Recent content by FightOrFlight

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1061571343856711 In order for this to be awarded the ball must be on the ground as if it has bounced up and is not in contact with the ground he is deemed to be carrying it and is in possession and so touch in goal. For me when Wade makes contact to ground...

1) Goode trying to keep the ball in from a PK punt from Sexton. I know he was in touch no question however I have kinda forgotten much to my embarrassment if when a player jumps from "in play" over the plane of touch and plays the ball(also over the plane) back in before he lands in touch if it...

http://www.rugbyonslaught.com/2015/01/bayonnes-santiago-fernandezs-clever-use.html People think this is smart "use" but to me this is breaking the laws and a missed call by the ref. He clearly drops the ball over the line for the restart and breaks law 13.1. Allowing a kick just over the...

I was at a gathering of refs recently when an old campaigner long retired put a question to a few of us. It goes like this: PK awarded and the team go for the posts. Kicker kicks it but through some misfortune be it wind, off the post or other the ball goes into touch. What happens? It's an...

So last weekend I traded in my whistle under higher orders for a flag. It was a high level 1st XV game. Red v Blue. It's a tight game in fairly cool and damp conditions and blue have been hammering away with picks and close forward plays. Finally they go wide and get a 2 on 1 on the outside...

From a game today. Two senior 1sts teams. It was a level up from what I usually have as it was a trial of sorts for me and I was being watched. Assessor was overall pretty happy I could be upgraded however he flagged up a "critical incident" after the game and I would just like to get some...

In a recent game there was an issue with "playing the 9". Blue v Red There was a tackle. Blue player clears over but past the ball and is pulled or falls away leaving nobody "guarding the gate". Blue 9 is arriving to play the ball but as he arrives on the scene he is engaged and cleared out by...

Was doing an U19s internal club trial game tonight and had a little bit of an odd one perhaps. Ball comes down from a lineout and a maul forms. The team with the ball start getting pushed back slowly at first but then at a rate of knots. It was so quick that the 9 was unable to get at the ball...

Red v Blue. A reduced numbers lineout on blue throw (4v4 I think) with the rest of the forwards out with the backs. Player goes up, comes down and a maul is set up. I have my arm up to signal the maul has not moved past the line of touch as you do. Maul is a little static to start but suddenly...

England v South Africa today. Steve Walsh blew the 1st half up after a mark was caught by a player. The ball was not kicked to touch he just blew the mark and then blew the half time whistle. Now no doubt the ball would be stabbed dead from the mark but still in a test match is this proper...

http://www.rugbyonslaught.com/2014/11/rfu-to-investigate-alleged-homophobic.html It's sad to see this in the game. I feel sadly that this is only to the fore because someone took issue with it and pointed it out. It most likely happens a lot more. While I am totally opposed to any sort of...

Reffing a game today. Red v Blue. Blue player tackled 4m in from touch with a primary red tackler and an assist. Primary rolls away as per but red assist is on feet and has a hold of the Blue jersey(no release) and drags him the remaining 4m or so into touch. I PKed red assist for not releasing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyr0Bpsozqg This is no try for me and a fairly big blown call by the referee. The thing that caught my attention when I first watched the video was the fact an attacking player is not wearing a jersey. This was before the tap was taken....I was then stunned to...

Was doing a game this weekend. It was a friendly but was a high enough standard of U20s. A player makes a tackle and gets his head around the wrong area of the hip and cops a fair shot from the ball carriers "hip bone". He goes down and arms are straight up and his leg is twitching. I blow it up...

I was speaking with an old campaigner recently enough and he was telling me a story from a few years back. It was in a game in a certain country in the Southern part of a large continent. A promising young ref was out in his first season doing an U17s game. He had 2 TJs who were appointed as it...