Two 6N incidents
A penalty and a scrum
Just because they are of immediate interest we shall discuss two refereeing decisions from Round Three of the Six nations – one in Edinburgh and one in Dublin.
Later in the week we shall talk about others and we shall give stats for both the Six Nations and Super 14.
1. Safety first
England win the ball and Harry Ellis lofts a high kick over his forwards. Big Ben Cohen of England chases, head up looking at the ball. Little Mike Blair of Scotland runs back head up looking at the ball. Cohen and Blair are running in the same direction, Cohen gaining on Blair.
Inside the Scottish half, Blair and Cohen both jump for the dropping ball. Blair catches the ball. Blair comes down hard on his back. Cohen tumbles down.
It looks as if Cohen played Blair in the air.
The referee blows his whistle and stops play.
He goes to Cohen and says: "You didn't touch him. He just fell awkwardly."
He then tells the teams that the reason for the whistle was "the safety issue".
Blair is attended to and when play resumes it is a scrum to England.
A couple of questions:
a. Is the referee entitled to stop play for "the safety issue"?
b. Why a scrum to England when Blair had the ball?
a. Yes. Law 6.8 (g) The referee must blow the whistle when it would be dangerous to let play continue. This includes when a scrum collapses or when a front row player is lifted into the air or is forced upwards out of a scrum, or when it is probable that a player has been seriously injured.
And Law 6.A.9 (a) If a player is injured and continuation of play would be dangerous, the referee must blow his whistle immediately.
b. Law 6.A.9 (b) If the referee stops play because a player has been injured and there has been no infringement and the ball has not been made dead, play restarts with a scrum. The team last in possession throws in the ball. If neither team was in possession, the attacking team throws in the ball.
There were many aspects of the way the referee handled this matter that were exemplary.
First he did not guess. It would have been all to easy to suspect Cohen of an air tackle and react against him.
Second his concern for Blair's safety was immediate and thoughtful.
Third, the way he reassured Cohen that he knew he had done no wrong and then explained to the players why he had blown his whistle, was thoughtful and kind.
Because Blair had the ball and he was a Scot, the scrum feed should probably have gone to Scotland.
2. The five-metre penalty for the defenders
Ireland drive at and over the Welsh goal-line. Activity subsides.
Michael Owen of Wales is lying athwart the heap of bodies and nearer the Irish side than the Welsh side and still in the field of play.
Standing some distance behind the heap is the Irish No.8 Denis Leamy. From about a metre behind the heap of players, Leamy approaches Owen's back and appears to knee him with his right knee before lifting his right leg and thrusting his right boot into Owen's backside. There was nothing to suggest that he was rucking for the ball. It appeared a petulant attempt to hurt Owen.
The referee sent Leamy to the sin-bin.
He consulted the television match official who could not advise that a try had been scored.
What next?
Obviously the referee needed to award a penalty. But where?
Law 10.4 (l) Misconduct while the ball is out of play.
The penalty is the same as for sections 10.4 (a)-(k) except that the penalty kick is awarded at the place where play would restart. If that place is on the touch-line or within 15 metres of it, the mark for the penalty kick is on the 15-metre line, in line with that place.
If play would restart at a 5-metre scrum, the mark for the penalty kick is at that place of the scrum.
If play would restart with a drop-out, the non-offending team may choose to take the penalty kick anywhere on the 22-metre line.
If a penalty kick is awarded but the offending team is guilty of further misconduct before the kick is taken, the referee cautions or orders off the guilty player and advances the mark for the penalty kick 10 metres. This covers both the original offence and the misconduct.
If a penalty kick is awarded to a team but a player of that team is guilty of further misconduct before the kick is taken, the referee will caution or send-off the guilty player, declare the kick disallowed, and award a penalty kick to the opposing team.
If an offence is committed outside the playing area while the ball is still in play, and if that offence is not covered by any other part of this Law, the penalty kick is awarded on the 15-metre line, in line with where the offence happened.
For an offence reported by a touch judge a penalty kick may be awarded where the offence happened, or advantage may be played.
Because the try could not be awarded, play would have restarted with a five-metre scrum to Ireland. That is why the penalty was five metres from the line, but to Wales.
The referee had said that if a try was awarded, the penalty would be on the half-way line.
What he said was right, because that was where play would have restarted. He would have awarded the try, then allowed the conversion attempt and then penalised Wales on the half-way line – where that little cross marks the middle.
It still seems strange that in another Six Nations match in Dublin – between Ireland and Italy, stamping went unpunished and in fact there were attempts to justify it.
It is interesting that in New Zealand – the Land of the Long Nasty Stud – there were last week two citings and suspensions of players for stamping. Perhaps it really is unacceptable regardless of who the stamper is.
