Law discussion: Pushing the refereee
In the European Cup match between the Ospreys and Clermont at Liberty Stadium in Swansea an overeager player pushed the referee out of his way.
The referee was Wayne Barnes, one of the top referees in the world, the player Viktor Kolelishvili, the Clermont flank who is a regular in the Georgian national team.
From a line-out on the Ospreys' right in the first quarter of the match, the Ospreys move the ball left across the width of the field in a series of pick-'n-goes. They are coming back right when flank Sam Underhill is tackled. A ruck forms. The Ospreys are about to win the ball and there are Clermont players strung out in defence, one of them Kolelishvili.
Wayne Barnes is in a good position to see what is going on and to be able to see how things develop, but he is between Kolelishvili and potential Osprey attackers. Kolelishvili darts forward and pushes Barnes to encourage him to move. Barnes blows his whistle, addresses Kolelishvili with remarkable calm and penalises him.
There is sure to be a citing.
What Kolelishvili did is indefensible in sporting lore.
All games have laws/rules which make the game what it is. In a match, the executor of those laws is the referee/umpire. He is in a real sense the laws in action. Attack him and you attack the very essence of the game.
Law 6.A.4 (a) The referee is the sole judge of fact and of Law during a match.
These would not be the thoughts going through Kolelishvili's head when he was impetuous enough to shove Barnes, but it will be seen in a serious light and should be so seen. That Barnes was lenient is understandable, a sympathetic referee not wanting to push his own dignity but in reality he was too lenient in just penalising Kolelishvili.
Law 10.4 (s) All players must respect the authority of the referee.
If Kolelishvili had pushed an opponent who did not have the ball, he would have been penalised. That would apply to the referee but many more times.
The referee needs to take up a position on the field. If he is in the way of the player, the player has to options – adapt his own position to avoid the referee or – politely – ask the referee to move, as Barnes said to Kolelishvili: "If I’m in your way, please just ask me to move." The latter may well have been a problem for the Georgian speaker playing in France when the referee is English.
World Rugby's regulation of 17 has recommended suspensions for a player guilty of foul play. Have a look at those concerned with abuse of match officials.
Laws 10.4 (s) and 10.4 (m)
Verbal Abuse of Match Officials
Lower end: 6 weeks
Mid range: 12 weeks
Top end: 18+ weeks
Maximum: 52 weeks
Threatening Actions or Words at Match Officials
Lower end: 12 weeks
Mid range: 24 weeks
Top end: 48+ weeks
Maximum: 260 weeks
Physical Abuse of Match Officials
Lower end: 24 weeks
Mid range: 48 weeks
Top end: 96+ weeks
Maximum: Life
Even though Kolelishvili's action may have been relatively innocent, it is bound to attract a serious punishment to set an example.
Vito Kolelishvili is 26 years of age and has been capped for Georgia 36 times, the first time when he was only 18. In this match he later received a yellow card for foul play against Alun Wyn Jones. He has in the past been redcarded in a Test match and yellowcarded six times.
