[Kit] Are football studs now specifically outlawed?

[Ciaran Trainor]

http://www.rugbyrefs.com/asset.php?fid=3017&uid=271&d=1428493026

http://www.rugbyrefs.com/asset.php?fid=2984&uid=271&d=1423665145

This is what my lads football boots did last year. They didn't look or feel sharp or dangerous

 

[Paule23]

That doesn't really help with the thread, apart from showing how even compliant studs can be dangerous.

I think this is something that needs to be addressed through individual Societies, and be in guidance given to new referees. I received no practical guidance on stud checks (beyond you are supposed to do one) and you now see a very wide variety of studs, blades, moulded boots etc. I am still not clear what is legal and illegal (beyond anything obviously sharp) and whether missing studs are a problem or not (probably in a 6 stud boot, but what about a 9/10 stud boot?).

More guidance is definitely required.

 

[Accylad]

Members may remember this post on a thread called "narrow studs" that I put up in March 2015:

"We have some advise.

This has been taken to Steve Harland. Steve has said that this issue has been passed by RFU to WR. This issue has come up at Premiership level with the complication of players sponsored by Nike wanting to use the kit their sponsors pay them to use.....

For the time being I was told just to make sure the studs are not sharp until WR make a ruling. "


If I get time tomorrow I will drop Steve a line and ask him where this now stands.

Interestingly in a L4 pre season game I pulled up two players with studs I was not happy with, my more experienced AR colleague agreed with me and we insisted the boots or studs were changed. They were.

 

[Dan_A]

Just done the back to school boot buying run for my two boys. The older one likes to wear Nike football boots, so we just swap out the studs for all metal ones the same as in the picture above.

Youngest preferred some Canterbury rugby boots (they definitely had rugby boots on the descirption). We bought them and took them home. I was really surprised to then see that they had plastic screw in studs with metal tips, which is exactly what I thought 'football studs' were. The tips of the studs were marginally fatter than the Nike studs in the older boys boots and we just about 10mm in diameter.

Given the confusion on here I have swapped the Canterbury studs out for all metal ones but that seems ridiculous given that they are branded and sold as rugby boots.

This is nuts!!

 

[Dan_A]

And here they are....

 

[Accylad]

I have the clarification.
You will see that it comes from Michael Patz, match official development manager at the RFU.
"A summary of above is that the vast majority of studs not in a worn or dangerous
condition will be acceptable."

View attachment Law 4 - Players Clothing (Studs) - 2016.09.02.pdf

There we are.

 

[Nigib]

I have the clarification.
You will see that it comes from Michael Patz, match official development manager at the RFU.
"A summary of above is that the vast majority of studs not in a worn or dangerous
condition will be acceptable."

View attachment 3459

There we are.

Great. Almost, but not quite, definitive and clear...
"They will check that there are no sharp edges or burring etc." What does the "etc." cover exactly?

 

[crossref]

Great. Almost, but not quite, definitive and clear...

I am going to hazard a guess and bet that you haven't actually studied Reg 12 ?

 

[Nigib]

I am going to hazard a guess and bet that you haven't actually studied Reg 12 ?

Then your guess would be incorrect. It's not Reg 12, it's the 'clarification note' - shouldn't have included 'etc', for example

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

Let's be honest here, world rugby or whatever they are called now have sold out to big business. Player safety is irrelevant, as a ref I will cover my Arse and check studs, and say when I checked them they were OK.
I haven't a clue other than sharp dangerous studs what I am checking for. Totally confused.
When is the last time anybody banned a player from playing due to studs, be honest guys, last time I did was about 3 years ago.

 

[TheBFG]

That guidance clearly states that studs must comply to Regulation 12.

The studs in the Nike boots that we have seen on numerous occasions DO NOT MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, simples! Therefore they are not allowed and in matches I referee, players will not be using them = arse (large before anyone else jumps in) well and truly covered!

Oh wait, Premiership last weekend = lots of players are wearing those boots with the original studs in, which are illegal :shrug:

 

[DocY]

Let's be honest here, world rugby or whatever they are called now have sold out to big business. Player safety is irrelevant, as a ref I will cover my Arse and check studs, and say when I checked them they were OK.
I haven't a clue other than sharp dangerous studs what I am checking for. Totally confused.
When is the last time anybody banned a player from playing due to studs, be honest guys, last time I did was about 3 years ago.

I'm not sure player safety is irrelevant. The opposite, in fact.

In the last 10 years and more WR, and the IRB before them, have been making all sorts of changes in the name of player safety (tip-tackles, collisions in the air, HIAs...). Even if some of them have been misguided or poorly implemented, they are still the actions of a group who care very much about player safety.

Regarding studs, their clarification note is basically saying "if they're not dangerous, they're okay". Maybe a bit of a tautology, but I don't see how it can lead to the conclusion that player safety is irrelevant (or that they've sold out to big business).

 

[Phil E]

I don't allow players to wear the thin Nike studs.
Change the studs or the boots.
Never had a player argue or fail to comply.

 

[Accylad]

I will be doing as my employer requires.

 

[Thunderhorse1986]

I don't allow players to wear the thin Nike studs.
Change the studs or the boots.
Never had a player argue or fail to comply.

Very surprised you've never had any push back. And that lots of players carry two pairs of boots/full change of studs. I would agree with the sentiment, and would generally give someone with those studs a gentle warning that they should put proper rugby studs in them... but I also don't want to stop a bloke playing that week just because he's bought a new pair of boots... maybe he should know better I guess. I just think it's very tricky!

 

[DocY]

but I also don't want to stop a bloke playing that week just because he's bought a new pair of boots... maybe he should know better I guess. I just think it's very tricky!

I agree. It's not something I like doing for the same reason, but fortunately when I have done so it hasn't been a problem (individual studs with burrs on them, easily replaced). I do worry about the "but sir, these are my only pair of boots and I don't have any other studs", but as you say, they should know better and we should harden up.
Try to think about what would happen if you didn't do anything and an injury was the result.

 

[TheBFG]

a couple of seasons ago, i'd give the, "those studs don't comply you should change them" BUT now it's, "those studs are illegal, you're not playing in them!" If they have an issue, take it up with World Rugby.

 

[Rich_NL]

I do worry about the "but sir, these are my only pair of boots and I don't have any other studs", but as you say, they should know better and we should harden up.

It's better than "but sir, this is my only face and his studs have ruined it".

 

[DocY]

It's better than "but sir, this is my only face and his studs have ruined it".

"Ruined it? It's a damn improvement!"

 

[Pinky]

That guidance clearly states that studs must comply to Regulation 12.

The studs in the Nike boots that we have seen on numerous occasions DO NOT MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, simples! Therefore they are not allowed and in matches I referee, players will not be using them = arse (large before anyone else jumps in) well and truly covered!

Oh wait, Premiership last weekend = lots of players are wearing those boots with the original studs in, which are illegal :shrug:

BFG, Reg 12 describes a reference stud, and these are manufactured and available to purchase. However it permits other stud shapes as long as they perform at least as well as the reference stud in the various tests. Now, I am not able to carry out these tests and to be honest I do think that the RFU clarification is helpful. However it is up to you to decide what you consider to be dangerous. I doubt that Nike would consider their boots to be dangerous - they are after all designed for a game where contact with players unprotected skin is a foreseeable occurrence. It would be helpful if Nike were to make a statement about these studs, but I doubt they will.