Law discussion: Making High Easier to Apply

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com‘s law guru Paul Dobson looks at how  World Rugby has devised a framework aimed at making it easier, more accurate and more consistent for referees to apply sanctions for illegal contact with the neck-head area of an opposing ball-carrier.

This is all in the interest of player welfare.

The three forms of sanction available to the referee for dangerous tackling are

penalty only,
penalty plus yellow card
and penalty plus red card.

The World Rugby presentation is elaborate. Below is an attempt to get to the essence of it.

But first, how are the problem actions defined? This is done, not as an airy theory, but in as concrete a way as is possible. It concerns the high tackle and the high shoulder-charge.

High tackle: An illegal tackle causing head contact, where head contact is identified by clear, direct contact to ball-carrier’s head/neck OR the head visibly moves backwards from the contact point OR the ball-carrier requires an HIA (Head Injury Assessment).

Shoulder charge: the arm of the shoulder making contact with the ball-carrier is behind the tackler’s body or tucked in a ‘sling’ position at contact

Now for the judging of the sanction to apply. We shall start at the top and work down.

Red Card/Sending off for the duration of the match.

a. In the case of a high tackle with any contact between the tackler’s shoulder or head and the ball-carrier’s head or neck, with high degree of danger, the referee will show the offender a red card. i.e. send him off the field.

b. In the case of a high tackle in which first contact from the tackler’s arm is directly to the ball-carrier’s head or neck, with high degree of danger, the referee will show the offender a red card. i.e. send him off the field.

c. In the case of a shoulder charge (a no arms-tackle with the point of shoulder leading) direct to the head or neck of the ball-carrier, the referee will show the offender a red card, i.e. send him off the field.

Yellow card/sending off for a stipulated period.

The stipulated period in a seniors’ professional match is 10 minutes.

The yellow card will be shown the offender if one of these applies:

a. In the case of a high tackle when the tackler’s shoulder or head makes contact with the ball-carrier’s head or neck, with a low degree of danger, the referee will show the offender a yellow card, i.e. send him off the field for 10 minutes or whatever length of time applies to the match.

b. In the case of a high tackle when the first contact from the tackler’s arm is with the ball-carrier’s head or neck with a low degree of danger, the referee will show the offender a yellow card, i.e. send him off the field for 10 minutes or whatever length of time applies to the match.

c. In the case of a high tackle when first contact from the tackler’s arm starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up to the ball-carrier’s head or neck with a high degree of danger, the referee will show the offender a yellow card, i.e. send him off the field for 10 minutes or whatever length of time applies to the match.

d. In the case of shoulder charge to the body without contact with the ball-carrier’s head or neck with low degree of danger, the referee will show the offender a yellow card, i.e. send him off the field for 10 minutes or whatever length of time applies to the match.

Penalty Only

a. In the case of a high tackle when the first contact from the tackler’s arm starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up to the ball-carrier’s head or neck, with low degree of danger, the referee will penalise the offender but not issue him with a red or yellow card.

b. In the case of a high tackle when the first contact is above or over the shoulder of the ball-carrier, but without contact to the head or neck of the ball-carrier during the execution of the tackle (seat belt tackle), the referee will penalise the offender but not issue him with a red or yellow card.

c. In the case of a shoulder charge to the body with no head or neck contact and with low degree of danger, the referee will penalise the offender but not issue him with a red or yellow card.

There was a red card example in the 74th minute of the Super Rugby match between the Sharks and the Hurricanes in Durban on 1 June 2019.

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By Paul Dobson
@rugby365com