Alternate way of looking at Yellow Cards

[Guyseep]

I played and was involved in rugby before the time of the yellow card and the sin bin.
As a referee now, my impression is that we are reluctant to give out a YC as it can change the course of the game and we don't want to be putting our stamp on the game.

I've recently started looking at YCs the way penalties are applied in ice hockey. In ice hockey penalties happen frequently in the game and depending on the severity of the infringement, players are sent to the penalty box anywhere from 2-5 mins. Penalties in ice hockey are not seen as an intrusion from the referee that can lead to the game changing course, but are actually part of the excitement of hockey.

When teams are on the power play (have a 1 man advantage), the pace of the game is increased and there's a sudden flurry of offense. The only difference is if the team on a power play scores then the penalty is over and the offending player comes back into play.

Would such an approach work for rugby? Perhaps reducing the YC sinbin to 5-8 mins to encourage the team with a man up to pick up the pace of their offence?

 

[didds]

this clearly works in ice hockey, possibly because of its long usage. My fear if introduced in rugby is that it just creates another area for potential controversy for referees. Not that that necessarily is a valid reason to not do something.

didds

 

[leaguerefaus]

I've actually seen some extremely soft YCs / RCs in top flight rugby, so I believe rugby referees are too keen, not too reluctant, to hand out cards. Just my two-cents worth. Plus I realise a lot of these cards are from directives given to referees, and are not always the referees being over zealous.

I also recognise that there's no easy answer as to what should and shouldn't be carded. I believe rugby is one extreme of too much carding, and the NRL is the other extreme of not enough carding. English Super League seems to be a happy medium where teams and players are adequately punished for foul play without referees having an effect on the game when they do not need to.

 

[Drift]

It works in hockey as they can move up and down field a lot quicker than in rugby.

 

[chbg]

And the Power Play is 5 v 4, not 15 v 14.

 

[SmeejDad]

I've actually seen some extremely soft YCs / RCs in top flight rugby, so I believe rugby referees are too keen, not too reluctant, to hand out cards.

I'd agree that the carding in the top flight is a bit excessive these days. Since the Sam Warburton sending off in RWC 2011 semi final the whole game has changed with regards to what constitutes a yellow/red.