Referee Directive

Leading into the Rugby World Cup, directives and law clarification’s have come from World Rugby’s head office in regards to some area’s of the game they want referee’s to focus on over the next six weeks.

John Jeffrey, the rugby committee chairman of world rugby, said player’s have been warned they face tougher penalties for diving in a bid to eradicate the football style behaviour that’s slowly creeping into the game. Players caught feigning injury could receive a yellow card.

Jeffrey went on further to say the referee’s are to crack down on dissent. Encouraging referee’s to utilise the 10-meter march more widely.

Jeffrey said:

“There is a culture creeping it. I call it the football culture, of simulation, people appealing to the referee, players – and it has happened a couple of times – diving. That is going to be sanctioned very heavily in this tournament.
“We are the showcase of our rugby event and it’s very important we keep our values there, and referees have been asked to sanction very heavily on that. There will be yellow cards for diving and we also have the punishment in rugby that you can march somebody back 10 metres.”

This come’s on top of seven, that’s right, seven law clarifications this year alone. Occasionally, “Law Clarification’s” are used by World Rugby as thinly guised, diplomatic wording for area’s of the game they want to the referee’s to focus on.

The one with the most impact on upcoming games is the most recent one sent out just eight days ago. Kicking the ball out of the hands of a player who has picked up the ball.

The closest direct wording in regards to kicking the ball from the hands of an opposing player are:

Law 22
(e) Tackled near the goal-line. If a player is tackled near to the opponents’ goal line so that this player may immediately reach out and ground the ball on or over the goal-line, a try is scored.

(f) In this situation, defending players who are on their feet may legally prevent the try by pulling the ball from the tackled player’s hands or arms, but must not kick the ball.

Law 15.6
(j) When a tackled player reaches out to ground the ball on or over the goal line to score a try, an opponent may pull the ball from the player’s possession, but must not kick or attempt to kick the ball.

World Rugby has ruled that even in general play, kicking the ball from the hands of an opposing player is neither a fair contest for the ball and cannot be considered a legal manor of dis-possessing a player. And will be punished with a penalty.