Low-slung Force star hit hard by ref

[Ecky]

Ive read/reread the law on this and it clearly states that the player entering to retrieve the ball should be on their feet and not have any other part of their body supported by the the ground or other players... if this is the case and as you have rightly indicated then just about EVERY Ruck that has formed this year shouldve been blown for player off their feet.. Its common knowledge that players lean over and rest their knees on the tackled player or other bodies on the ground and quite often have one hand supporting themselves while "retrieving" the ball.. more often its simply going through the motions in order to force a free kick.

so how really should refs be interpreting this.. ?

If you guys can get a petition together to get me on to the park to referee these televised games, I will show you how it's to be interpreted

In the meantime I will penallise those what don't comply in my games here in Perth domestic rugby.

I had an interesting chat with the 2nds coach of Kala (Tim, I think?) last year when I was penalising his players for this very thing: they would step over the ball and then put at least one hand on the ground and wait for the opposition contact. I think they call it "scanning". Anyhoo, I told him post-match that, when they have their hands on the deck, if I came up and pullled their hands out they'd fall down, they are clearly not supporting their weight on the feet and I shall penalise. He was most concerned as that's what he'd been coaching them to do.

I know that this is being refereed inconsistently throughout the grades, and in S14 it seems, but hey, that's how I do it.

Best thing for the coaches is to talk to the ref before the match, to clarify. We can't tell them everything pre-match, so just ask.

[Burgs]

Perhaps the Ref should be allowed to stand on the alledgedly non weight bearing hand and see if they can lift it or not

[welshrugbyfan]

Lets get back to the fact he's benching 170 kegs.

I thought my 100 kegs wasn't bad, it fails in comparison.

[Em-Forcer]

when they have their hands on the deck, if I came up and pullled their hands out they'd fall down, they are clearly not supporting their weight on the feet... (Their coach) was most concerned as that's what he'd been coaching them to do.

One word - pilates.
Would help in scrums, too!