Seconds in!

[Decorily]

Why the hell do referees at higher (and lower) levels, having called a scrum etc, insist on 'building' the scrum and baby-sitting packs by calling "seconds in" or similar! Surely they (I say they, because as of today I no longer do - unless convinced otherwise by forumites!) Should they not just tell pack pre game that when a scrum is awarded it is up to them to form up and if they don't or delay they will penalise them?

 

[smeagol]

I never do it, but the adults I referee often do it themselves.

 

[didds]

I (as TH) always called "no twos no twos no twos" until the 2nd rows were definitely in and I was comfortable with them. Mainly because (sheepish) I never wanted to be told to crouch before the 2s WERE in. I was in effect coaching the ref, not my own players.

It was never a problem.

didds

 

[Toby Warren]

I do it Sometimes. It's not babysitting it's hurrying them up.

 

[The Fat]

I do it Sometimes. It's not babysitting it's hurrying them up.

Same here. Not building, just getting them to stop ginning around so we can get the whole thing done today!
I think the OP is seeing it done and assumed it was the ref holding up the show.
Having said that, I/we don't say it if the front row isn't ready for the seconds. Sometimes I will have to give the FRs a bit of a hurry up as well.

 

[beckett50]

It's a checklist and a way of letting the scrum participants that the engage sequence is about to start.

I often use the phrase "5 faces"