Offside At Kickoff

the magpie


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I know flat out that the referee is wrong in this case, but it still surprises me the number of refs at lower grade Sydney Suburban level still make this error.

According to Law 13.3, if the team kicking off is offside, then play resumes with a scrum at the centre of half way/22. Yet time and again, I've seen refs award penalty kicks for this (ala rugby league laws), including this weekend just gone (in a Div 3 colts game).

It's frustrating as a player/coach seeing a ref get this one wrong, and the conversations I've had with referees high up in the coaching of referee ranks in NSW are also astounded that refs still get this wrong.

Does anyone else see this from refs?
 

Dickie E


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Simple answer - stay behind the kicker then it won't be an issue.

But yes, should be scrum
 

TigerCraig


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My sons team had this the weekend before last. Ref was very apologetic after the game (especially as the other team turned the territorial advantage into a try not long after).

Like a number of RL laws and features it pops up frequently in these parts
 

Taff


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I've seen an international ref make this mistake at a regional game. I can't remember now whether he had the kick retaken, or awarded a PK but either way he certainly didn't order a scrum.

I could only put it down to a "rush of blood" or a brain fart. :D
 

Simon Thomas


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i have never seen a referee give a PK for offside at KO.

But early and late season, whilst referees are also doing Sevens & Tens I have seen FK in 15-a-side for ahead of kicker, not 10 metres, and kicked straight to touch offences.
 

Deeps


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i have never seen a referee give a PK for offside at KO.

I was just thinking that, must be a SH thing. Mind you, players in front of the kicker at KO/restart kicks are not defined in law as being offside and calling it thus probably encourages the wrong thought process.

I have not seen nor heard of advantage being played there either; even if advantage is unlikely in that situation you never see a referee looking for it.
 

Robert Burns

, Referees in Canada, RugbyRefs.com Webmaster
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I did it in my first ever game as a ref, club appointed as ref had not turned up, 4th team.

But that was just one of a large number of mistakes I made (allowed player to drive through me to the line and score was another good one).

Spoke to teams afterwards, who were all polite and thankful someone had been stupid enough to referee.

I felt quite frustrated because during the game I was realising very quickly that I didn't know half the laws and was not very convincing in my attempt at winging it.

I was on the next available referees course, and have never looked back.
 

TigerCraig


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I was just thinking that, must be a SH thing.

Its a RL thing, like not standing between the posts at conversions and calls for "double movement" when players reach out to score after being tackled.

Need to remember that here if you don't have Pay TV you get to see about 10 games of rugby a year tops (ie Wallabies games), and many parents and players have no RU background, so a lot of things are just assumed to be the same.
 
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