Welcome to the ‘Clubs Page’
This contains information likely to assist clubs in their
interaction with the society and its members. If you have any suggestions for additional
content – after all we want it to be of help to clubs – then please contact the sectretary
(secretary@srusr.co.uk).
Society meetings
Our monthly meetings are
open to all. The atmosphere is relaxed and each meeting
contains a training element – a chance to see the decision-making process a referee adopts.
We would love to hear contributions from coaches and players.
Refreshments are available at 7.00 and the meeting commences at 7.30. All that we ask is
that you contact the SRUSR secretary (secretary@srusr.co.uk) five days prior to the meeting
so that we may confirm numbers to the caterers.
The calendar of meetings can be viewed at Meetings – SRUSR.
Assessor Games
As a Society we have a number of volunteers who, along with our refs, give there time on a weekend to provide valuable expertise to aid development and assess our referees. If you are assigned an assessor for a game can you please ensure you update them with the following information:
- Game confirmation
- Any changes to venue, kick off time
- Time you plan to arrive
- Cancellations, as soon as possible
Our assesors, whilst appointed through WTR, do not receive the same notifications as the referee. The hosting club will communicate with the referee so if you can share the above with them it will make the admin a lot easier and ensure assessors know what is happening…along with not turning up to cancelled games 😉
Referee Feedback
Coaches or captains can provide feedback to a referee by
- Having an informal chat after the game, or
- More formally, completing the Referee Feedback form to be found on Who’s the Ref
which is assessed by scanning the QR code on the referee’s phone or a paper copy of
the QR code. A detailed guide can be downloaded here –
Referee Feedback Form
‘In touch’.
Please contact the society if you want one of our experienced referees to visit your club and
give guidance on any aspects of Law, support your club referees or have an ‘open agenda’
meeting.
Touchline Management
Persons standing pitchside need to read up on RFU Regulation 6 and, as of this season, the
Global Law Trial included in Law 6 of the Laws of the Game.
Management of the touchline (provision of barriers, technical areas, etc.) is primarily the
responsibility of the home club and not the Match Official.
RFU Regulation 6, para 28 states –
No more than four water carriers per team (including medical staff and replacement players)
Yes, this excludes the coaches! The Regs state that unless the pitch has dugouts, coaches
must stand behind the barriers.
The convention in Staffordshire is that coaches are allowed ‘by invitation of the referee’ to
stand in the technical area and as such it is a privilege and not a right. Therefore, it is
important that coaches do not abuse this by –
o Going ‘walkabout’ up and down the touchline or standing in-goal
o Directing any comments toward the referee.
o Approaching the referee at half-time and for thirty minutes after the final whistle.
o Encroaching onto the field-of-play.
o Entering the field-of-play under the pretext of being a water or kicking tee carrier: if
they are providing first aid then they must not use it as an opportunity to brief their
players.
Sanctions open to the referee range from a mild ticking off to removal behind the
barriers.
It is important that assistant referees and club volunteer touch-judges do not have their
line-of-sight impeded. In extreme cases the referee may ask the home club to remove one
or all personnel from that side of the pitch.
Law 6.30 states that – No additional persons should approach, address or aim comments at
the match officials, except for medics in relation to the treatment of a player.
Law 6.30 does not give a penalty sanction against a team, however the referee can ask to
have that person removed from the playing enclosure (i.e. to the clubhouse). A refusal by
that person to comply with the referee’s request would be looked upon by SRUSR as
‘disrespecting the authority of the match official’.
It is recommended that all pitchside personnel (medics and ‘additional persons’) read and
understand Laws 6.28 – 6.30.
Discipline
Some quick bits of information.
The RFU’s section on Discipline is to be found at – Discipline (englandrugby.com)
Regulation 19 is essential reading for a club Disciplinary Panel.
Kev Cantrill is Disciplinary Secretary for the Staffordshire Rugby Union and can be contacted
at kevcantrill55@yahoo co.uk
We live in a society where we have freedom of speech, however –
Anyone using the words ‘I’m going to report you (the referee)’ will be considered, in the
eyes of the Staffordshire RFU Disciplinary Panel, to be using ‘threatening behaviour’ (i.e.
match official abuse).
The Citing Process
A citing may be initiated where there is an allegation that a Player committed an act of Foul
Play but was not awarded a red card for that act. (Regulation 19, Appendix 4, Section 13)
Basically, if the club feels that a YC or penalty was insufficient, or the foul play was missed
by the Match Official, then they (the club) can initiate the citing process.
Red Card Reports.
Normally the Match Official (MO) sends the RC report to SRU Disciplinary Secretary Kev
Cantrill who then forwards it on to the club. You may, if you wish, ask the MO to send a
copy of the report to a nominated club contact.
N.B. The club is not permitted to see a performance assessor’s report (relating to the Match
Official). If the report contains information on the alleged incident, then that section will be
made available to the club.
Match footage
Please do not ask the Match Official to view any match footage prior to the writing of a Red
Card or MOA report.
By the way, the club must make footage of the whole game (not just the alleged incident)
available to the Disciplinary Panel – context is everything.
As has been said at the top of the page, this page is intended to help clubs. Please let us
know what you think is useful content.
Uncontested Scrums, what is the process?
“Scrums must become uncontested when there are no suitably-trained and experienced front row players available to form and complete a scrum. This can be caused by player injury or as a result of a yellow or red card.”
PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING UPDATE FROM THE RFU MATCH OFFICIAL TEAM WITH REGARDS TO SCENARIOS RELATING TO WHEN UNCONTESTED SCRUMS MAY OCCUR.
Questions raised recently in the National Leagues and community game, have highlighted widespread confusion over teams being unable to replace a front row player, leading to uncontested scrums.
We have therefore revised the front row logic tree to offer further explanation, which Is shown below.
The infographic is a reference guide prepared in consultation with practitioners and specialist professional staff, for sharing with your members and through your networks. Please ensure that you always check the competition regulations in place at the time of any match.
PLEASE NOTE: The reason for the removal of a FR player ‘FIRST TIME OF ASKING’ is irrelevant to the logic tree.
Example: The fact that the 1st FR player was removed due to injury caused by foul play, has no bearing on the number of players a team is permitted to play with when the 2nd FR receives a yellow card and there are no further FR replacements.
Outcome: Player is not replaced Max 14, Uncontested Scums.
Uncontested Scrums? How many players must be in the scrum?
Simply put, 8!
Please read law 3.13- 3.16
Confused? Does this contradict other laws?
Confusion arises (for referees, players and coaches) around reducing the number of players in a CONTESTED scrum. If the scrums remain contested and Team Red have a player in the sinbin, they can choose to play with only 7 players in the scrum. Team Blue do not have to match and can play with 8 in the scrum.
This is covered by Law 19.6
https://www.world.rugby/the-game/laws/law/1
Final thoughts.
1. Finish the game with uncontested scrums, unless there are other non related safety concerns, do not abandon the match.
2. Do not get involved in any discussions with coaches, captains or player about “what happens next?”.
If a league game experiences uncontested scrums the team managers should contact their league secretary, but this is not your responsibility. Please do not entertain discussions about a team forfeiting the game, points been awarded etc.
It may be useful to note the time and score when the game moved to uncontested scrums just in case the league secretary asks you for any relevant facts.
3. Contested Scrum Under 19s and below.
19.6 a. In an eight-person scrum, the formation must be 3-4-1, with the single player (normally the number eight) shoving on the two locks. The locks must pack with their heads on either side of the hooker.
b. When a team is reduced to fewer than 15 for any reason, the number of players in each team in the contested scrum must be similarly reduced.
c. Where a permitted reduction is made in the scrum by one team, the other team must reduce their scrum accordingly, down to a minimum of five.
d. Where there is an incomplete scrum, it must be formed as follows:
i. Seven players – three-four formation (i.e. no number eight).
ii. Six players – three-two-one formation (i.e. no flankers).
iii. Five players – three-two formation (i.e. no flankers or number eight).