Recent content by Volun-selected

After it happened a couple of times in a row it started to feel that way… But if it keeps happening, who gets the card? And is there a specific ruck law that I’d reference when (inevitably and “politely”) asked about it by the coach, or just 9.4 for killing competition for the ball?

Apologies - having a mental block at the moment. Tried a quick search but have missed any previous post. BC is tackled, tackler releases. First supporting attacker right on the tackler’s heels, comes in and locks on with a solid bind and supports own weight and beats the jackler to the punch...

Possible idea - work out the median scores from last season from all teams that played say 10 matches or more. What you then do is say teams start with 5 matches with that median score in the bank as a start point. Each real match knocks off one of these filler scores with a real score. eg -...

Short answer - no. Longer answer - local unions can have rules at Youth level (eg Southern California U10 and U12 have “X-Players” based on weight who cannot be used in certain plays) - but that is a local rule, not the law, and regardless the tackler still has a requirement to get low.

Well, that’s a bit crap - and does explain that last England lineout. I wonder why they couldn’t have quickly updated the screen clock to 63 when the ref confirmed 7 left?

That’s not how I see it. Ballsed up lineout at 69:30, scrum awarded but doesn’t get set up until the time has hit 70. The try was scored in the red. For me the ref is just keeping the player aware the 90s clock has already started and they have 60s left make the conversion attempt. Take the...

Still testing out the fitness and building up volume and reducing the time between. Double header on Friday for HS boys on turf (hoping easier on the knee). U14 run out on Sunday morning on the same grass pitch that irritated my knee last week. Both should be on the cool side (7C/45F and...

Just game management? I skimmed through and saw a conversion (34:57 vid time) and can’t see any shot clock. I suspect that means the ref *is* the shot clock, and he was just doing what a lot of us do and keeping the kicker clued in on the time they have left.

Could we also have a similar disconnect where we, as refs, need “clear and obvious” but civil cases only need a balance of probability?

I hear you on the speed of thought. For the tourney, I was a little slower off the mark and getting to the right spot but physically held up. Game scan was a bit rusty, took a few rucks to get back in the groove. A little stiff and nothing worse than DOMS in the quads next day but all good...

So one solution to avoid bias (perceived and otherwise) is that all video/sound feeds are fed to an independent system in parallel to the TV feeds. The TV crews can then cherry pick what the show but all the feeds are being recorded separately onto a decent sized server array. TMO and...

I agree with @didds on the repercussions - we need to think about the players on the other end of the offense. Was talking with a coach who was concerned about how a RC in an early match would take the player out for the whole tourney and “would ruin the whole 2 days for them” … at which point...

The second scenario only applies if you’re restarting with a drop out. If play would have restarted with a drop-out, the mark is anywhere on the drop-out’s sanction line (non-offending team decides). The first example covers a restart: At the point where play would have restarted or, if that...

First runout since trashing my ankle last summer so feeling nervous and very, very rusty. Local U19 tournament, and the weather looks … challenging? Inch plus of rain over the day, air temps a few degrees above freezing, a steady breeze throughout the day to keep it brisk, and almost no shelter...

And this time, we mean it! (Probably.)