Stu10
Referees in England
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2020
- Messages
- 883
- Post Likes
- 478
- Current Referee grade:
- Level 15 - 11
Something caught my eye over the weekend in the Leicester vs Northampton game...
The score was 18 - 19, with Northampton leading, and Wayne Barnes awarded a penalty to Northampton at 79:30 on the clock. George Furbank looked a little indecisive, though I'm sure he was think he could wait for the clock to go red and then kick the ball out.
However, WB stopped the clock at 79:56 and told Furbank that he would restart the clock when he played the ball, at which time there would be 4 seconds left to full-time. Arguably the right thing to do was to tap and pass to someone 15m back who would kick it to touch, but instead he kicked up the field for a lineout, which of course ran the risk of them losing the ball and losing the game. Saints won the lineout and closed out the game, but I'm still left wondering if WB was justified in his actions.
Law 20.5 says, "A penalty or free-kick must be taken without delay."
Law 8.21 says this with regard to a penalty goal:
The kick must be taken within 60 seconds (playing time) from the time the team indicated their intention to do so, even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again.
Is it reasonable to take 30 seconds over a penalty kick/tap? Would WB have stopped the clock after 26 seconds if it was the middle of the first half?
Should Northampton be allowed to run the clock down 30 seconds to the end of the game or should they be forced to play another phase and risk Leicester stealing a win? It left me wondering if stopping the clock in this instance was an impartial and fair act, or WB having a personal dislike for intentionally running the clock dead; though I assume had it been a kick for goal he would have to allow the kicker the full 60 seconds stated in law without stopping the clock.
What do others think?
(For comparison, in the Bledisloe Cup, Raynal awarded the penalty at 78:25 and then blew for a scrum at 79:05.)
The score was 18 - 19, with Northampton leading, and Wayne Barnes awarded a penalty to Northampton at 79:30 on the clock. George Furbank looked a little indecisive, though I'm sure he was think he could wait for the clock to go red and then kick the ball out.
However, WB stopped the clock at 79:56 and told Furbank that he would restart the clock when he played the ball, at which time there would be 4 seconds left to full-time. Arguably the right thing to do was to tap and pass to someone 15m back who would kick it to touch, but instead he kicked up the field for a lineout, which of course ran the risk of them losing the ball and losing the game. Saints won the lineout and closed out the game, but I'm still left wondering if WB was justified in his actions.
Law 20.5 says, "A penalty or free-kick must be taken without delay."
Law 8.21 says this with regard to a penalty goal:
The kick must be taken within 60 seconds (playing time) from the time the team indicated their intention to do so, even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again.
Is it reasonable to take 30 seconds over a penalty kick/tap? Would WB have stopped the clock after 26 seconds if it was the middle of the first half?
Should Northampton be allowed to run the clock down 30 seconds to the end of the game or should they be forced to play another phase and risk Leicester stealing a win? It left me wondering if stopping the clock in this instance was an impartial and fair act, or WB having a personal dislike for intentionally running the clock dead; though I assume had it been a kick for goal he would have to allow the kicker the full 60 seconds stated in law without stopping the clock.
What do others think?
(For comparison, in the Bledisloe Cup, Raynal awarded the penalty at 78:25 and then blew for a scrum at 79:05.)