Stud gauge?

[Billy2405]

Hi Guys,
Returning to reffing after a looong injury break and doing up to U15 games. After reading a long thread on the difficulties of stud checks and the now apparently infinite variations I am concerned about the thinner ally studs that seem to be more common now. I did an U14 game recently and 5 players had what appeared to be illegal studs and of course you get the usual comments from coaches, [last weeks ref thought they were Ok, or they were bought as rugby boots etc etc}. So can you buy or make a gauge? I dont like being awkward particularly with young players but it will only take one serious injury caused by an illegal stud.....

 

[Marc Wakeham]

We need a clear mandate from WR. There is no clear information rather there are plenty of contradictions. But WR seems unintereted in solving anything.

 

[Rich_NL]

Has a problem been identified in terms of injuries? It might just not really matter, now rucking/stamping is illegal.

 

[Decorily]

Has a problem been identified in terms of injuries? It might just not really matter, now rucking/stamping is illegal.

Rucking is now illegal....
Really?

 

[Rich_NL]

What we oldies called rucking

 

[Billy2405]

Has a problem been identified in terms of injuries? It might just not really matter, now rucking/stamping is illegal.

Really?! With so many feet and bodies in a ruck it’s inevitable that there will be accidental contact, otherwise why bother having rules on studs?

 

[Rich_NL]

Do you see lots of injuries, open wounds around the breakdown, from all the accidental contacts? Is there any evidence that it's increasing with more variation in stud shapes and so on? I'm not aware of it being a problem at all.

As to why bother, they were instigated at a time that it was standard procedure for people on the wrong side of a ruck to be cleared away forcefully with the studs. Totally different to accidental contact.

 

[tim White]

Anything sharper than your little finger is dangerous, as are damaged studs, sharp edges etc.

Since they removed the diagram with dimensions you have to make an educated guess as to what is acceptable.

 

[Decorily]

Since they removed the diagram with dimensions you have to make an educated guess as to what is acacceptable.

What do you mean "removed"?
Regulation 12 covers this.

 

[Phil E]

Anything sharper than your little finger is dangerous, as are damaged studs, sharp edges etc.

Since they removed the diagram with dimensions you have to make an educated guess as to what is acceptable.

Still available here:

https://www.world.rugby/the-game/facilities-equipment/equipment/specifications/outsoles

 

[Marc Wakeham]

The images do not show a cleat. So we have to guess.

 

[Harry]

I could easily make you a gauge to measure all the requirements of the stud in the picture. When I was working in Vehicle Type Approval we had many such gauges. But it would have to be T shaped such that the cross bar of the T could sit across two studs and the vertical of the T would be 21 mm high. It would need a 10mm hole at one end of the cross bar. Idealy a 13mm hole at the other end.

It would have to be made of a rigid material metal or hard plastic.

IMHO in your pocket during a match it would be more dangerous than the studs it measured.

 

[chbg]

I could easily make you a gauge to measure all the requirements of the stud in the picture. When I was working in Vehicle Type Approval we had many such gauges. But it would have to be T shaped such that the cross bar of the T could sit across two studs and the vertical of the T would be 21 mm high. It would need a 10mm hole at one end of the cross bar. Idealy a 13mm hole at the other end.

It would have to be made of a rigid material metal or hard plastic.

IMHO in your pocket during a match it would be more dangerous than the studs it measured.

And you would then have to make an assessment whether any out of gauge studs would "present a no greater risk of injury to another player than the stud/cleat shown in figure 1", as that is now the aim of Regulation 12. The only "shall" that is physically measurable is the maximum length of 21mm.

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

Rugulation 12.2 really doesn't help anyone. it's just a free for all.
I had a stud gauge back in the day as we used to get a lot of RL type studs which were almost like running spikes!

 

[Zebra1922]

Hi Guys,
Returning to reffing after a looong injury break and doing up to U15 games. After reading a long thread on the difficulties of stud checks and the now apparently infinite variations I am concerned about the thinner ally studs that seem to be more common now. I did an U14 game recently and 5 players had what appeared to be illegal studs and of course you get the usual comments from coaches, [last weeks ref thought they were Ok, or they were bought as rugby boots etc etc}. So can you buy or make a gauge? I dont like being awkward particularly with young players but it will only take one serious injury caused by an illegal stud.....

`I’ve got no particular advice on studs apart from if it looks dangerous it probably is.

But I’m always wary and disbelieving of a coach who says “last weeks ref thought they were OK” especially after I had a coach and player make this comment to me when I said a player could not play in his knee support. I was the referee the previous week and I said exactly the same thing then as well!

 

[Marc Wakeham]

And you would then have to make an assessment whether any out of gauge studs would "present a no greater risk of injury to another player than the stud/cleat shown in figure 1", as that is now the aim of Regulation 12. The only "shall" that is physically measurable is the maximum length of 21mm.

Chucking it all into thet hands of the referee with WR washing their hands of it all.