue in Super league?” https://www.totalrl.com/should-the-six-again-rule-continue-in-super-league/ and (interestingly) the medical point of view Delves, R et.al (2023) The introduction of the six-again rule has increased acceleration intensity across all positions in the National Rugby League competition, National Library of Medicine 7(1) 47-56https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35259314/ ↩︎
