16 players on the field

[Taffy]

From todays match.

Half way through the first half.

About to have a line out and a local wag shouts from the sidelines "Count the away teams players referee". I stop, ask the yellow skipper to sort it out and we discover that they have been playing for ABOUT 5 MINUTES WITH 16 PLAYERS......DOH.

It is sorted, the extra player leaves the field and I ask the yellow skipper to apologise to the the green skipper at the next down time as a few of the green players are shouting out "What's the penalty for that then ref?"

We just carried on with the line out.

Have to say that I didn't have a clue what the appropriate action to take was?

See to recall a Premiership Game where this happened, albeit only briefly a few years ago and I think they were fined quite a lot of money.

It was real grass roots today, we all had a bit of a laugh, but it would be nice to know what the correct form of action was in law.

 

[crossref]

It's a PK to green...

 

[Stuartg]

It's a PK to green...

Agreed. But where? 15m in from where the lineout is?

 

[crossref]

It's a PK to green...

Agreed. But where? 15m in from where the lineout is?

Sounds good to me..

 

[The Fat]

Agreed. But where? 15m in from where the lineout is?

Yes.
You'll find it in Law 3 somewhere.

 

[Taffy]

what about the fact that they scored during the time they had 16 players on the field?

 

[Rushforth]

what about the fact that they scored during the time they had 16 players on the field?

Irrelevant. Can't turn time back.

 

[didds]

I ask the yellow skipper to apologise to the the green skipper

what would you have done if he hadn't?

didds

 

[matty1194]

In respsone to the OP, it is covered in Law 3:

3.2 Team with more than the permitted number of players
Objection: at any time before or during a match a team may make an objection to the referee about the number of players in their opponents’ team. As soon as the referee knows that a team has too many players, the referee must order the captain of that team to reduce the number appropriately. The score at the time of the objection remains unaltered.


And I would award the resulting PK at the 15m mark in line with where the LO would of occured if not for the extra man on the field.

As for making sure the numbers are correct, every so often at a scrum just check how many are in the backline when no one is in the bin, if you have a full scrum and a 9 close by and more than 6 in the backline youve too many!!!

Sanction: Penalty at the place where the match would restart.

 

[Taff]

.. Half way through the first half. About to have a line out and a local wag shouts from the sidelines "Count the away teams players referee". I stop, ask the yellow skipper to sort it out and we discover that they have been playing for ABOUT 5 MINUTES WITH 16 PLAYERS......DOH.... "What's the penalty for that then ref?". Have to say that I didn't have a clue what the appropriate action to take was?

PK where play would have restarted.

It's a PK to green...

Agreed. But where? 15m in from where the lineout is?

I'd say the same as Stuartg; on the intersection of the LoT and the 15m line. The mark for all FK / PK offences at the LO are on the 15m line. I don't see why this should be any different.

 

[SimonSmith]

what would you have done if he hadn't?

didds

This X2. You'll seem like a school teacher, and not in a good way.

 

[Taffy]

This X2. You'll seem like a school teacher, and not in a good way.

Agree.......it was more of a suggestion than anything. I said "at the next available moment". Thinking about it now, I probably should have called both of the skippers over and explained that we had now sorted it and let's move on.............

 

[Dickie E]

The Aussie Rules blokes take it seriously:

Head count[edit]The primary means for controlling interchanges in most leagues (but not in the AFL) is via a Head Count, currently detailed in Law 5.5 of the game. To initiate this procedure, a team captain must request a head count from the umpire. The umpire, at the opportunity, will call time on, and all players from both teams line will line-up in the centre of the ground to be counted by the umpires.

If either team has more players on the ground than it should, the general rule is that the team's entire score to that point of the game is cancelled, and a free kick and 50-metre penalty are paid to the opposing captain from the centre of the ground ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interchange_(Australian_rules_football)

 

[Taff]

what about the fact that they scored during the time they had 16 players on the field?

It doesn't matter; because the law book says the score stands.

The players have a responsibility too; ie it's not just down to us. Some good advice I picked up from here was ... if in doubt, count them at scrum time - because you only need to count from 9 to 15 and not 1 - 15.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Irrelevant. Can't turn time back.

Cher tried. Couldn't.

 

[FightOrFlight]

Pull up a seat and I'll tell you a good one.

I had a game a few years ago where a team deliberately had 18 players on the pitch. 5 mins to go and score was tied. It was mid play and 3 guys snook on. One supporter noticed and started shouting. I was about to stop play when the non offending team made an intercept and went the full length to under the posts. I said nothing...awarded the try and just as we were about to restart I put on my best acting performance and said "hang on how many players have you there". PK on halfway and ordered 3 players off. However they had made all but 2 subs and the 3 guys who went off were not the 3 who came on. Allowed the kick to touch, then another acting master class. Time off, went over and told the coach that they had only 2 subs left and he had made 3. He told me that the 3rd player subbed was injured. "Well I'm sorry but you have made all your subs so you will have to play with 14 now" says I.

So from 18 players to 14 in a matter of seconds! They lost but circa 20 in the end!

 

[menace]

Cher tried. Couldn't.

Very funny.

Though she didn't try. She knew she couldn't, she was just wishing.

 

[menace]

It was mid play and 3 guys snook on.

So they snookered themselves in the end? (Badda-boom!epper

 

[FightOrFlight]

So they snookered themselves in the end? (Badda-boom!epper

 

[Taff]

... PK on halfway and ordered 3 players off. However they had made all but 2 subs... Time off, went over and told the coach that they had only 2 subs left and he had made 3.

I'm confused with the numbers. Why have they only got 2 subs left?