Refeeing decisions

[Heathen]

Saw a similar incident for which Jamma got a yellow yesterday in the live game today.

Whitten put a shoulder into a Falcons player. Ref did not see it but picked up by the TMO. Commentator said yellow. TMO and ref say penalty only. Where is the F.....G consistency in interpretion.

[hookender]

Saw a similar incident for which Jamma got a yellow yesterday in the live game today.

Whitten put a shoulder into a Falcons player. Ref did not see it but picked up by the TMO. Commentator said yellow. TMO and ref say penalty only. Where is the F.....G consistency in interpretion.

Is that the Will Witty late tackle or another one?

[Hymenoptera]

Irish match too, 2 on 10 in the back..penalty

[Shugs]

There's no doubt it was a harsh yellow. The TMO seemed determined it was a yellow which influenced the ref. There's a few headshots about in the Wal v Ire game!

[Heathen]

Saw a similar incident for which Jamma got a yellow yesterday in the live game today.

Whitten put a shoulder into a Falcons player. Ref did not see it but picked up by the TMO. Commentator said yellow. TMO and ref say penalty only. Where is the F.....G consistency in interpretion.

Is that the Will Witty late tackle or another one?

Hookender, it was the Witty tackle.

[hookender]

Saw a similar incident for which Jamma got a yellow yesterday in the live game today.

Whitten put a shoulder into a Falcons player. Ref did not see it but picked up by the TMO. Commentator said yellow. TMO and ref say penalty only. Where is the F.....G consistency in interpretion.

Is that the Will Witty late tackle or another one?

Hookender, it was the Witty tackle.

Thought it might be ,in my minds eye thought it looked more deliberate.

[petros]

There's no doubt it was a harsh yellow. The TMO seemed determined it was a yellow which influenced the ref. There's a few headshots about in the Wal v Ire game!

Given it was the ref's 1st (?) premiership game he was always likely to take the TMO's advice

[InBetweenWasp]

There's no doubt it was a harsh yellow. The TMO seemed determined it was a yellow which influenced the ref. There's a few headshots about in the Wal v Ire game!

Given it was the ref's 1st (?) premiership game he was always likely to take the TMO's advice

It felt at times like it was the TMO's first gig, so excited he was to get on the radio to the ref at times.  Thought the ref did alright other than perhaps taking everything the TMO said as gospel - which resulted in a series of soft yellows for both teams.  In hindsight, hopefully he looks back and see's that the game could have flowed better without such hard/strict interventions. 

For Gaskell's yellow, there's no reason why the ref couldn't have used it to make a stand - Give a penalty and a strict warning to both teams that that's the first and last incident like that which will be tolerated.  But I also accept that comes with the confidence that experience brings and on your first game, you probably don't want to be that Ref who says to the TMO 'Thanks TMO, but happy it's only a penalty and warning to both teams to cut it out'

[hookender]

There's no doubt it was a harsh yellow. The TMO seemed determined it was a yellow which influenced the ref. There's a few headshots about in the Wal v Ire game!

Given it was the ref's 1st (?) premiership game he was always likely to take the TMO's advice

Thought it was his 7th or 8th, including an Exeter v Saracens last year

And it didn’t stop CMK making controversial decisions early on.

[Neils]

There's no doubt it was a harsh yellow. The TMO seemed determined it was a yellow which influenced the ref. There's a few headshots about in the Wal v Ire game!

Given it was the ref's 1st (?) premiership game he was always likely to take the TMO's advice

Thought it was his 7th or 8th, including an Exeter v Saracens last year

And it didn’t stop CMK making controversial decisions early on.

Think he had done 7 and this was his 8th.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

The lack of Championship matches is also a problem for referee development and could lead to some problems in the future.

[hookender]

https://t.co/iwaFGAnHUg

Thought this view was good

[Bloke in North Dorset]

https://t.co/iwaFGAnHUg

Thought this view was good

Yes, very good, thanks. 

[Heathen]

A very enlightening read!

[mike909]

https://t.co/iwaFGAnHUg

Thought this view was good

Very interesting if a little over wrought :-)  I think it does support a couple of issues that I've had with refs, firstly, it would probably be a good thing to have some ex props as refs...as an old prop, much of first class reffing of the scrum is at best coin flick territory and secondly, when the writer says this:

 

But the ruck – always the ruck – was a total muddlement.

‘Am I in the right position here; was that actually a tackle, yup, his knee hit the ground but was he held; no, yes; now, has the tackler released; has the ball carrier let go of the ball; has the tackler now rolled away; is the jackler supporting his own weight

I have, firstly, read the Laws, I have also watched the WR video explanations and seen from lots of SH games showing how it could be done.

Firstly, making quick and decisive decisions seems to be a good way forwards alongside very clear "ref coaching" calls of "Tackle" "release" "roll" and especially "ruck" make the breakdown clear to those involved in the tackle and those who are joining them.

It is too often the worst mess - virtually any Prem game will demonstrate - clear parts of the Laws like "no hands" in a ruck are ignored too often with refs allowing continued competition, post ruck forming and this all slows the ball down and makes defence a better option (often). It also makes rucks more dangerous for the players. Especially when basics of binding on entry are ignored and "clearing out" allowed (This is required if you allow hands in rucks of course...)

It's my big bug bear of reffing (offside aside) both of which influence the pace of the game and to a greater extent (in my view, anyway) the way play is incentivised. If you can slow ball down and get defensively aligned - you don't need to have possession as much. England showed this in the RWC QF vs Aus (and since) where England won, convincingly in the end, off 36% possession. And it's partly why England kick the ball into the opposition's 22m/10m as a first option.