By Simon Robinson
June 1 2006

Smurf takes an off beat look at how the C block faithfull interpret a Referee's decisions....

 

A Guide to the Laws of the Game – C-block version

What follows is a three-way interpretation of some of the Laws of the Game. Firstly, verbatim from the Laws themselves, secondly, a layman’s version, and thirdly, what you may expect to hear from the terraces. Please note that the “translations” shown here are only developed through personal experience, and should not be considered as part of the Laws of the Game. In the C-block versions, (1) represents Saints as the team in possession, going forward, or having advantage applied to them, and (2) is where it is the opposition in such a situation.

Law 6: Match Officials

6.B.3 CONTROL OF TOUCH JUDGES
The referee has control over both touch judges. The referee may tell them what their duties are, and may overrule their decisions.

Translation: The referee may tell his touch judges to concentrate on certain offences prior to the game, maybe only foul play, forward passes and the offside line. He will then generally only consult them on these offences.

C-block version: “Come on touch judge, get involved in the game!”

Law 8: Advantage

8.1 ADVANTAGE IN PRACTICE
(a) The referee is sole judge of whether or not a team has gained an advantage. The referee has wide discretion when making decisions.
(b) Advantage can be either territorial or tactical.
(c) Territorial advantage means a gain in ground.
(d) Tactical advantage means freedom for the non-offending team to play the ball as they wish.

8.2 WHEN ADVANTAGE DOES NOT ARISE
The advantage must be clear and real. A mere opportunity to gain advantage is not enough. If the non-offending team does not gain an advantage, the referee blows the whistle and brings play back to the place of infringement.

Translation: Amount of advantage varies from referee to referee, and (although not stated in Law) referees tend to play more advantage for a penalty offence than a scrum offence. Many people call for this Law to be clarified, to specify a certain period of time or distance gained.

C-block (1): “There was never any advantage there Ref!”
C-block (2): “How long are you going to play advantage for?”

Law 9: Method of Scoring

9.B.1 TAKING A CONVERSION KICK
(e) The kicker must take the kick within one minute from the time the kicker has indicated an intention to kick. The intention to kick is signalled by the arrival of the kicking tee or sand, or the player makes a mark on the
ground. The player must complete the kick within the minute even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again.
Penalty: The kick is disallowed if the kicker does not take the kick within the time allowed.
(Law 21.4b covers penalty kicks in a similar way, only with a scrum awarded, opposition put-in, as a penalty).

Translation: The player has ONE MINUTE from the arrival of the tee.

C-block (2, after around 35 seconds): “Come on, he’s only got a minute!”

Law 11: Off-side and on-side in general play
In general play a player is off-side if the player is in front of a team-mate who is carrying the ball, or in front of a team-mate who last played the ball.
Off-side means that a player is temporarily out of the game. Such players are liable to be penalized if they take part in the game.
In general play, a player can be put on-side either by an action of a team-mate or by an action of an opponent. However, the off-side player cannot be put onside if the off-side player interferes with play; or moves forward, towards the ball, or fails to move 10 metres away from the place where the ball lands.

11.1 OFF-SIDE IN GENERAL PLAY
(a) A player who is in an off-side position is liable to penalty only if the player does one of three things:
Interferes with play or,
Moves forward, towards the ball or
Fails to comply with the 10-Metre Law (Law 11.4).
A player who is in an off-side position is not automatically penalised.
A player who receives an unintentional throw-forward is not off-side.
A player can be off-side in the in-goal.

11.4 OFF-SIDE UNDER THE 10-METRE LAW
(a) When a team-mate of an off-side player has kicked ahead, the off-side player is considered to be taking part in the game if the player is in front of an imaginary line across the field which is 10 metres from the opponent waiting to play the ball, or from where the ball lands or may land. The off-side player must immediately move behind the imaginary 10-metre line. While moving away, the player must not obstruct an opponent.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(b) While moving away, the off-side player cannot be put on-side by any action of the opposing team. However, before the player has moved the full 10 metres, the player can be put on-side by any on-side team-mate who runs in front of the player.

Translation: A player can be off-side and not penalised. He can be put on-side by his own team (retreating behind an on-side player, or an on-side player running past them) or the opposition (runs 5 metres, kicks, passes or intentionally touches the ball without catching it). Under the 10-metre Law, the player must retreat immediately behind the 10 metre line.

C-block (1): “What do you mean, he was off-side?”
C-block (2): “Come on ref, he’s off-side!”

Law 15: Tackle – ball carrier brought to ground

15.4 THE TACKLER
(a) When a player tackles an opponent and they both go to ground, the tackler must immediately release the tackled player.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(b) The tackler must immediately get up or move away from the tackled player and from the ball at once.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(c) The tackler must get up before playing the ball.
Penalty: Penalty Kick

15.5 THE TACKLED PLAYER
(a) A tackled player must not lie on, over, or near the ball to prevent opponents from gaining possession of it, and must try to make the ball available immediately so that play can continue.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(b) A tackled player must immediately pass the ball or release it. That player must also get up or move away from it at once.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(c) A tackled player may release the ball by putting it on the ground in any direction, provided this is done immediately.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(d) A tackled player may release the ball by pushing it along the ground in any direction except forward, provided this is done immediately.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(e) If opposition players who are on their feet attempt to play the ball, the tackled player must release the ball.
Penalty: Penalty Kick

15.8 DOUBT ABOUT FAILURE TO COMPLY
If the ball becomes unplayable at a tackle and there is doubt about which player did not conform to Law, the referee orders a scrum immediately with the throw-in by the team that was moving forward prior to the stoppage or, if no team was moving forward, by the attacking team.

Translation: In a situation where both tackler has failed to release the tackled player, and the tackled player has failed to release the ball, then technically both teams have infringed. Therefore, the referee should award a scrum under Law 15.8. However, it is normal practice for a referee to penalise one offender or the other, dependant on varying factors including balance of play, previous experience and personal preference.

C-block (1): “Not releasing!”
C-block (2): “Holding on!”

Law 16 Ruck

16.3 RUCKING
(f) A player rucking for the ball must not ruck players on the ground. A player rucking for the ball tries to step over players on the ground and must not intentionally step on them. A player rucking must do so near the ball.
Penalty: Penalty Kick for dangerous play

Translation: Stamping on someone “just because he’s off-side” is not allowed, even if (a) he’s from Leicester, (b) its Danny Grewcock or (c) he’s spent half the match lying there.

C-block (1): “Ruck him out!”
C-block (2): “Stamping!”

Law 17 Maul

17.6 UNSUCCESSFUL END TO A MAUL
(a) A maul ends unsuccessfully if it remains stationary or has stopped moving forward for longer than 5 seconds and a scrum is ordered.
(b) A maul ends unsuccessfully if the ball becomes unplayable or collapses (not as a result of foul play) and a scrum is ordered.
(c) Scrum following maul. The ball is thrown in by the team not in possession when the maul began. If the referee cannot decide which team had possession, the team moving forward before the maul stopped throws in the ball. If neither team was moving forward, the attacking team throws in the ball.
(d) When a maul remains stationary or has stopped moving forward for more than 5 seconds, but the ball is being moved and the referee can see it, a reasonable time is allowed for the ball to emerge. If it does not emerge within a reasonable time, a scrum is ordered.
(e) When a maul has stopped moving forward it may start moving forward again providing it does so within 5 seconds. If the maul stops moving forward a second time and if the ball is being moved and the referee can
see it, a reasonable time is allowed for the ball to emerge. If it does not emerge within a reasonable time, a scrum is ordered.

Translation: Each maul gets two attempts to move forward, one for a stationary period of up to five seconds and, if started moving again, another attempt of a similar period.

C-block (1): “That never stopped twice!”
C-block (2): “Use it or lose it, ref!”

Law 19 Touch and Line-out

19.5 HOW THE THROW-IN IS TAKEN
The player taking the throw-in must stand at the correct place. The player must not step into the field of play when the ball is thrown. The ball must be thrown straight, so that it travels at least 5 metres along the line of touch before it first touches the ground or touches or is touched by a player.

Translation: Standing on the touch line is not in the field of play. Note that “straight” means parallel to the goal line, through the point where the thrower was standing.

C-block (1): “What was wrong with that ref?” (Under breath: that was about the straightest throw in we’ve done all game)
C-block (2): “Not straight!”

Law 20 – Scrum

20.6 HOW THE SCRUM HLAF THROWS IN THE BALL
(d) The scrum-half must throw-in the ball straight along the middle line, so that it first touches the ground immediately beyond the width of the nearer prop’s shoulders.
Penalty: Free Kick

Translation: Generally, as long as the ball goes in parallel to the centre line of the scrum (the line drawn through the prop’s shoulders) it will be called straight.

C-block (1): “That was straight ref!”
C-block (2): “Ever heard of feeding?”

Law 22 – In goal

22.4 OTHER WAYS TO SCORE A TRY
(h) Penalty try. A penalty try is awarded if a try would probably have been scored but for foul play by the defending team. A penalty try is awarded if a try would probably have been scored in a better position but for foul play by the defending team.

Translation: Note the word “probably”. This doesn’t mean “he was 30 metres out and there were still two defenders to beat”, nor does it mean “He was on their 22, going for a cross field kick, and was taken out before he caught it.”

C-block (1): “Penalty try!”
C-block (2): “That was never a penalty try!”

 

more to come?