Scrum for Referee Obstruction After a Kick

[Donal1988]

I know what the law says about it but today I refereed a game where a fullback made a clearance kick, and was running to put players onside. Almost immediately I turned to observe who was on/off and completely smashed him. I awarded a scrum to him at place of the contact.

Would others have played on?

 

[andyscott]

Seems sensible.

 

[Robert Burns]

Doesn't seem equitable to me.

He has kicked long.

Did the kick go out? If so I would have apologised and gone with line out. If not then I would have looked to have the ball where the ball landed as that's where play should have started. Or possibly just played on.

And as he's not carrying the ball technically you don't have to stop the game, but use common sense to see what happens next (i.e. a chasing winger may do what the FB was going to do, so play on).

 

[Donal1988]

Robert, it was an up and under. There were a few guys potentially offside under 10m law and I changed my line of running in order to shepherd him back. I took out the kicker almost immediately and it prevented him putting others onside.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Donal - sounds a sensible call

 

[didds]

Robert, it was an up and under. There were a few guys potentially offside under 10m law and I changed my line of running in order to shepherd him back. I took out the kicker almost immediately and it prevented him putting others onside.

if they are offside under the 10m law the kicker (or a team mate) cannot play them onside surely?

didds

 

[Drift]

Good option, well refereed

 

[Robert Burns]

Robert, it was an up and under. There were a few guys potentially offside under 10m law and I changed my line of running in order to shepherd him back. I took out the kicker almost immediately and it prevented him putting others onside.

Sounds fair then, they were definitely disadvantaged by it.