During a match:

You have gone from being a game facilitator to a ticket-writing traffic cop. Don’t shy away from your responsibility to the game and the other players on the field.

Things to do:

Call the player and the captain over. This is not TV rugby where you show the card and they run off to the sin bin. Tell them why this is happening. For example: “I am dismissing this player for an act of foul play” – do NOT go into an extended discussion about exactly what you saw. Do not entertain any debate or argument. Take your time but this needs to be quick! Keep your cool.

On your card, notate:

Time of game (also serves as a reminder of the 10 mins in 15s or 2 mins in 7s)

Player name

Team

Position and number

Reason for RC or YC. Not law #, but reason (one or two words as a reminder for later)

Do the report (within 24-48 hours). Failure to do this may lead to a dismissal of the case.

Determine the conference of the home team (which is whom you’d report it to, no matter if it’s the visitor or not). This should be available within RefUp.

All Club Senior Men and Club Senior Women Sides – Capital

D1 College Women – South Atlantic

D2 and D3 College Women – Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC) (locating more info)

D1 College Men – Rugby East

D2 & D3 College Men – Cardinals

Youth & HS – Rugby Virginia

Go to the RSV site and use the appropriate conference link – https://rugbyrefs.us/disciplinary-incidents/

Be concise but accurate in your report. Stick to facts and don’t offer a subjective opinion; intent, for example, has no place in a report on a spear tackle. Try to explain your positioning (“I was 5 meters away with a clear unobstructed view of the incident from a good angle”), as it helps the Disciplinary Chair. Describe what was happening leading up to the card and where on the field it occurred.