Bungle
Referees in England
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2006
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- Current Referee grade:
- Level 7
This happened in my game last week so I'm interested to get your take on it.
Try scored, kicking tee arrives, kicker is preparing and hasn't commenced his run up but has been doing the impression of Jonny Wilkinson with his bum sticking out while looking as if he is squeezing a bar of soap with his hands.
2 - 3 of the opposition start advancing. "Go back" I say. They do. I say "lets start again" to the kicker who comes out of the JW position and then re-sets himself after 15 secs. I don't disallow a charge on the basis of 'we are starting again' (no problems this time) but the kick misses.
Now - here is the issue. I believe I managed the situation and used equity to re-set everything back to the original neutral/normal state of affairs (which from my law school days I recall is the aim of equity where possible). I did not believe anyone was disadvantaged by managing the situation as above. The kicker had ample time to reprepare, I said 'lets start again' and he took it in his own time. When the kick missed there were no protests from either the kicker or his captain.
In discussion with the assessor, he says that I did not apply the law correctly in that I should have barred them from charging AND as he had missed I should have let the kicker have another go regardless of my earlier actions. In my respectful way, I debated this by arguing that I had made clear that we went back to the original position and no one was disadvantaged - I felt his approach was actually unfair to the non-kicking side given the context. Time wasn't a pressure for the kick as I said 'lets start again'. Maybe the kicker could get unnerved?
So - should I have adopted this literal strict standard required by law 9 B3 (a) or was my management of the situation in applying equity sufficient and more sensible? I can think of parallels throughout the laws when this dilemma comes up so I suppose it is also a wider philosophical point.
The game was a L8.
On reflection I think I could have been clearer to the kicker about the implications of 'lets start again' i.e. spelling out no time pressure. Any other thoughts welcome.
Try scored, kicking tee arrives, kicker is preparing and hasn't commenced his run up but has been doing the impression of Jonny Wilkinson with his bum sticking out while looking as if he is squeezing a bar of soap with his hands.
2 - 3 of the opposition start advancing. "Go back" I say. They do. I say "lets start again" to the kicker who comes out of the JW position and then re-sets himself after 15 secs. I don't disallow a charge on the basis of 'we are starting again' (no problems this time) but the kick misses.
Now - here is the issue. I believe I managed the situation and used equity to re-set everything back to the original neutral/normal state of affairs (which from my law school days I recall is the aim of equity where possible). I did not believe anyone was disadvantaged by managing the situation as above. The kicker had ample time to reprepare, I said 'lets start again' and he took it in his own time. When the kick missed there were no protests from either the kicker or his captain.
In discussion with the assessor, he says that I did not apply the law correctly in that I should have barred them from charging AND as he had missed I should have let the kicker have another go regardless of my earlier actions. In my respectful way, I debated this by arguing that I had made clear that we went back to the original position and no one was disadvantaged - I felt his approach was actually unfair to the non-kicking side given the context. Time wasn't a pressure for the kick as I said 'lets start again'. Maybe the kicker could get unnerved?
So - should I have adopted this literal strict standard required by law 9 B3 (a) or was my management of the situation in applying equity sufficient and more sensible? I can think of parallels throughout the laws when this dilemma comes up so I suppose it is also a wider philosophical point.
The game was a L8.
On reflection I think I could have been clearer to the kicker about the implications of 'lets start again' i.e. spelling out no time pressure. Any other thoughts welcome.