During the World Cup, and subsequently, if you are able to watch matches from Europe on television, you will have been interested, intrigued perhaps, at the communication between referees and touch judges, and by the Television Match Official (TMO) decisions that are requested by referees at try scoring situations.
For your interest and information, here, below, is the IRB’s Match Official Communication Protocol.

OBJECTIVE
To provide a consistent approach to communication for referees, touch judges and television match officials (TMO) for international matches to which the IRB select the match officials.


1. Referee Communication Guidelines:

It is important to note that referees communication style is part of the personality of the referee and it is vital that the referee is able to utilise his unique style. The following represent a set of guidelines to assist referees in communicating in an acceptable manner.
1.1 When explaining decisions, referees should be succinct and wherever possible use the language of the Law Book e.g.

a. “Penalty kick to white, blue 6 offside” or “Blue 6 offside, penalty kick to white”
b. “Scrum down, white throw in – knocked on by blue 6, no advantage” or “Knock on by blue 6, no advantage, scrum white throw in.”

c. “Penalty kick here, or scrum back to white there, blue 6 in front of the ten metre line” or “Blue 6 in front of ten metre line, penalty kick
here or scrum back to white there.”

d. “Penalty kick to white, blue 6 not bound” or “Blue 6 not bound, penalty kick to white.”
1.2 The explanation should be accompanied by the appropriate secondary signal.

1.3 Preventative statements should be used sparingly and should not be used all the way through the game. The players should have adapted early in the match.

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Upon request from all referees present at the recent NAWIRA Seven-s-Side Tournament in Nassau I have compiled a Fitness Chart for referees within NAWIRA (excluding USA & Canada).
It is important to stress that the chart depicts guidelines of fitness and are NOT meant to be restrictive in any way. Rather, the chart is meant to stimulate interest in the fitness aspect of refereeing I have tried to take into account the high degree of temperature and humidity within the region regarding the aerobic aspect of the fitness requirements and, therefore, my calculations may have to be adjusted according to feedback from unions and their match officials.


Aside from the Leger 'Beep Test', all tests require a minimum of equipment (a measuring tape, a 400m track, and a stop watch). The Beep test requires an audio tape and player. (available from the Union).

It is my hope that all referees will take up the challenge to determine how they stand with regard to fitness. But it is essential to point out that the scores represent the minimum fitness requirements only and referees should not make the tests a competition amongst themselves.

I have included the iRB standards, with modification to scores to the 1600m Run. The iRB run is measured over 2400m but I have decided that it would be most unfair to include this distance in the fitness chart within The West Indies due to climate. However, for interest's sake, I have included the iRB standard for the 12 Minute Run Test (No doubt, the very fittest will take up this challenge).


Within time it is hoped that fitness results may be incorporated in each certified referee's portfolio. But before then, I hope all referees will enjoy taking the challenge of measuring their fitness standards and, when necessary, planning a programme of training for improvement.


Source: Roy Harvey (Director of Officials for NAWIRA)

Where Ignorance is Bliss
The first stage is pure enjoyment, usually based on ignorance of the finer points of the refereeing trade. The referee, revelling in his new found authority and exhilarating in his immunity from bruising contest, cheerfully tooting his whistle to no particular purpose.

His attention is frequently focused on the ball, thus he tends to miss much of the action around him. If he were fully aware of the potential difficulties and danger that surrounded him, he would probably opt for a less challenging hobby. Novice referees tend to leave the offside law to the individual consciences of the participants; play is often ragged, pile-ups continue too long, fringers fringe and thugs thug.


Because such matches frequently involve teams having lesser levels of skill, the players may have a grand time and at the postmatch dinner, comments such as, “He’s a good ref, he lets the boys play the game” help swell the novice referee’s ego. Unfortunately, these comments also give him a false sense of security.

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As the Northern hemisphere rugby scene welcomes back many players that were away on World Cup duty, we look at a classic moment brought to us by not a star player, but by a referee for a change.


The game was between London Irish & Gloucester recently, and as the ref spots a repeated infringement, you can see the opposition players around him clapping their hands expecting the inevitable. He calls across the guilty party to give him what we expect to be his marching orders. What he does is absolutely classic.


Just enjoy, and respect the calm and collected attitude displayed here by him. For pulling it off perfectly and doing something that has probably never been done by a ref anywhere before at this level of sport. We say, 'Well done mate'.


Perhaps these ref fella's do have a sense of humour after all.

Source: Rugby Dump


Here's another excellent video on Rugby Dump: Tribute to The Minnows. Actuallly, its a pretty good site, all round.

A couple of disputed refereeing decisions in recent Super 14 games have caused some to suggest that certain Laws need to be loooked at:



1. He's won it!


At a tackle the ball is on the ground. Josh Blackie of the Highlanders is there and seeks to grab the ball with his hands. Brent Russell of the Stormers pushes against Blackie who seems to get the ball up off the ground but then drops its back onto the ground as Russell shoves against him. Blackie then gets the ball up and the referee proclaims: "He's won it!"


This is something that one hopes will change. When Blackie first put his hands on the ball it was legal. When Russell shoved against him it was no loner legal because it was a ruck - a player of each side in physical contact over the ball on the ground.

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