Shootouts will decide matches

[travelling_gerry]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

By Peter Jenkins
August 08, 2007
MAJOR Rugby World Cup matches including the final will be decided by a goal-kicking competition modelled on the football penalty shootout if extra-time fails to produce a winner.
The International Rugby Board has decided that five shots at goal - by different players - from three positions along the 22m line will be the ultimate tiebreaker for all knockout games at the tournament in France starting on September 7.
The decision marks a shift in position on the tiebreaker policy used at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. To split a deadlock during the knockout stages four years ago, teams were to contest a drop-goal competition.
Two 10-minute periods of extra-time will follow any draws in a quarter-final, semi-final or the final in France, with a further 10 minutes of "golden point" to be played if the deadlock remains.
The goal-kicking shootout will be implemented if sudden-death extra-time expires without a score, involving only players who were on the field at the conclusion of regulation time.
Australia has three goalkickers with experience in its projected run-on side - Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau and Lote Tuqiri - while Adam Ashley-Cooper is also capable.
Chris Latham would likely be a fifth choice ahead of Stephen Larkham, if they all stayed on the field.
The 1995 and 2003 Rugby World Cup finals both went to extra-time to find a champion, and Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill said last night that he was disappointed an even more "heartbreaking" scenario could await a title contender in France.
"Personally, I would rather just see them keep playing until someone scores and wins," he said.
"We had this debate when I was in football, about the brutality and the unfairness of a shootout.
"There were suggestions that maybe players could be taken off as extra time wore on, in a bid to create more space and opportunities to score. It might be preferable to a shootout.
"At the same time, in terms of the World Cup, I understand the issues that surround broadcasting. There is the question of 'how long could this go on for?'
"In terms of compromise, you do have to bring it to a halt at some stage. I just think playing until you have a result at least gives you a definitive winner.
"Too many people walk away broken hearted from a penalty shootout."

[hopep]

It would be a crying shame to see a game decided that way.
But I guess they have to have some contingency plan

[frontrow]

Don't like the idea, never have....Shootouts don't reward the better team, ie...TEAM...Play till someone scores is the only fair way, even if you remove players at intervals, it is a lot fairer than shootouts....

[tdevil]

Interesting post TG

This is an expanded add on to TG's post:

Kicking competition

If at the end of a knockout Match, after extra time and sudden death periods of play
have been completed, the Teams remain tied, then the referee will conduct a placekicking competition to determine the winner of the Match, according to the following procedures:

1. All players and Match Officials will remain on the playing enclosure. The referee
will call the captains of the two Teams to the centre circle and will conduct a coin
toss. The winner of the coin toss then may either choose which Team kicks first
(in which case the loser chooses the end at which all kicks will be taken) or
choose the end at which all kicks will be taken (in which case the loser chooses
which Team kicks first).

2. Only players on the playing enclosure at the time of the completion of the sudden
death period may take part in the kicking competition. No injured, substituted or
dismissed player may take part at any time. The order in which the players kick
does not have to be predetermined.

3. The Match Officials and Team Members will assemble on the halfway line. Team
Members must remain behind the halfway line in the side of the playing area not
used. No one except the referee, two touch judges and two ball boys is allowed in
the part of the playing area being used for the competition.

4. The five players from each Team will place kick from three different areas, all on
the 22 metre line, as follows:

First area: directly in front of the posts
Second area: on the 15 metre line on the left hand side facing the posts
Third area: on the 15 metre line on the right hand side facing the posts

5. The referee will start the competition by calling the first player selected from the
Team kicking first to the first kicking point. Once the player has taken the kick, the
referee calls a player from the opposing Team to kick from the same area.

6. The next two players (one from each Team) will kick from the second area in turn.
This will continue until all five players from each Team have kicked (the next
players kicking respectively from the third area, first area and finally the second
area), or until one Team is unable to equal the score of the other Team within the
remaining number of kicks.

7. If there are an equal number of successful kicks once each Team has completed
its five kicks, the competition continues on a “sudden death” basis, following the
same order of kickers used in the first five kicks.

8. The competition will continue two kicks at a time (one from each side), going
progressively through the three kicking areas stated above (and repeating the
process if necessary) until one player succeeds with a kick and the player from
the other side taking the same kick misses it. Once this occurs, the Team of the
player who succeeded with the kick will be declared the winner.

9. Throughout the kicking competition:

9.1 Once a player has been handed the ball on the kicking area, he must take
the kick within one minute. Should he take longer, the referee shall
declare the kick void and therefore a miss.
9.2 After each kick, the referee records the number of the player and whether
or not the attempt was successful. The RWC Match Commissioner will
record the same details on the official Match Report.
9.3 Whether or not a goal is scored from each attempt is the sole decision of
the referee, who may at his sole discretion rely on the assistance of his
touch judges. The referee’s decision shall be final and binding.
9.4 Once a player has completed their kick, they shall return to stand with
their Team behind the halfway line in the side of the playing area not
used.

[goony]

chances of it happening are very, very slim!!! wouldnt be very exciting if it did happen though

[Seldom]

They should only allow the forwards to kick! would make it intesting, almost fair and for the spectator possibly a laugh

[tdevil]

They should only allow the forwards to kick! would make it intesting, almost fair and for the spectator possibly a laugh

With some teams you'll have to put an extra day aside for that

[Seldom]

LOL!!

[hopep]

how about kicker to be selected in jersey number order!

Or after a stalemate let the coaches out - see who can walk the walk.

[slomo]

how about kicker to be selected in jersey number order!

Or after a stalemate let the coaches out - see who can walk the walk.

starting at no1.... now thats funny...

[Burgs]

I wonder if Knuckles was aware of this when he chose to leave Shepherd, Turner, Beale etc out of the Squad?
Tuqiri as our third best doesn't inspire me with a great deal of confidence if we ever find ourselves in this predicament

[Seldom]

how about kicker to be selected in jersey number order!

Or after a stalemate let the coaches out - see who can walk the walk.

I agree get coaches out there. Half of them wouldn't make out to the field!

[The InnFORCEr]

Or after a stalemate let the coaches out - see who can walk the walk.

so that's why they want Joey Johns

[brokendown gunfighter]

It would be a crying shame to see a game decided that way.
But I guess they have to have some contingency plan

Didnt this situation come within 1 minute of happening in the last world cup final?

[AndyS]

No, they still had golden point to go before kicks came into play.