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DWC

Guitar, ukulele, and piano student; rugby fanatic; INTJ

More mid-season comments from USAR

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From: Richard Every <revery@usarugby.org>
Date: October 13, 2017 at 06:55:34 EDT
 
We are mid-season now and there have been some improvements in your refereeing which has been inspiring, and to continue to build through to the end of the season, we would like you to consider some additional areas of focus:
 
  1. BREAKDOWN:
    1. URGENCY: Most tackles become rucks, and it requires referees to manage space more effectively. This is achieved by working harder to be on an inside/infield position to create more presence and work to create/maintain space.
    2. POSITIONING at RUCKS, take up one of three positions:
                                                              i.      On the attacking side, facing the defense: Close to the ruck – crash ball will be outside of you. 
                                                            ii.      On the attacking side, facing the defense: Far from the ruck – crash ball will be inside of you.
                                                          iii.      Close to the goal line, once you have worked/established ball availability, drop to the defense, between defenders (not in front of them).
NOTE: These positions are essential to avoid disrupting and getting in the way of defenders
    1. TACKLER ASSIST: 
                                                              i.      Needs to release immediately. Seeing too many referees allowing the “let it breathe” approach that actually allows the defense to effectively slow down the recycle until they are cleared out. Be proactive in removing it early from the game.
                                                            ii.      If you need a REPLAY to see if they released the ball it is not good enough – clear release, clear space.
    1. RUCKS range from 150-200 per match. At about 15% there is competition for possession, and 3.5% should clearly be a turnover. It amounts to around 20-30 competitive rucks, and 7-10 that should be turnovers. The more you watch rugby, and the more you focus on anticipating the breakdown, the better you become at making those key decisions, the ones that matter, the ones where you get the probable outcome correct that supports the flow of the game.
  2. SCRUM:
    1. SLOOOOW DOWN the BIND-SET. Let the scrum settle before calling SET. When you call BIND, the scrum height slightly increases, then once teams bind, the height goes down and the scrum becomes steady. THEN CALL “SET”.
    2. PRESSURES: TH pressure is downward, LH upward. Thus, when we see a TH being penalized for pushing up, it makes no sense, it could only be the LH not taking the pressure and pulling out.
  3. ADVANTAGE:
    1. SCRUM: Be sure that when you call advantage over, that the team has controlled possession.
    2. PENALTY: A penalty kick allows a team to:
                                                       i.      Possibly kick 3 points (sometimes from 50m or more away).
                                                            ii.      Kick for touch (sometimes 50m or more) and retain possession.
NOTE: Take these points into consideration before playing fruitless advantage, hoping that something spectacular will happen.
  1. FOUL PLAY: We are seeing some referees getting back to old habits of negotiating high tackles. There is no negotiation here. Penalize it, put the onus on the players, and get it out of the game.
Remember, the game is not about you. You are there to facilitate an environment where both teams can compete fairly, on a level playing field.

A Few Fall Focus Areas from USAR

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On Thu, Oct 5, 2017 at 2:21 PM, Richard Every <revery@usarugby.org>, USAR High Performance Referee Manager wrote:

There have been a lot of positives already– the new tackle trial that a ruck forms when a player on their feet is positioned over the ball has created more space and structure. The only negative appears to be where defenders approach, make contact, and then attempt to gain possession with their hands. This means a few more “hands in” PK’s than we normally see, but hopefully players will adjust over time.

A few things to focus on:

BREAKDOWN:

When you anticipate the scenario above, you could call “RUCK NO HANDS”, and it may prevent a PK.
We see a lot of referees commenting in their reports to “Let it breathe”. That is a good approach especially if you had a full season of Sevens and are struggling to make the transition to Fifteens. Please focus to differentiate between “let it breathe” and allowing defenders to slow down the recycle. This is noticeable as we see some referees over-managing, with too much talking. Often, when you communicate to defenders to do something, like “Release” or “Roll Away”, they have already achieved their goal in slowing down the recycle.

SCRUM:

ENGAGEMENT:

i. Both teams should be stationary and square before each call.

ii. LH props to keep the inside should in line and not tucked.

iii. LH to bind on the back or side – not under the TH.

iv. TH to bind on the back or side – not on the LH arm.

v. DO NOT RUSH the Bind-Set. It takes patience and focus to get this right.

WALKING AROUND: Teams need to be pushing forward. Walking around, spinning the scrum on its axis should be penalized.

TIME WASTING: We have seen a few matches where players waste time, to form lineouts, scrums, and so forth. Be up to date on your Laws:

  • Conversion Kicks: 90s – time elapsed the kick is disallowed.
  • Penalty/Free Kicks: 60s – time elapsed the kick is disallowed and a scrum is awarded to the opposition.
  • Scrum: Ready to “Crouch” within 30s – Free Kick, if it is repeated, Penalty Kick.
  • Lineout: Teams are required to form a lineout. If they delay, you request they form the lineout (this includes teams that lineout a distance away and walk into the lineout). If they do not comply, Free Kick. If they repeat this action, Penalty Kick.

RUCK with one player

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From: Richard Every
Date: Fri, Sep 8, 2017 at 11:35 AM

[This is an excerpt since we’ve all seen the video and know the new law.]

If a player has to step with one leg over the ball, they would be a prone target to be cleared out.

AT THIS TIME, in the USA, WE WILL DO THE FOLLOWING, until further clarification:

If, at a tackle, a player on their feet positions themselves over the ball, a ruck is formed. That means, your body has to be over the ball. It should be in a controlled manner, and both legs can still be on your side of the ball and they may grasp their player that is on the ground. Try not to over-complicate it.

If that player then decides to play the ball, they have to step back so they are no longer over the ball, then play the ball coming through the gate.

If, after they have formed the ruck, they pick up the ball in that ruck-forming position, it is a PK against them for hands in.