Let me preface this by saying I was confident and sure of the call I made in my game today but would like some feedback.
U16 game Blue is leading White 12-7. Blue had just scored and converted and there was 30 seconds left on the clock(enough time for a restart).
White kicks off and gathers their own kick. Several phases later they are pressing the blue line. Blue is penalized for being offside at the ruck, White takes a quick tap and goes. Again several phases and finally the White player crashes over the line.
I was fully aware and appreciated the significance of the White team scoring so I was in good position to see the ball and player as they went over the line and had my whistle ready to make a call - try, held up, knock on etc.
In the act of crashing over the line, the White player landed flat on his back with the ball on his chest/shoulder. several blue players had their hands on the ball as well. It was definitely not on the ground. I immediately whistled and called it held up. In the time it took for me to blow my whistle and signal held up, several players from both team pounce on the ball and the White ball carrier twists his body to ground it.
I call it held up, 5m scrum to White but because time expired it was end of game.
Several things came out of this. White coach was insistent that they had scored and that the ball carrier should be given time to ground the ball, or be given the allowance of one motion.
I argued that a held up ball is whistled immediately by the referee to prevent a prolonged struggle, that in theory can go on forever. I also argued that the allowance to play the ball in goal is not quite the same as in the field of play.
If the white player's momentum had rolled him over to ground it I would have awarded the try, but he definitely fell on his back, the ball was held up, and then he struggled to ground it(after I had whistled it). Furthermore I argued that if he had been tackled short of the line and then reached out and grounded it that would satisfy his prerogative to play the ball in any direction when tackled.
So the question remains - how long do you allow the ball carrier to struggle in order to ground the ball?
U16 game Blue is leading White 12-7. Blue had just scored and converted and there was 30 seconds left on the clock(enough time for a restart).
White kicks off and gathers their own kick. Several phases later they are pressing the blue line. Blue is penalized for being offside at the ruck, White takes a quick tap and goes. Again several phases and finally the White player crashes over the line.
I was fully aware and appreciated the significance of the White team scoring so I was in good position to see the ball and player as they went over the line and had my whistle ready to make a call - try, held up, knock on etc.
In the act of crashing over the line, the White player landed flat on his back with the ball on his chest/shoulder. several blue players had their hands on the ball as well. It was definitely not on the ground. I immediately whistled and called it held up. In the time it took for me to blow my whistle and signal held up, several players from both team pounce on the ball and the White ball carrier twists his body to ground it.
I call it held up, 5m scrum to White but because time expired it was end of game.
Several things came out of this. White coach was insistent that they had scored and that the ball carrier should be given time to ground the ball, or be given the allowance of one motion.
I argued that a held up ball is whistled immediately by the referee to prevent a prolonged struggle, that in theory can go on forever. I also argued that the allowance to play the ball in goal is not quite the same as in the field of play.
If the white player's momentum had rolled him over to ground it I would have awarded the try, but he definitely fell on his back, the ball was held up, and then he struggled to ground it(after I had whistled it). Furthermore I argued that if he had been tackled short of the line and then reached out and grounded it that would satisfy his prerogative to play the ball in any direction when tackled.
So the question remains - how long do you allow the ball carrier to struggle in order to ground the ball?