Understanding the Role of the Referee and How to Adapt to the Calls on Match Day

Coaches Referees Players

 Learn the Laws and Techniques of Rugby  Coach Players in Fundamentals and Team Strategies  Put Players in a position to achieve success on the field of play  Evaluate players and make changes in relation to match situations

 Play the match in accordance with the Law and Team System  Adjust to the play of the opposition to achieve results  Adjust to the calls of the referee to play without undue penalization

 This the one realm of the game that seems to not be fully understood by the other two components  The main responsibilities are Safety, Fairness, and Professionalism  We are going to expand a bit on Law and Management to help educate Coaches and Players

Referees are responsible to be familiar with the Ins and Outs of the Law Obviously, the longer referees are at their job, the better versed they will become in the Law Referees expand their Law Knowledge both in practice and monthly training

 Once comfortable with Law, Game Management becomes a referee’s new focus  Game Management Guidelines are published annually by the USA Rugby Referee & Laws Committee

 Management Includes:  Identifying penalizeable situations  Determining if a penalty can be avoided by coaching players  Determining if a penalty is material to play  Use of escalating penalties, warnings, and cards to maintain match control

Read Recognize React

 In order to understand the role of the referee, it is important to understand the referee’s progression  This progression will occur for all potential infractions throughout the match

 Is the referee looking at the perceived infraction?  Does the infraction happen behind the referee’s back?  Is the referee’s view of the infraction obstructed by players?  Is the referee attending to another situation?

 As referees gain experience they will learn what to look for  Experienced referees gain comfort in looking away from active phases to look for other things  Turning away from a decided ruck to scan the offside lines

 Easy infractions to identify (Knock On, Wheeled Scrum, Collapsed Maul)  Some take some Understanding (Hands In, Dangerous Tackle, Not Rolling Away, Playing Ball from Ground)  Some are Subtleties a new Referee may not know (Offsides at Tackle, Throwing Deliberately to Touch, Illegal Binding at Rucks and Mauls)

EExperience = Quicker Recognition RReferees will learn and adapt RReferees will gain knowledge of the subtleties as they referee more matches IInstances where referees are confused or unsure will send them to their law books HHow many players and coaches will dive back into the law book???

 Here is where the problems come in!  For each infraction, the referee must identify if it is MATERIAL  If every penalty was called, the whistle would wear out the coaches, players, and the pea in the whistle by the end  Alternately, a referee that “lets them play” is due to have an explosion before the end of the match

 Materiality takes keen awareness of the match  As referees progress, this is the piece that evaluators and referee coaches look at closest  We are going to go over a number of match examples to see what the referee needs to decide

Not Rolling Away  Was the player being held to the ground?  Did the offensive player’s support win the ball cleanly? Offside at the Tackle  Is the player the Tackler or an Arriving Player (Did player go to ground)?  Was player inside the one meter tackle circle?

Hands in the Ruck  Did the player have possession of the ball prior to the formation of the ruck?  Is the player facilitating delivery at the back of a ruck no longer being contested? Leaving Feet at the Ruck  Did the player attempt to maintain feet and meet no resistance?  Did the player(s) fall over due to pressure at the back?

 Not Binding at a Ruck  Did the player have a teammate to bind onto?  Did the player shoulder charge an opposition player in a dangerous fashion?

 Collapsing a Maul  Was the maul intentionally collapsed or was it off balance?  Did the player collapsing leave their feet or submarine the piece?  Did the team in possession or opposition pull down the maul?

 Offside by Non-Participants  Did the offside player matter (Outside Center, Wing)?  Was the ball out and the pass delayed by the Scrumhalf?  Was the player drawn offside by a feigning move by the Scrumhalf?

 Crooked Feed  Did both teams have the ability to play the ball?  Is the crooked feed being played the same for both sides?  Hooker Feet Up  Do both Hookers have their foot up?  Is either Hooker gaining an unfair advantage?

 Binding in the Front Row  Is the binding causing instability or an unfair advantage?  Is the scrum collapsing due to the binding issue?  Is the binding causing problems for the opposition?

 Barging/Early Engagement  Is the offending team barging or is the opposition not accepting the engagement?  Was there a change in the referee’s cadence that may have caused the early engagement?  Are there new players in the front row?  Did the second row cause the infraction?

 Opposing Scrumhalf in the Pocket  Is the opposing Scrumhalf gaining an unfair advantage?  Is the opposing Scrumhalf affecting the Scrumhalf in possession?  Flankers Changing Angle of Bind  Is the new angle for stability or to interfere with the opposing Scrumhalf?  Is the change of angle done in a whipping fashion?

 Wheeling the Scrum  Is the wheel deliberate?  Is there a definitive pulling action?  Which line in the scrum has gone past the 90/45 degree angle?

 Throw Not Straight  What is straight?  Early Lifting  Was the offending team ordered to drop down?  Has the action been repetitive?  Did the early lift cause a reaction by the thrower?

 Offsides by Non-Participants  Has the lineout ended?  Did something ever form that caused the players to stay 10 meters from the line of touch?

 Ball Dropped “Straight” Down  What is the skill level of the match?  Are there any weather considerations?  Offside in Open Play  Did the player attempt to retreat?  Was the ball played by the non- kicking team?  Did the player rob the non- offending team of an advantage?

 Obstruction  Was a player actually obstructed (i.e., did the obstructed player have a real opportunity to make a play)?  Was the obstruction intentional?

 Is the Advantage for a Scrum or Penalty Infraction?  Is this a case where play should immediately be stopped?  Has the referee learned something earlier in match that would cause a longer advantage (i.e., inferior scrum)?

 Dangerous Tackle  Was the tackle High or Dangerous?  Was the tackled player lifted to a horizontal position?  Was the player dropped or driven into the ground?

 Late Tackle on Kicker  Was the infracting player committed or in the air?  Did the infracting player make an attempt to ease up/wrap?  Is the kicker acting?

 Punching/Striking  Was the punch/strike unwarranted or retaliatory?  Was the punch/strike intentional?

 Boots on a Player  Was the application of boots or stomping intentional?  Was the movement downward or more of a drag?  Did the boots make contact with the head?

 Was the action deliberate or repetitive?  What is the tenor of the match?  What is the skill level of the match?  Are there any weather related issues?

 A recent study of a 2010 London Wasps v Newcastle Falcons match identified the number of actions and set pieces the referee had to watch in the match.  Any guesses?

 The referee in the 80 minute match had to evaluate 514 items  Over 6 items per minute – One every 9 seconds  Interesting to note that this number counts each ruck and tackle as 1 – Not how players react after the tackle; Not how arriving players join; Not what players bound in are doing now; Not what Non-Participants are up to

 It becomes the job of the players to respond to the match the referee is calling  Disparities in Age, Experience, Fitness, Speed, etc. will breed inconsistency  How is the referee calling each of the items discussed previously?

 For each of the items we listed above, players and coaches have two choices  Understand, player and coach petitioning is not very likely to change the referee’s call  Identify the alternative to complaining about a referee call

 Move faster  Wiggle to a position that blocks neither team from access to the ball on the ground

 Release the ball or the opposing player one instant sooner

 Release the ball sooner  Be conscious of the referee’s commands at the tackle/ruck transition – the more experienced referees will let you know when to let go

 Take directions from the referee  Take one extra half-step backward

 A referee is under NO obligation to give clarification while the match is occurring  This may serve to slow down the match or distract the referee from what is coming next  If clarification is sought, attempt to obtain it through the Captain when the ball is dead

 VERY few teams take advantage of speaking with the referee after the match  CALMLY discuss certain calls and attempt to learn what the referee was seeing or trying to accomplish  Revisit the Law Book or Game Management Guidelines to see if you have misunderstood something

 From a playing perspective, it does not hurt to ask a referee what he/she saw in your team  Referees have the best seat in the house – we might be able to identify certain strengths and weaknesses