Balls

[cables]

Balls

I start this one with considerable reservations, as when I kick it I never know where the ball will end up.

On the current kicking thread there is a reference to different balls. I suspect Hillary knows quite a bit about balls - unlike a supporter I recall called Jock.

I decided to go down under on this one and see what knowledge existed around the bush. Our friends in TWF did not let me down as they have an excellent and accurate post detailing the specification for ball(s) in rugby.

http://twf.com.au/showthread.php?t=8697

It would appear that spare balls may be available during a game but a team (presumably an individual from a team) may not gain or attempt to gain unfair advantage by using them or changing them.

The pressure of all balls at the start of play must be - 65.71-68.75 kilopascals, or 0.67-0.70 kilograms per square centimetre, or 9.5-10.0 lbs per square inch.

How does the referee check that?

[colind]

Cables

Last year I, along with many others, acted as a volunteer for the U19 World Championships.

One of the IRB guys had the specific job of preparing the balls for each match. Brand new balls were used for each game (6 per match if I recall correctly) and he used an electric pump to ensure that each one had the correct pressure.

Hope this helps.

Colin

[Rooster]

IIRC when the Webb Ellis balls were first used there was a spate of complaints from kickers as they did not fly in the same trajectory as other makes, from what I remember from the time they curve one particular way when struck at one end, you will notice kickers spinning them around before kicking if they have time and always placing thm in the tee with a particular end forward, if you get it wrong they spiral off to one side. Also I think their range is decreased from the Gilbert balls but not as badly as the Mitre.
This may have been changed by the manufacturer but I don't know,

[browner]

How does the referee check that?

With his kilopascal meter?

[BR]

How does the referee check that?

With his kilopascal meter?

But where do you find a 65.71-68.75 one?

This one must be at least a 140 kilo pascal:

[cables]

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[Setanta]

Ungh...painful reading.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

The pressure of all balls at the start of play must be - 65.71-68.75 kilopascals, or 0.67-0.70 kilograms per square centimetre, or 9.5-10.0 lbs per square inch.

How does the referee check that?

Don't know about rugby ("We know", I hear you cry), but in (association) football, the ball must be of a certain specification/certification/standard (i.e. FIFA Approved, FIFA Inspected or International Match Standard) which means that at the correct pressure, it will be of a certain circumference (27-28inches).

I know of some referees who checked balls before a match with a bit of string tied off to make a circle of exactly 28". Assuming the ball was marked with the appropriate standard, if it didn't fit through it, it was too big (over inflated); and if it passed through with a pinch of more than half an inch (doubled-up, remember), it was too small (under inflated). If it wasn't marked as being of the correct standard, it shouldn't be used. (At the standard I refereed at, you were sometimes lucky to have ANY ball and were grateful for just about anything).

Perhaps the same can be done with a rugby ball, but with checks in two dimensions.

[cables]

The pressure of all balls at the start of play must be

I said to a fellow MB'er at Ravenhill on Saturday - "I cannot believe they are taking this seriously." "I thought the reference to Hillary (Mrs B. Clinton) and the supporter called Jock would have been clues enough!"

[Cap'n Grumpy]

I have only just come across this thread tonight, and yes I spotted the references to Hillary (with your Monica ..... sorry, Monicker to it) and Mr Strap, "down under", "bush", etc, but tried to ignore them. For a man of your standing, it is unbecoming. Whether you care to admit it or not, it IS a serious subject, and I tried to give it a serious answer, albeit talking round objects rather than more not-quite-cigar shaped ones. The footy guys really DO wrap string around theirs!!!

Changing tack, slightly, does anyone know the best way of keeping them in tip-top condition? - should they be hung in a bag at particular temperature, and what affect does placing them in a box have on them?

[pwrmoore]

and what effect does placing them in a box have on them?

Fixed that for you grumps. For best results I would recommend not putting them in a box, but occasionally resting them in close proximity to one may be found to be beneficial.

[cables]

Whether you care to admit it or not

Is that a kick in the .....?

[browner]

For best results I would recommend not putting them in a box, but occasionally resting them in close proximity to one may be found to be beneficial.

Ref....er....ee!

For the record i prefer them in a bag.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Whether you care to admit it or not

Is that a kick in the .....?

No, It's just me talking .......!

and what effect does placing them in a box have on them?

Fixed that for you grumps. For best results I would recommend not putting them in a box, but occasionally resting them in close proximity to one may be found to be beneficial.

Cheers Paul STAND UP for the Ulsterwomen