Conversion - Yes or No?

[crossref]

No I don't think they cheat.
But it's similar to how both sets of support ers watch the same game and both feel the referee decisions went against them

 

[Blindpugh]

would it be completely out of order to invite the kicker to take it again?

Hi Dickie,

I did this once in my second season of refereeing and raised it at Society meeting where I was informed by senior referees that all though my decision was logical and equitable it was incorrect.

I was asked on Friday night to go on exchange to referee match between two rival public schools. There was the usual crowd of supporting parents until 15 minutes before end of game when suddenly all the other games finished and players and supporters came across to lend their support to their respective 1st XV’s.

Home school scored with final play and had conversion to win. I stood next to kicker and followed kick in and from my view it appeared to go over the top of the upright. I looked at TJ’s (who were the respective rugby coaches) and home TJ put flag up and quickly ran away and away TJ kept his flag down. So I thought :wtf: do I do now?!

After consulting both TJ’s who were obviously adamant they were correct I thought about what I had learnt on my NFC course i.e. Safety, Equity, Law and decided right we will take the conversion again and this time it went straight down the middle!

Senior referees advised that I should view the upright as extending up to the sky and majority of times it would have bounced back in field or outside post so I should have disallowed conversion and gone with the draw.:chin:

 

[Marc Wakeham]

If you felt it was directly over the the upright then your view should, in my opinion, have been that the kick was not successful. Your senior guys are right, the posts extend as far as the eye can see.

 

[Pinky]

I generally try and say to the TJs to agree with each other before they flag, and if they can't agree, tell me and I'll decide. As for TJ decision re touch and tig, I generally accept them unless I think they are C&O wrong. I may have a word to make sure I know what they have seen, eg which side of the corner flag, etc

 

[Blackberry]

When I see a conversion kick is going close to the posts I stick my arm out towards the ball and stare closely down it towards the ball, looking intently at the flight of the ball. It doesn't always help me make my decision, but it sure helps me sell it.

 

[Zebra1922]

I nearly had a situation similar to this recently with ARs. Conversion taken, I could clearly see it went over, then could see the ARs conferring and it seemed and awful long time before a decision was made. I'm frantically thinking "flags up, flags up", trying to give a subtle thumbs up signal etc. Luckily aftger what seemed like an eternity flags went up and all was well.

Would have been interesting if they'd waved it off. I would have overruled but I can imagine the arguments that would have caused, even though in some cases a referee behind the kick will have a clearer view (I've TJ'd and AR'd, and it's surprising how difficult it is to see sometimes if the ball goes very near a post whether it was inside or outside).