Stu10
Referees in England
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2020
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- Current Referee grade:
- Level 15 - 11
I refereed an u15 match last week and the visiting team hooker won several scrums against the head by kicking the ball forward in the tunnel resulting in a rebound off an opposite front row player (i.e. the team putting into the scrum).
I'm aware that it is an offence to deliberately kick the ball out of the tunnel (laws 19.23 and 19.34.e), but in each instance the ball remained in the scrum. It didn't feel right, but I could not think of a reason to blow the whistle, and I can't find anything in the laws that says the hooker cannot do this.
While I'm here, do laws 19.23 and 19.34.e, and their associated sanctions, differ only based on first time offence versus repeated offences? At quick glance they both appear to address to same offence but have different sanctions.
I'm aware that it is an offence to deliberately kick the ball out of the tunnel (laws 19.23 and 19.34.e), but in each instance the ball remained in the scrum. It didn't feel right, but I could not think of a reason to blow the whistle, and I can't find anything in the laws that says the hooker cannot do this.
While I'm here, do laws 19.23 and 19.34.e, and their associated sanctions, differ only based on first time offence versus repeated offences? At quick glance they both appear to address to same offence but have different sanctions.
23. A front-row player must not intentionally kick the ball out of the tunnel from the direction it was thrown. Sanction: Free-kick.
34. When there is no infringement, the referee will stop play and reset the scrum if:
e. The ball is unintentionally kicked out of the tunnel. Exception: If the ball is repeatedly kicked out, the referee must treat this as intentional. Sanction: Penalty.