NRL referees boss Daniel Anderson provides clarity on obstruction rule

IT'S really not that complicated - run behind a teammate and you'll be penalised for obstruction.

Daniel Anderson

IT'S really not that complicated - run behind a teammate and you'll be penalised for obstruction.

Referees boss Daniel Anderson has restored sanity and tradition to the game's most maddening rule, which was rife with varied interpretation last season.

In his first major presentation as head of the new regime, Anderson yesterday fronted every NRL coach - barring Knights mentor Wayne Bennett - to present the new guidelines at League Central.

The coaches were shown a DVD of several controversial calls from 2012, including Justin Hodges' Origin III try that came from a dash behind a Maroons teammate.

Under the new regime's interpretation, the same movement will constitute obstruction - as has been the case for most of the game's 105-year existence.

Notwithstanding how much distance separates the ball-carrier from decoys or blockers, teams will now be penalised should any attacker run behind a teammate. The same consequences will apply to sweep players who receive the ball on the inside - rather than directly behind or outside - a decoy runner.

One of the harshest critics of last year's rulings, Manly coach Geoff Toovey emerged a satisfied man.

"We got a bit of closure around the obstruction stuff, it was good," Toovey said.

"There was a lot of headway made. I think they've made their point clear about what is obstruction and what isn't. The rules were a bit out of tune with how the game has gone and they've made a bit of tweaking."

Without going into precise detail about the new rules, which won't be confirmed until yesterday's feedback from the coaches is digested, Anderson predicted fans would be more assured this season. "We're doing our best to get as many as we can and get some clarity for coaches," Anderson said.

"It doesn't matter what model you put in. The game has that much athletic ability there is always going to be things you don't envisage or legislate for."