Whistle While You Work

Well done Wayne Barnes. Sympathetic refereeing today but unluckily for Italy, he had to 'go to the TV official... who made a decision about their (no) try. Who was the spoilsport TMO I wonder Craig Joubert?!
I also thought that Rodney 'O sole mio' (No8) spent a lot of his time blocking in midfield - which went unnoticed, and there was a lifting of the legs tackle - 'spear' tackle also.
Contrast this with Jonathan Kaplan in the England v United States game. He 'didn't see' Phil Vickery hacking down Emerick er sorry 'tripping'...but he gave Emerick a yellow card for spearing Barkley later in the game.
Note to the referees: Allow the team with 'advantage' no more than say 10 paces to do something, or ten seconds max...not thirty seconds or more - and keep it consistent. Don't let phases of play pass and then blow up for the original offence - it's not advantage, it's pathetic.
Note to the referees: Identify foul play using the TMO. Vickery should have gone... maybe even identify trends, and advise the man on the pitch ie: So'oialo standing in the strangest of places... could be a good thing. After all, the referee gets as much extra information from the touch judges as they can give, why not the all seeing eye. Nothing would slow down in real time but the referee's decision making would be enhanced.
Note to the referees: Keep it consistent. Some things never change!

Comments

[Gary Gordon]

Hi Martin

Firstly well done for setting this up, makes me all misty eyed about many happy trips to Paris with OGRFC.

It's now over 10 years since I moved north of the border and since I got injured I have been ref'ing - not the same joy as playing but it still keeps you on the park on a saturday afternoon and lets 30 guys have a game of rugby.

Reading your post on refereeing I felt compelled to add my thoughts, admittedly from a slightly different perspective of now having blown a whistle for a number of years here in Scotland and elsewhere.

Your first "note to Ref's" suggests a rule of 10 paces for advantage, at the moment the law book says that a team has to gain either a terriotorial or tactical advantage, the referee's are given clear guideline about how to apply that, and it certainly depends on whether the advantage is being played from a penalty or technical offence. Sure some referee's will apply a slightly different view in the heat of a game - but how often do you see players droping a ball on purpose or the players just asking for the penalty. I think if you try to apply a rule that says if a player moves more than 10 paces it's advantage over you'll end up with a more stilted game. Certainly it is a fact that some great try's scored off advantage. I think it is best to give the ref some latitude as on the whole we get a better game. Make it hard and fast and, in my humble opinion, you'll end up with a less exciting game. Just look at the very small advantage applied in Football - I know which I prefer.

Interesting thought about using the TMO on foul play, i think they did something with that during the super 14 - not sure how successful it was, I would think it just adds to a greater number of breaks during the game - enough people complain about the time TMO's take to decide on try's - is the current method of a Citing commissioner and the right of a team to cite a player after the game not the best way? Certainly the game is "cleaner" than it was.

Finally you ask for consistency from ref's. From my own experience I have never met a ref who isn't taking part from a genuine enjoyment of the game who is wanting to officiate on the game in a fair and consistent manner - do they get it right all the time? no. After all they are human as well and don't forget that they have one perspective on every incident and a moment to make a decision. Certainly not the multiple angles and time to consider every decision, unlike Stuart Barnes, who still manages to show the most unbelievable lack of knowledge of the laws of the game - don't listen to him, I'll guarantee everyome of the 12 ref's at the world cup know the law and how to ref a game of rugby better than he does!!!! Brian Moore is the only commentator who has a good understanding, shame we don't get to listen to him.

Anyway, as you can see I've moved to the dark side and have become a defensive referee - how did that happen........

Keep up the good work and enjoy the World Cup - all the very best to all at WLRFC.

Gary Gordon

[Martin]

Hello Gary -I love you!
You are just soooooooooo serious...nothing's changed since you were a mere whipper-snapper...and now you are just a whipper.
I want rant - not reason!
Only joking. Thanks for the comments , all of which are taken on board. (I will throw them over the side under cover of darkness...)
I think referees are definitely 'doing it' from a subjective point of view some of the time. Contentious yes and I wouldn't for a minute try and pin sometning like that on Stuart Dickinson, Steve Walsh, Paul Honiss or Jonathan Kaplan for example - and I am sure that professional training and experience keep those "this bloody bloke Tyrone is irritating the pants off me, I'm going to make life hard for him and his lot" moments at bay. However, the mild temptation must be there.
If I didn't have my tongue firmly planted in my cheek most of the time, I might like to have refereed. I'd show them who'se boss. Yes. Bloody hookers!
Make sure you visit the Plessis bit too Gary - give them some stick in your best French -and keep posting here too!
Thanks m