Full Scrum?

[Taffy]

From today. Under 18 match. After a yellow card to the tight head, black (under pressure on their 5m line) told me that they would have to go to uncontested scrums as they had no other front row player trained. I doubted that as I saw plenty of them at the pre match brief. I called over to the bench and lo and behold a replacement came on and a flanker went off. But was this correct?

 

[Taff]

... black (under pressure on their 5m line) told me that they would have to go to uncontested scrums as they had no other front row player trained.

What did the team sheet say?

 

[Ian_Cook]

From today. Under 18 match. After a yellow card to the tight head, black (under pressure on their 5m line) told me that they would have to go to uncontested scrums as they had no other front row player trained. I doubted that as I saw plenty of them at the pre match brief. I called over to the bench and lo and behold a replacement came on and a flanker went off. But was this correct?

Yes. They have to take a player off so that the YC FR player can be replaced. The team can remove any player, except of course, they cannot remove another FR player.

I think in U18, if the YC scrum is down a player, the other team have to take a scrum player off too so its 7 v 7, and IIRC both teams have to pack a 3-4 scrum, i.e., no-one in the No. 8 position


[LAWS]LAW 3.5
After a front row player leaves the field of play or is sent off, or during the time for which a
front row player is temporarily suspended, the referee, upon awarding the next scrum, will
ask the player’s captain whether or not the team has another player on the playing area
who is suitably trained and experienced to play in the front row. If not, the captain chooses
another player on the playing area who then must leave the playing area to be replaced by a
suitably trained and experienced front row player from the team’s replacements. The captain
may do this when the scrum is ordered or after another player has been tried in the front
row.

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ETA: Yep, here are the relevant Laws

U19 VARIATIONS - LAW 20.1 FORMING A SCRUM
(f) In an 8 person scrum the formation must be 3-4-1, with the single player (normally the
Number 8) shoving on the 2 locks. The locks must pack with their heads on either side of
the hooker.
Exception: A team must have fewer than eight players in its scrum when the team cannot
field eight suitably trained players in its scrum due to either the team not fielding a
complete team, or a forward player being sent off or temporarily suspended for foul play, or
a forward player leaving the field because of injury.
Even allowing for this exception, each team must always have at least five players in a
scrum.
If a team is incomplete and it cannot field eight suitably trained players in its scrum, the
scrum formation must be as follows:
If a team is without one forward player, then both teams must use a 3-4 formation (i.e. no
No.8).[/LAWS]

 

[crossref]

No problem with that.
I have never reffed an u18 game with a team sheet, but at every game you should have a front row briefing, with all front row subs, and pay attention to how many there are.

 

[FightOrFlight]

We are required this season to get a teamsheet pre kickoff(although it may not always happen) but the teams must submit their teamsheet electronically to the Branch. If I get a teamsheet from a team I will always check to ensure that they have the required replacements as per the regulations. I will also check to make sure that there is not a starting hooker covering prop and a starting prop covering hooker. Some teams in the past tried to use this to fool the ref when they had no FR subs. If a prop gets hurt I can state that they told me they had front row subs and must be able to present them. The penalties here for not contesting at decent level leagues or not having required front row cover can be severe and can result is concession of league points and also further deductions in league points. If a prop was injured/YCed and they claimed they had to go uncontested before any FR subs were made I would go to the bench ask where the FR subs were. If they could not present them I would go uncontested as I would have no choice but it would go in a post match report. If scrums go uncontested outside the bottom 2 adult leagues for any reason it must be reported to the Branch.

At U13-U19 the variations can add a little more work as you now have added player safety issues. However as long as the players are safe and can compete they can still contest. As long you blow it up on 45 degrees and do not allow the 1.5m push to be exceeded they are easy to manage.......just dont give a penalty try from a 5m scrum in an u17s game like a guy I saw last week!