[Assistant Referees] Unappointed TJ

timmad

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I volunteer regularly to run touch at local games - it keeps me involved in the sport and provides a little exercise especially trying to keep pace with youthful wingers or toing & froing during kicking ping pong.

I try to agree my duties with the match referee before the game but as an unappointed TJ I have no authority - even 5s & 10s at scrums and line-outs are ignored by players and referees.

At a ruck during last night's game, Yellow's open side stamped on Red's lock who was lying on the ground at the side of the ruck and not preventing access to the ball. A couple of players and spectators protested but it was on the referee's blind side and play continued. The lock had to retire from the game shortly afterwards.

What could / should I have done? :chin:
 

timmad

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My son has beaten me to it - perhaps he can sponsor me to get in.
 

crossref


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I think you can submit a citing report to your CB describing the incident.
These normal have a 24 hour deadline. You could email a notification now, to beat the deadline and then follow it up tomorrow with a full report
 

colesy


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RFU Regulation 19 Appendix 4:

12. A citing complaint can only be made by Clubs participating in the relevant match.
 

crossref


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RFU Regulation 19 Appendix 4:

12. A citing complaint can only be made by Clubs participating in the relevant match.

Yes and timmad was from one of the clubs wasnt he?
So the citing must come from the club .

Although having said that I know of a case where a spectator (a parent ) wrote to the RFU about an incident, and this was taken very seriously.
 

colesy


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It’s a lot more complicated that just being from the club. There is a very strict protocol to follow or the case won’t be accepted.

14. The citing must be:
a) signed by the president, chairman, secretary or nominated person authorised to act on behalf of the Club;
b) addressed to the Disciplinary Secretary of the Constituent Body to which the cited Player’s Club is allocated, or to the RFU Head of Discipline as appropriate. In case of doubt the citing should be addressed to the RFU Head of Discipline;
c) accompanied by any match footage that the complainant intends to adduce in support of the citing; and
d) received by the Constituent Body or RFU Head of Discipline
 

colesy


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Interesting, the regulations used to say a citing could be made by “an accredited Referee Assessor/Advisor who has been officially appointed to attend the match by the RFU, a Referee Society, or by the Federation of Referee Societies”. The wording has been changed, and fairly recently too as I recall being surprised that I had some sort of citing power when I read into it a few years back.
 

Marc Wakeham


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WE had the following in out WRU Referees' department weekly newsletter:

"Running Touch
If a referee is free on a Saturday, and offers to help an appointed colleague by running touch at another game.
1: They must ask both clubs if this is ok. Both teams may have regular TJs who enjoy running the line.
2: If accepted they must make it clear to both coaches that they are unappointed, and cannot carry out regular appointed AR duties. They can only act as touch judges, this will lower the coaches expectations and avoid confusion."
 

Zebra1922


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During the game there is very little you can do. As a referee I would not be able to rely on your view/opinion. If I did not see the incident myself then unfortunately the offending player gets away with it.

I'll defer to others who have already highlighted the post game action you can take.
 

Dickie E


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bit like an off duty cop: "sorry, ma'am, nothing I can do. I've clocked off."
 

timmad

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Yes and timmad was from one of the clubs wasnt he?

No, sorry if I have implied that. I moved to my present address about 15 months ago and although the local (Midlands) club is 5 minutes away, so far I haven't joined. Also I left my former refs' society approx. 3 years ago before a 15 month sojourn in Spain. So I have no standing whatsoever.
 

timmad

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WE had the following in out WRU Referees' department weekly newsletter:

"Running Touch
If a referee is free on a Saturday, and offers to help an appointed colleague by running touch at another game.
1: They must ask both clubs if this is ok. Both teams may have regular TJs who enjoy running the line.
2: If accepted they must make it clear to both coaches that they are unappointed, and cannot carry out regular appointed AR duties. They can only act as touch judges, this will lower the coaches expectations and avoid confusion."

Thanks, Mark - your post closely sums up my situation (albeit I'm no longer a qualified referee and just offering to help.)
 

Dickie E


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could an unappointed ref ring up the appointments chappie and ask him to appoint him as an AR?
 

crossref


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could an unappointed ref ring up the appointments chappie and ask him to appoint him as an AR?

Probably not, for a specific game , as we wouldnt appoint a single AR to a league game in a division that didnt otjerwis have ARs

However a person could certainly ring up his society and say he was interested in joining as an AR. He would get appointments
 

didds

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bit like an off duty cop: "sorry, ma'am, nothing I can do. I've clocked off."

that may be in Aus... mates that are coppers here (UK) have told me they are "always on duty" even when off the clock and in civvies.

just sayin' :)

didds
 

Dickie E


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that may be in Aus... mates that are coppers here (UK) have told me they are "always on duty" even when off the clock and in civvies.

just sayin' :)

didds

so why aren't refs "always on duty" when they hold a flag?
 

timmad

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I'm always on duty although my partner wasn't impressed when I pinged her for a not straight put in.
 
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