West of ScotlandRugby Referees Society

GUIDELINES FOR

NEW REFEREES.

PREPARATION FOR THE GAME

1. WHAT A REFEREE SHOULD DO BEFORE A MATCH

The allocation secretary would have forwarded to you the games that you have to officiate for the month following. So unless there are any changes you would know the dates and teams involved.

Early in the week:

The referee secretary for the home club should telephone you to confirm the fixture to which you have been appointed. He will confirm the two teams involved, the ground and the kick off time. Details you will require are as follows:

The colours of the jerseys, shorts and socks of both teams.

Directions on how to get to the ground.

Is the match being played there or do you have to travel after getting changed.

Mid-week:

Having received all the above details you must start thinking about the game and your own personal preparation. Things to consider are:

Check the route and directions to the club.

How long will it take to get there?

Do you know if there are any road works or hold-ups?

Check that your kit and equipment is clean, in good order and all packed.

Day of the game:

Referees are encouraged to be attentive to the standard of their personal dress both on and off the field. Consequently you are expected to be tidily dressed at all matches. You are encouraged to wear clothing that is emblazoned with the Society motif. The normal standard dress would be shirt, Society tie, Society jersey and / or blazer, smart trousers or a skirt for the ladies. Try to get into a routine early on in your refereeing career as this will help you to prepare mentally for the game. If you plan your routine from the early days, as you progress up the ladder the same routine will still apply. Naturally this is your own personal choice but a suggested routine would be:

Arrive at the ground about one hour before the kick off time.

You may be met by a club official.

Locate the referees changing room and the changing room of the teams.

Have a look at the pitch to see what studs / boots you will need.

Check the pitch marking, flags and get acclimatised to the ground.

Special Note on Pitch Markings:

If the pitch marking is unsatisfactory ascertain if it can be improved. If not and the shortcomings are not too serious advise both captains simultaneously that you are prepared to referee but it is even more important that all players must accept your decisions. The captains must then advise their teams.

If the shortcomings are of such significance that you cannot referee, particularly if a league match is involved, then do not start and report the matter to both Allocation Secretaries and the relevant league secretary. This is the last resort.

Try and find the two captains, if they have arrived. This is where you now have to be flexible dependant on the level and standard of your game. It may well be that the teams haven’t arrived as yet. Therefore have two plans of action:

Plan 1: The Captains are available.Plan 2: The Captains are not available.

Plan 1: The Captains are available:

Establish the time you will check the studs and do the toss.

Check if the team is going out to warm up and if so, the time they will be returning to the changing room.

Inform the captains of your time requirements and the timings you will give them. e.g. Ten minutes to Kick Off; Five minutes to Kick off; three minutes to kick off, I will open your changing room door and request you go the field.

Establish if they have a touch judge, a flag, names of replacements and positions and / or medical man / Doctor and theprocedures for him / her to come on to the field of play.

Give them your assessment card, prepared as much as possible.

You can now relax a little, get changed, warm up always keeping an eye on the time. Make sure that your whistle “talks”.

Having established who the touch judges are, have a short chat with them outlining their duties:

a)When to put their flag up.

b)Where to stand in goal when penalty or conversion kicks are being taken.

c)What you want them to do when a penalty kick is missed.

Plan 2: The Captains are not available:

Get changed, put a track suit on, start your warm up but keep an eye out for the arrival of the Captains. Make sure that your whistle “talks”.

Once they have arrived you can then:

Establish the time you will check the studs and do the toss.

Check if the team is going out to warm up and if so, the time they will be returning to the changing room.

Inform the Captains of your time requirements and the timings you will give them. e.g. Ten minutes to Kick Off; Five minutes to Kick off; three minutes to kick off, I will open your changing room door and request you go the field.

Establish if they have a touch judge, a flag, names of replacements and positions and / or medical man / Doctor and the procedures for him / her to come on to the field of play.

Give them your assessment card, prepared as much as possible.

Having established who the touch judges are, have a short chat with them outlining their duties:

a)When to put their flag up.

b)Where to stand in goal when penalty or conversion kicks are being taken.

c)What you want them to do when a penalty kick is missed.

Some points to remember at this time:

The Captain winning the toss has the choice of the kick or side, he does not have both. Whichever he chooses his opponents must take the other option.

It may be helpful to write on your score card the team that has the kick off and the time.

Check that a ball is available and the pressure. Is there a spare?

ENJOY THE GAME!

2. WHAT A PREPARED REFEREE CARRIES IN THEIR KIT-BAG

Rugby Kit :

All kit should be cleaned, ironed and in good condition. Presentation is vital to command and leadership. If you look and feel the part, it will also be a boost to your self confidence. Although it is not prescriptive, it is recommended that referees use strips that are self-coloured rather than patterned. Should a sponsorship deal be arranged by your Society, then that strip should be worn whenever required.

Referees should carry 3 or 4 self-coloured strips. You never know when a fixture has been changed at the last moment or a team decides to wear an alternative colour of jersey. You will also require matching coloured socks, 2 or 3 pairs of shorts (black, white and blue), track suit or training suit, athletic support, towel and toiletries. Your boots should be cleaned and polished for each game. A spare plastic bag to take home muddy boots without dirtying clean kit in your bag is useful. Remember your assessment cards. So to summarise you should take the following kit:

Clean boots, possibly two pairs, moulded soles and metal studs.

Socks which match your jerseys and tie ups.

Athletic support, if required.

Shorts.

Jerseys.

Towel and toiletries.

If a sponsorship deal has been arranged and a jersey provided, that jersey should be worn unless it clashes with either side's strip.

Equipment:

Apart from the list of kit already supplied, additional items of equipment are also recommended to have in your kit bag. These are:

Two touch judge flags.

Stud measurer, spare studs and stud key.

Spare laces.

Adapter for the ball.

Law book and discipline forms.

It is advisable to keep all your equipment that you will carry onto the field of play in a plastic box or similar container in your kit bag until you put in on your person prior to the game.

You should carry on your person when you take the field:

Two whistles.

Watch with stop watch facilities or even 2 watches.

Score card in a plastic wallet. Red and yellow cards, if required.

Two pencils or pens.

A clean handkerchief or tissue

A coin.

3. WHAT A REFEREE SHOULD DO AFTER THE GAME

After the game is over, the following actions are recommended:

Shake hands with the two Captains and the two touch judges, whom you should thank for their assistance during the game.

Shake hands with the two coaches and any player who wishes to do so.

Join in the applause of the teams as they applaud each other from the pitch.

Following your shower / bath, enter the club house and locate the home team coach / Captain. He will be responsible for the home club’s hospitality.

If the club has a board room or committee room you will be welcomed into this room.

If you have not already done so complete your match assessment postcard and hand it to the Captain and / or club coach. If you have already handed it to them prior to the game as recommended, remind them to forward it to the SRU as it is important for your development as a referee.

If your referee coach has been present and watched the game, be prepared to discuss your performance with him.

After a while you should leave the board room / committee room and enter the main bar area. It may be that members of the two teams will wish to discuss aspects of the game with you.

It is best if you do not have the Law book in your pocket! (See note)

Before you finally leave the clubhouse, express your thanks appropriately for the clubs hospitality.

Remember to complete your card on the grading you give for their hospitality and organisation!

At home try and relax and make notes on any points that you may want to discuss with the Referees Development Officer.

The Law book may be carried in your pocket. However you should be careful that a player is seeking genuine advice about a point of Law. You should not enter into heated argument or discuss interpretations encountered in earlier weeks. In short, keep it to generalisations. This also applies to discussions with club coaches.

DURING THE GAME

1. SETTING THE SCENE

From the start of the game, the referee's application of the Laws should be fair, consistent and correct. During the first 10 - 15 minutes, the players should discover what the referee is working towards. This is best established by being alert, definite and giving short, clear explanations for stoppages i.e. by the application of the art of refereeing the players know what the referee is about, what he expects of the players and has indeed "set the scene" or "set out his stall".

Suggested areas to concentrate on during the first 10 to 15 minutes.

The kind of binding and stance of players in the scrummage.

The way in which the ball is put into a scrummage.

Clear gaps and straight lines in the lineout.

That pushing, barging and obstruction are not permitted in the lineout.

That the backs stay 10 metres away from the lineout until it ends.

That the ball is released in a tackle and not thereafter killed by either side.

Strict on high / late tackles.

That advantage is consistent in those areas of play where it is exercised.

That the decisions of the referee are not disputed by the players.

During the opening stages the referee can also indicate his own awareness by cautioning verbally and quietly any miscreants. It is not always necessary to blow the whistle!

In this way players should become convinced that the referee knows what he is about and is trying to add to the players' enjoyment of the game rather than detract from it. Universal popularity is not one of the criteria by which a referee is known on a rugby pitch, but fairness is.

Once you have set your scene in those first 10 - 15 minutes you can always relax a little. However, it is hard to start off relaxed and then try and establish what you require!

2. COMMUNICATION

Communication is so important to the players. If your communication is poor then frustration sets in and there is a possibility that the control of the game will be lost.

Communication comes in three forms:

whistle

hand signals

verbal

In the "Referees' Handbook" issued by the Scottish Rugby Union, there is an excellent section on the various handsignals; Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Therefore these will not be discussed in this handout.

If you have seen an infringement and your decision is to blow for the infringement and not to allow advantage, then it is recommended that the following sequence should be followed, as a general rule, as there is always the exception!

You whistle and give the hand signal simultaneously.

You give a verbal explanation, if you so wish, but it should be concise and precise.

This is difficult at first but can be attained with practice; examples:-

Scrum half feeding, no advantage, free kick to reds.

First knock on by whites, no advantage, scrum down, blue ball.

Undoubtedly the best way of communicating and signalling is by:-

"making your whistle talk" - but this does take time and practice.

Short blast - minor stoppage, touch or scrummage.

Long blast - free kick, conversion.

Longer blast - try or penalty kick.

Longer / harder blast - foul play and misconduct.

Crowd noise and the wind may also have an effect on the way in which you blow your whistle. Remember, that at rucks and mauls, the whistle must be loud enough for the players to hear.

The whistle should not be used to bring players to the centre for the start of each half, re-positioning the scrummage, ensuring gaps in the lineout or for redirecting touch judges behind the posts!

Check your Law Book and establish what it says about the refereeing blowing his whistle!

3. APPLICATION

During the course of the game the scrummage, lineout, ruck and maul will inevitably involve a large percentage of the players in a very small area of the pitch. It is possible to look at each of these situations and build up a mental picture and check lists belonging to each facet of the game. The following are suggestions:-

Scrum

As it forms check:-

a)the binding of one side and then as they both come together.

b)the stance of hookers, props and flankers.

c)that the front rows do not clash heads or charge from a distance - that they come together straight and stay straight.

d)that the tunnel is clear for the ball to enter.

At the put in check:-

a)that the ball is held midway between the knee and ankle.

b)that the ball is put in, in one movement to the centre and strikes the ground correctly - if it is not correct has there been feeding, delaying, dummying or has the hooker struck too early or too near the mouth of the tunnel, therefore twisting lowering or swinging.

Follow up:-

a)does the ball come back out of the tunnel or pass straight through - check the binding and position of the front rows.

b)check the binding of the flankers for slipping and obstruction of the opposing scrum half.

c)check that the opposing scrum half does not get in front of the ball or obstruct other players.

d)check that the defending backs are the appropriate distance back.

e)when the ball is out check back as the scrummage breaks up to ensure that no illegal activities are taking place.

Positioning:-

a)generally the same side as the scrum half putting the ball in.

b)two to three metres back and slightly to the attacker's side of the scrummage.

c)move early with the ball to allow a wider view of the scrum, the ball, the blind and open side and defending backs.

d)don't forget to check the position of attacking wingers who may be waiting for a kick.

e)move in a U, do not take short cuts!

Lineout

Undoubtedly the area of greatest contention not only for the players, referees but others involved in the game.

Formation:

a)get to the line of touch early - from here the lineout can be established.

b)check the space / gap and ensure that it is clear and that both lines are straight.

c)ensure that the front men are beyond the 5 metre line.

d)ensure that the numbers in the lineout are correct.

e)ensure that all non participants are 10 metres away from the lineout.

f)Note positions taken up by players participating i.e. which way are they facing.

Ball thrown in:

a)check for early closures of the space / gap by non jumpers.

b)look for barging, pushing, lifting and players coming into the wrong side of the lineout and interfering with play.