LEARN RUGBY LAWS

A free resource to help referees, players and fans enhance their knowledge

of the Laws of Rugby Union.

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Well, now you've joined your society and passed your course, what next? Well, with a bit of luck, you'll get some matches - usually a 2nd or 3rdXV to ease you in...

Kit list...

Every referee should have the following in his kit bag for the match:

• A selection of rugby shirts - 3 colours if possible to avoid clashes.
• Shorts and socks - various colours to go with shirts if possible.
• Red and yellow cards.
• Scorecard and pencil (not pen).
• Two watches (both worn - one actual time, one playing time).
• Two whistles (you can bet that if you've only got one, you'll fall over and fill it with mud!).

Contrary to popular belief a white stick is not standard issue!

Much of the necessary kit will be available - often subsidised or even free of charge (if you're lucky) - from your referees' society.

The week before the match...

Your appointments secretary (if you've joined a society) will have informed the club that you are refereeing, and someone from that club should contact you three or four days before the match. You need to find out (or confirm) the following:

• Who is playing who.
• Where they are playing.
• What time kick-off is.
• What colours the teams are wearing (if there's a clash, get the home side to change).

Before the match on match day...

Aim to arrive with plenty of time to spare. You want to have time to introduce yourself and then get organised, get changed, warm up and do all the necessary pre-match checks and chats. You should ideally aim to get to the ground at least an hour before kick-off (at the top end of the game the officials often turn up nearly three hours before kick-off). Pre-match you need to do the following with the players:

• Check studs - make sure the are not dangerous.

The iRB relieved a little of the pressure in this regard a couple of years ago - referees no longer have to check for strict adherence to the regulations, but they must make a decision if the boots/studs are dangerous or not. If they are dangerous, the player must not play unless the problem is sorted.

• Front-row briefing.

This is a simple exercise, as much to cover your back as it is to make your life easy. A quick run-through of what you expect at scrum time. "I'll make my mark, when there's a decent gap and your second rows are in I'll call 'crouch and hold, engage' - do not go before the engage. Props I want a good straight bind on the back. I want it square and stationary until the ball is in please. Any questions?"

• Captains chat.

A quick word with both captains, at the toss. There are many variations on a theme and you'll pick your method up as you go along, watching other referees and maturing as a man-manager. A popular call is to put the emphasis for discipline onto them, and you'll manage the match. Or simply ask them to communicate with you, and not every other player on the team. This is a key management tool, and it's a very personal chat.

• Other bits and bobs.

There are other people you may wish to talk to. Scrum-halves about quick taps and conduct at the scrum, or the fly-halves about how you'll manage the 10m at the line-out. Talk to who you feel necessary, but keep it concise. Whatever you do though, don't paint yourself into a corner by saying you will do this and that, and I'll penalise such-and-such thus. When you don't do it, or you miss it - for whatever reason, you'll have left yourself open...

Post match...

After the match, make sure to speak to the players. Talk about the match (but not red-cards if there are any) and try and learn from the players about your game. Often the players are as useful as the assessor - and it's their voice that really matters, because it's their game at the end of the day. If you've had problems in the scrum talk to the front-rows and try to find out what's going on. Have a beer (or more if you're not driving home) and sort out any formalities (like expenses or score-cards).

Finally...

Go out there in the fresh air, get a bit of exercise, let 30 players have a good game of rugby and enjoy it! We're all in rugby because we love the sport, so savour it. And remember if it's your first time out, you will be infinitely better next time out.

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