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Below is a selective extract from the SRU Community Rugby Memorandum 2010 to 2011. The head coach has requested that players peruse the content.
Spectators are requested to comply with the spirit of the text regarding continual shouting to match officials being unacceptable.
The complete document is available at: http://www.scottishrugby.org/community/component/option,com_jdownloads/Itemid,85/task,view.download/cid,736/
OVERVIEW
To reflect recent directives from the International Rugby Board, this season Scottish Referees will place particular emphasis on:
• Obstruction by the team in possession when forming a maul
• Management of the scrum cadence
• Tackle and post-tackle management
• Dangerous Play – charging in to rucks and mauls without binding.
• Offside at breakdown
• Offside at kicks
Also
• It is paramount that the reputation of game is promoted and not brought into disrepute.
• CONTINUAL SHOUTING BY CLUB OFFICIALS DURING MATCHES REFERRING TO MATCH OFFICIALS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
HIGH AND DANGEROUS TACKLES
• Players must grasp an opponent when attempting a tackle.
• Spear tackle: Once a player has been lifted off the ground it is the tackling player’s responsibility to ensure that the lifted player is safely returned to ground. If a spear tackle is committed then referees will issue a red card
• High Tackle: Players must not tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders (this includes tackles that start legally but “ride up”).
DANGEROUS PLAY
• Law 10.4.J – Players must not charge into a ruck or maul without binding (with a full arm) onto a player in the ruck or maul
• Referees must be vigilant to players who clear out opponents not involved in rucks and mauls
• Law 16.3.F – A player rucking for the ball must not intentionally ruck players on the ground. A player rucking for the ball tries to step over players on the ground and must not intentionally step on them. A player rucking must do so near the ball.
• Feet on heads, limbs and joints – the referee should start thinking red card and move down to yellow card.
GENERAL
• Unfair play should not escape sanction. Deliberate, cynical offences should lead to a YC.
• Repeat offences can be for infringing in one area or over a number of laws.
• If required, referees are to produce YC sooner rather than later in game.
• Off the ball offences are unacceptable and should lead to a YC.
• Tipping in line out to be closely scrutinised.
SCRUM
• Essential that both teams are at the same height before engage
• Teams that refuse to go immediately into the crouch are liable to be free kicked, unless for safety reasons they are not ready
• Timing by referee imperative when calling ‘’crouch, touch, pause, engage’’ and referees will ensure that the cadence is slower than in previous seasons
• These are instructions that players must react to when the referee calls them – not when they feel like doing it
• Referees should be particularly vigilant of the offside lines for a scrum half
• All front rows must bind correctly for duration of scrum. Advantage should not be played for an offence of illegal binding by a front row player
• If incorrect binding of back row occurs, the player is liable to sanction. Material effect will be the decider as to the referee’s action.
• Safety is paramount.
• The referee is more liable to reset a scrum which goes up on the mark as opposed to the retreating scrum, which is liable to sanction.
• Referees should not guess as to the cause of a collapse, reset if not sure. If sure be consistent and penalise appropriately.
• If a scrum wheels on its fulcrum, then it is likely a whip wheel is involved.
• The scrum has to be a contest.
• Providing no safety issues are involved, a referee must not attempt to ’’de-power’’ a dominant scrum.
TACKLE
Players who play the ball after a tackle must do so from the direction of their own goal line
• Preventative statements should not be used repeatedly by referee. If players do not respond immediately they are liable to sanction.
• Tackler must immediately release tackled player and the ball
• Law 15.6.C - Players in opposition to the ball carrier who remain on their feet who bring the ball carrier to ground so that the player is tackled must release the ball and the ball carrier. Those players may then play the ball providing they are on their feet and do so from behind the ball and from directly behind the tackled player or a tackler closest to those players’ goal line.
• Tackled player must immediately pass or release ball.
• If opposition players who are on their feet attempt to play the ball the tackled player must release the ball.
• Players who adopt the squeeze ball position must recycle the ball immediately or become liable to penalty.
• Players must enter from behind the ball and directly behind the tackled player (i.e.: through the gate).
• Arriving players must stay on their feet, where possible, and under no circumstances, must players ‘seal’ the ball off i.e. prevent a fair contest for the ball.
• Yellow cards can be given if a professional foul is committed even if team have not been warned. Referees are to be encouraged to give a technical yellow card earlier in game rather than allow slow ball from tackle and then card as a last resort.
RUCK
• Referees will endeavour to call “ruck”
• Referees to be particularly vigilant on side entry.
• Players must bind with a whole arm around body of a team-mate
• Providing a player from either side on their feet after a tackle comply with all aspects of the Law
15 (Tackle) and have the ball in their hands prior to contact with an opposition player on his feet those players may continue with possession of the ball even if a player from the opposition makes contact with those players in possession of the ball (i.e. hands on the ball before a ruck is formed)
• If the scrum half / receiver has hands on the ball he can be touched as long as the tackler was correctly bound, on side and on his feet when beginning the tackle. He must not kick the ball if it is in the scrum half’s hands. He must not deliberately knock the ball forward out of the scrum half’s hands.
• Offensive and defensive pillars must respect offside lines.
MAUL
• Only one player can sack a player who comes to ground with the ball in a lineout.
• Referees should be vigilant to obstruction by the team in possession of the ball when forming a maul
• Referees to call ‘’use it’’ when maul becomes stationary for the second time.
• Players must not intentionally collapse a maul. This is dangerous play.
• Law 17.4.F – When players of the team who are not in possession of the ball in the maul voluntarily leave the maul such that there are no players of that team left in the maul, the maul may continue and there are two offside lines. Players may rejoin the maul providing that the first player binds on the foremost player of the team in possession of the ball.
LINE OUT
• If players fail to form a line out when opposition are at line of touch they render themselves liable to a free kick.
• Referees will have to monitor the number of participants in the lineout.
• Referees should not slow the game down by trying to set every line out. Set the initial line-outs, set out your stall re gaps and if players don’t respond thereafter – free kick
• Only one player can sack a player who comes to ground with the ball in a lineout
• Teams are not required to have a receiver at the lineout
• If a receiver exists, said player must be 2 metres from the lineout.
• Once the lineout has started (i.e. when the ball leaves the throwing in player’s hands) this player may join the lineout as normal
• Players not to peel until ball leaves hooker’s hands.
• If players drift infield beyond 15m and the ball does not travel beyond 15m line, they render themselves liable to a penalty.
• Referees to be vigilant of jumpers being tackled in the air and support lifters being tackled illegally.
• Teams are entitled to defend a maul formed from line-out so the ball carrier must be bound by opponent at the start of a maul otherwise it is obstruction
• Referees will manage throwers foot in the field of play by asking for compliance before penalising.
• No specific players are required for line-outs. If injured players are far enough away, play should continue
• One metre gap to be obtained and maintained.
ADVANTAGE
Quick Whistle
• When a scrum collapses or pops up.
• When a player kills a ball on the ground the referee should stop the game immediately and award a penalty unless in his judgement an obvious advantage is likely. Players who intentionally kill or slow down the ball must either be admonished or cautioned.
Delay Whistle
• For a technical offence, possession without being under pressure is sufficient advantage (the gain line is not important).
• If no real gain in territory or clear tactical advantage, then referee should return for the full penalty
• Referee to recognise importance of a kickable position and the tactical advantage gained from a kick to the corner and a possible try.
• Teams will not be allowed to take a quick tap if the ball is deliberately thrown away.
• If a team do not want to use the advantage (in order to take a quick tap), they should be encouraged to ask the referee for the penalty or free kick rather than deliberately throwing the ball away.
• It is imperative referees are allowed to exercise their judgement.
• The referee will immediately signal when he is playing advantage and continue to signal while he is walking/ slow jogging. Once he begins to run, he will drop his arm even if advantage is continuing. He will verbally indicate advantage over.
KICK OFF, KICKS IN OPEN PLAY AND RESTARTS
• Receiver being taken in the air and defending team blocking to be penalised.
• Referees need to be aware of clear and obvious obstruction when forming a maul at kick offs.
• If the ball is kicked for touch, players who are offside must not advance until either they are put onside or when the ball has been confirmed as out by the AR/Touch Judge/Referee
• The only person that can stop a quick throw in is a player who is onside at the time the ball went out.
• Referees should be more aware of the ball being thrown away or not releasing and subsequently stopping a quick tap kick.
• If a player inside the 10 metres interferes in the case of a quick tap, then that player is liable to penalty but beware of player “milking” 10 metres.
GENERAL
• There will be a zero tolerance as regards players questioning the referee (including the captain).
• Captains will not be allowed to approach the referee at penalties or free kicks to “discuss” decisions. Clarification can be given, if necessary, at “downtime”.
• Questioning of a referee’s decision at a penalty/free kick – could result in a team being marched back 10 metres.
• Referees must not give lengthy explanations when giving decisions.
• Referees should only stop for injuries when it is deemed unsafe to play on.
This article was posted on 12-Aug-2010, 17:39 by Hugh Barrow.
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