Blow for touch? when?

[liversedge]

I've noticed all referees will whistle for touch when play needs to be stopped; e.g. a maul goes over, a winger puts his foot on the line in full flight.

But I've also noticed that some don't blow when the ball goes in from a kick, and will wait a few moments for, I assume, the quick throw. Then whistle when the lineout is forming to signal a quick throw is no longer possible?

What is the accepted protocol? Right now, I just blow immediately whenever the ball goes into touch.

 

[Blackberry]

Hi Liversedge
Blowing for touch doesn't stop a quick throw being taken. On a slightly different note, I never blow for touch until the ball hits the ground / an object in touch as I was once caught out by a ball blowing back in. Aggg! Still hurts me now

 

[ianh5979]

I only blow for touch once the ball has hit something over the touchline

 

[Davet]

6.A.8.e says you must blow the whistle when the ball has gone out of play.

The quick throw in is a restart, how can they restart until you have stopped play with the whistle?

 

[Drift]

I don't blow for touch, only when a ruck is close to the line and the AR raises his flag will I blow for touch.

 

[Davet]

I don't blow for touch

Why not?

Law tells you to, common sense tells you to.

 

[TheBFG]

I give a short peep as soon as i see that the QT is no longer on, i.e. it's touched a "non-player" or that there are 2 from each team at the LOT etc.

I'll also blow for it when a maul etc has gone into touch, i.e. "ball is dead" stops any potential flash points :wink:

 

[Davet]

I give a short peep as soon as i see that the QT is no longer on

What has the QT being on, or not, got to do with anything?

Your whistle does't prevent the QT

 

[Dixie]

I don't blow for touch, only when a ruck is close to the line and the AR raises his flag will I blow for touch.

This would get a comment from many an English assessor at L.10 and higher - though it may not necessarily form a black mark on a report.

I believe Womble delegates the blowing of the whistle to the AR. So you'll see that there is not a universal standard. I think there are many refs at mid-to-higher levels who take the view that they will wait until the QT is no longer on. That's not necessarily technically accurate, but it does have some game management justification. For what it's worth, that justification disappears when ARs get appointed, because the protocol is that the AR will only point to the throwing side once the QT is no longer on, adn so there is already a reliable indicator. So as a management technique in England, it is only relevant where the players are good enough to be likely to use a QT (probably L.8 and above), but not so good as to warrant ARs (L.5ish?).

Given your status as a new ref, I'd blow as soon as it touches anyone or anything beyond the touchline.

 

[TheBFG]

What has the QT being on, or not, got to do with anything?

Your whistle does't prevent the QT

I work on the old saying "play to the whistle", therefore if i blow it "we" stop, simples, so if a ball is kicked into touch and is fielded by the winger, QT is on, so no whistle.

ball kicked into touch, and fielded by ball boy, peep of whistle, no QT ....... with me so far? :wink:

ball kicked to touch, winger fields it but just kinda fannys about, by now players from both sides have gathered where the TJ has their flag up, peep of whistle, no QT.

That's how i do it and to be honest i've done my exchange to Hants, the Assessor thougt it was great control so job done, if you don't like it or think i need hanging because of it

:wink:

 

[Davet]

Play to the whistle - ball in touch - whistle - play stops - QT -play has been restarted. That's how the law works. Simples!

Your approach is out of line and leads to confusion. You, and others like you, are responsible for players believing that once the whistle has gone they can't take a QT.

Which is simply wrong.

You are creating and perpetuating a problem that then affects games where the ref acts correctly and according to Law and blows his whistle when the ball goes into touch.

 

[OB..]

Play to the whistle - ball in touch - whistle - play stops - QT -play has been restarted. That's how the law works. Simples!

Your approach is out of line and leads to confusion. You, and others like you, are responsible for players believing that once the whistle has gone they can't take a QT.

Which is simply wrong.

You are creating and perpetuating a problem that then affects games where the ref acts correctly and according to Law and blows his whistle when the ball goes into touch.

I was just about to say the same thing.

 

[FlipFlop]

I'm with OB and Davet.

Refs who do this different create problems for the rest of us.

The number of times my blowing the whistle as the ball went out, has caused confusion as the team wanted to go quickly. I then have to explain, re-educate etc.

The law is simple in this - the whistle should be blown when the ball goes into touch.

 

[TheBFG]

:redface: i'll get me coat :redface:

I'm not sure where ive picked this up from but i'll consider myself told!

 

[ddjamo]

I lean more towards wonball's technique. if the situation looks like there will be a QT I don't want to do anything to stop them so I won't blow the whistle.

 

[Davet]

if the situation looks like there will be a QT I don't want to do anything to stop them so I won't blow the whistle.

Where's the icon for banging head on brick wall.


The point is that blowing the whistle merely indicates the ball has gone into touch - it does NOT - in any way shape or form - prevent them taking a QT - indeed technically until you blow the whistle then the ball is not in touch and they shouldn't take the QT (but we won't worry about that).

The whistle says ball is out of play - the QT is a restart.

The problem is when YOU act as though a whistle prevents the QT you bollix it up for everybody else who does it the legal way.

 

[crossref]

i think the IRB should think about this.
conventionally the whistle is a sign that you should stop play.

it's confusing to have cases where, actually, the whistle doesn't stop play but signifies something else. (yes, yes, I know that technically it stops and then a microsecond later can restart.. blah blah)

if a whistle sometimes means stop, sometimes doesn't it's actually harder to play to the whistle.

 

[Davet]

You blow the whistle for a penalty, which stops play - they then take a quick tap a microsecond later to restart.

Same difference.

Players know that they can restart quickly, or they should.

 

[Womble]

OB and Davet, you guys need to sit back and think here.... The message ( probably in a secret E mail somewhere in my files) From the top was that for the sake of management we didn't blow the whistle until a QT was not an option, I have been doing this for at least 6 years or so and it works. The players are in the habbit of stopping play when the whistle goes and it fits in with that!! You may now keep banging your head against that wall.. I shall pop round and fit a gate in the opening you makeepper:

 

[TheBFG]

OB and Davet, you guys need to sit back and think here.... The message ( probably in a secret E mail somewhere in my files) From the top was that for the sake of management we didn't blow the whistle until a QT was not an option, I have been doing this for at least 6 years or so and it works. The players are in the habbit of stopping play when the whistle goes and it fits in with that!! You may now keep banging your head against that wall.. I shall pop round and fit a gate in the opening you makeepper:

Team Zummerzet! :wink:

maybe that's where i got it from :chin: