Rugby Laws and Refs

In life there are 3 constants – Life, Death and a referring decision being the main talking point of a weekend (See if I am wrong after this weekend)

Now this is not a dig at refs, or highlighting how any particular team has been on the receiving end or benefited from referring mistakes, but a question on what you would like changed to help make the game more consistent in terms of referring standards.

The laws have become ever more complex, and often are like seem to be in a state of flux, with tweaks here and tweaks there. On top of that, the game is much faster, players coached to push the laws more and generally the game seems to be becoming almost un-reffable. I think the refs have a really tough time managing a match, and invariably miss something during the 80 mins. In the past that happened, but without the ever so slow mo, it was often not picked up and analyses so much by arm chair supporters and pundits

But is there anything that can be done to save the best game there is – or does nothing need to be done?

Some of the options I have heard so far include:

Extra Refs on the pitch to help out (like American Football) – a good idea, as often the ref is in a blind spot for some of the game –but costly to implement
Remove the crouch, touch, pause, collapse , engage – scrum a mess, so could be a good one
Bring back shoeing
Simplify the laws
White cards
TMO for more of the game
Runners in front of the passing ball happening to block the defeners be punished
Changing the points (6 points for a try)

So what else can be done?

Bringing back shoeing would simplying things and thats what its about - simplicity.

However I have yet to see anyone anywhere who can convince me that the IRB would be able to reintroduce it. We saw the reaction to collapsing the maul - they wont be able to get it past the Heath and Safety brigade. Worried parents, rising insurance costs etc. Once they removed it, it was gone.

The scrum is not as bad as it was. Removing the hit is that final nail in the coffin of dodgey scrums.

You obviously don't pay taxes, mate.

Set the scrum before the push, eliminating the initial push with its inevitable collapse.
Bring back shoeing - clearly needed. But must be aggressively refereed.
Move the posts to the back of the in-goal
Time limit to play the ball at the breakdown.
Dummy runners in front of the ball carrier is penalty

Also:
Appoint Doctor Grey as king of the IRB with power over all
Mandatory cheerleaders at all matches, preferably all from Cape Town
Make Leicester Tigers pay within the salary cap
Every team has a real team song and all players and fans must learn it
Female Italian tv broadcasters at every match
Biltonbek as IRB Director General of Statistics
Instant Red Card for fake tans - if you want to discolour your skin - bleed
Raising a hand and finger signalling 'I am number 1' before scoring a try - remove the digit, in the Tower
Appoint Doctor Grey as king of the IRB with power over all

doctor_grey wrote:You obviously don't pay taxes, mate.

Set the scrum before the push, eliminating the initial push with its inevitable collapse.
Bring back shoeing - clearly needed. But must be aggressively refereed.
Move the posts to the back of the in-goal
Time limit to play the ball at the breakdown.
Dummy runners in front of the ball carrier is penalty

Also:
Appoint Doctor Grey as king of the IRB with power over all
Mandatory cheerleaders at all matches, preferably all from Cape Town
Make Leicester Tigers pay within the salary cap
Every team has a real team song and all players and fans must learn it
Female Italian tv broadcasters at every match
Biltonbek as IRB Director General of Statistics
Instant Red Card for fake tans - if you want to discolour your skin - bleed
Raising a hand and finger signalling 'I am number 1' before scoring a try - remove the digit, in the Tower
Appoint Doctor Grey as king of the IRB with power over all

Naughty - maybe that should be the case for others too - maybe Saracens - well at least count what they pay in SA to families etc

I think that many of the problems arise from the reduced tolerance of "self policing" amongst the players. I'm not saying that players should be allowed to mindlessly assault opposition players but if opposition players are deliberately slowing the ball down they should be vigourously encouraged to get out the way. If the player is trapped and unable to move then the referee needs to act quickly to protect the player, blow the whistle and award the team with ball a penalty.

It seems to me that the current rules make it very difficult for the team being offended against to make the ref control the game - i.e. if you don't penalise their player for putting his hand on the ball in this ruck we will stamp on his hand with great vigour perhaps to the offending players detriment.