Referees Tip

Weekly tips from Harbour Rugby's Referee Education Officer Ray Garrett.

“thinking excellence - will achieve excellence in performance”.

 

Pre Match

Friday: Check web site for confirmed appointments -Gear is checked – 100% injury free – game plan in place – If you have an Assistant referee make sure you contact your AR’s for pre-match arrival time and confirm key focus areas identified.

Game Day: Refocus – Be relaxed – Be excited – Revisit your game plan or max three goals for the fixture.

Pre-match:

Mouth guards: To play the game all the players must wear a mouth guard. This is compulsory. No mouth guard no game (unless the player has a medical certificate).

Suggestion: Put the responsibility onto the coach/manager of the team that they ensure all their players will wear a mouth guard and remind them that if a player does not wear one - that he will have to leave the field and find one - without being replaced (14 players) and can only return to the field at a stoppage in play.  A replacement can come onto the field after 10 minutes if the player has not found the mouth guard.

Set your standard early - No mouth guard in mouth - please leave the field (this includes mouth guards in socks). It is the coach/manager problem - not the referees

Ropes: Secondary school level and above: Ensure ropes are up and remind the coaches – everyone – including water carriers and coaching staff are to remain behind the ropes during the fixture.

Note: Premier fixtures only Only 1 trained physio / doctor can roam the side of the field from each team.

 

Focus areas for all referees next two weekends: (Technical Pillar)

Set Play: Scrums – “tidy scrum tidy game” 

Ensure after the “crouch call – you check the “props” knees are bent before you call. “Touch” to the opponents side of the shoulder.  “Pause” use this time to ensure the scrum is “Square and Steady” and the final check is to ensure  the far loose head is square. “ engage” ensure far tight heads binding is on the back of his LH opponent – then move quickly to be a max of a metre behind the ball winning halfback and then check – opposing  halfback has not stepped past the tunnel (all grades from U21/85kg down) No 7/8 are bound and backs are still back 5m.

For those refereeing DSLV in the pre-match asking the following questions to the front row and locks: How far can you push? (1.5m) How do you know when you have reached 1.5m? Ensure you make a long mark so when they come up to it they will stop pushing.

How far can you wheel? 45°  How do you know when you have pushed 45°?

Aim is to get player ownership before the game starts and for you to be aware if they understand the laws that apply to them. 

Lineout: Last check point  - Ensure a wide gap and the ball travels 5 metres. If the ball is taken into a maul – ensure the backs stay back until the hindmost foot of the maul has gone past the line of Touch.

Tackle Area: Ensure the tackler clears the tackle area immediately – the arriving players remain on their feet – and arrive through the gate Note: Arriving players who go off their feet accidentally MUST still make an attempt to clear the tackle area – if they remain in the area they must be penalised. Set an early standard in all the above areas.

 

Assistant Referees:

Offside lines: Ensure you stand on the players onside line at rucks/mauls/scrums and lineouts. This line is found by standing with one foot on the offside line and the other foot on the onside line. This way you will pick up the flyers early or those who stand on one foot either side of the offside line.

Foul Play: Ensure you watch players leaving the contest area – the kicker is safe and be vigilant. If you see it and the referee also sees it – you must still flag the incident and report it to the referee. He/she may have seen a different picture to you and it gives the referee time out to think through his/her next process.

 

Have a great weekend of refereeing and enjoying your rugby.