Referees study ELVs
Thursday 17th January 2008 PlanetRugby
Eleven of the top referees in South Africa, led by André Watson, South Africa's Referee Manager, and Tappe Henning a referees' selector at the International Rugby Board, have been studying the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) which they will start using soon.
The ELVs will be introduced in a curtailed form in the Super 14 and will apply to pre-tournament friendlies which start on 19 January.
In addition the full ELVs will be introduced into all domestic rugby in South Africa. The referees aimed to clarify their own understanding in the interests of consistency and in order to inform referees and players in the 14 provinces. On the first day of their course in the Nature Reserve at Hartebeesthoek, the referees discussed and gained clarity on:
* the corner-posts
* kick-offs
* quick throw-ins from touch
* kicking directly into touch from within the 22
* "truck and trailer"
* pulling down a maul
1. The corner-posts exist only to help the touch judges in determining whether the ball crossed the touch-line or the touch-in-goal line. They have no effect on any decision related to the touch-line, the touch-in-goal line or the goal line.
If the ball or a ball-carrier touches a cornerpost, it does not effect any decision by the match officials. The lines determine the decision.
If a ball strikes the post and bounces back in in-goal, play goes on.
If an attacking player grounds the ball against the cornerpost and the goal line, he scores a try.
2. Kick-offs:
Errors at the kick-off will be treated in the same way that they are in Sevens.
Advantage applies, but if a ball does not travel 10 metres or is kicked directly into touch, it is a free kick to the non-kicking team.
If the ball goes into the in-goal and a defender immediately makes the ball dead, by grounding it or kicking it dead, it is a free kick to his side at the middle of the half-way line. I was not previously aware of this variation. Not a bad idea, though I think the scrum option at the centre offered attacking teams more options/room.
3. Quick throw-ins:
The quick throw in need not be straight. The player taking the quick throw-in may pass the ball back to a team-mate. He may not pass it forward.
4. Kicking directly into touch from within the 22:
If opponents have played the ball into the 22, a defender is allowed to kick the ball directly into touch and have the line-out where the ball went out.
But if the defender's team took the ball back into the 22 and he kicked the ball directly into touch, the line-out is opposite the place where he kicked the ball. There is no gain of ground.
This happens:
- if a team-mate passes the ball from outside the 22 back into the 22;
- if the team has the ball in a maul outside the 22 and is pushed back into the 22;
- if a scrum is awarded just outside the 22 and the ball is heeled and emerges on or inside the 22;
- if a player gets the ball in touch outside the 22 and moves back within the 22 and takes a quick throw-in;
- If a free-kick or penalty is awarded outside the 22 and taken inside the 22.
There are concessions in all of this.
If after the defenders have taken the ball back into the 22, there is a tackle, ruck or maul, then they gain ground if they kick the ball directly into touch.
The same is true if the ball touches an opponent.
If the ball lands outside the 22 but rolls in touch inside the 22, the defender is allowed to gain ground if he kicks directly into touch from a quick throw-in.
5. "Truck and trailer":
This is no longer penalised if it starts from a maul which splinters. Players of the team with the ball in the maul may continue to advance provided that they are bound together (at least two players). Players may be in front of the ball-carrier. This is now considered a newly formed maul whether there are opponents involved or not.
It must start from a maul. A team may not set up such a formation from the start and drive it forward with the ball-carrier behind the front players. That would still be penalised as obstruction - "truck and trailer". Sounds a little confusing to me..
6. Pulling a maul down:
There is now a legal way to stop a maul by deliberately bringing it to ground.
It remains illegal to lift legs in the maul or to grab a player around the neck or to tackle a maul.
The legal way of stopping a maul would be to pull it down.
A player in the maul is now allowed pull down an opponent by grabbing him anywhere from hips to shoulders and pulling him to ground. If this causes the maul to collapse there is no penalty.
From the shoulders means not above the line of the shoulder. By the hips means not below the waistband.
A legal collapse of the maul is a successful end to the maul.
Will be interesting to see the stats at the end of the Currie Cup season as compared to the S14, as well as, compared to previous year stats to see if the game is "faster" and "better".
