Five key areas of refereeing June 2012

In 2009 the IRB HP Referees and Tier One Rugby Coaches agreed that the laws of the game of Rugby did not need to be changed but that five key areas of the game needed to be refereed more strictly. It was the belief that if these five key areas were refereed in strict accordance with Law then teams who wished to use the ball quickly and in space would be entitled to do so. The 5 key areas and the reasons are as below.

• Tackler to release tackled player immediately
• Tackled player to release or pass ball immediately
• Assist tacklers to release tackled player immediately
• Arriving players from both sides to enter through the gate

• Ball winning team should not prevent a contest by “sealing off” Arriving players should not be obstructed

Non participants at the breakdown must be behind the hindmost foot of the last player in their side of the breakdown. This is to apply to both teams and applies both on the open side and short side of the breakdown.

Players in front of the kicker of their side must not advance until onside and offside players within 10metres of the ball alighting must retire and continue to retire until outside the 10metres or put onside.

• Four calls and four actions: crouch means crouch, touch means touch, etc. Binding of props on body, not arm, of opponent. Hit straight and stay straight

• The ball carrier at the commencement of the maul must be available to be defended by his opponents. A player bound in the maul is allowed to be there. A player may not unbind or use a sliding bind to go around a maul.

Reasons:

• To ensure that the commencement of the Maul is a contest. To allow the maul to be legally defended.