Officials and their decisions

2017 and World Rugby cant seem to find competence and experience to consistently deliver quality officiating in the majority of games whether its top level club competition or a test match. The goons at World Rugby HQ need to implement a rigorous qualification process so that the officials that take to the field dont continue make a mockery of the game. Im not sure where they have sourced these officials but they need to be dropped immediately so that some integrity is restored in the game. It is obvious from the poor decisions being made during game time that the vetting process for referees by world rugby is sub standard, irrespossible and fails to address/uphold the laws of the game as they are written in the rugby manual. A prime example is match officials using video replays to make a call for anything other than foul play and where there is doubt as to whether a try has been scored (not before the line but over the line may i add)! The sooner they clear up this mess the the game will be for it

rugbybanter wrote:2017 and World Rugby cant seem to find competence and experience to consistently deliver quality officiating in the majority of games whether its top level club competition or a test match. The goons at World Rugby HQ need to implement a rigorous qualification process so that the officials that take to the field dont continue make a mockery of the game. Im not sure where they have sourced these officials but they need to be dropped immediately so that some integrity is restored in the game. It is obvious from the poor decisions being made during game time that the vetting process for referees by world rugby is sub standard, irrespossible and fails to address/uphold the laws of the game as they are written in the rugby manual. A prime example is match officials using video replays to make a call for anything other than foul play and where there is doubt as to whether a try has been scored (not before the line but over the line may i add)! The sooner they clear up this mess the the game will be for it

You’re quite right. Hangings to good for them. How dare they make mistakes.

too much PC..Fan feedback is irrelevant as most of it is nothing more than supporter bias, favouring their team of choice. At the end f the day you cannot create the perfect game, neither can you use tech' to shape its course. Let the officials on the field decide how the game is officiated, if it means improving their understanding of the laws of the game, get them upskilled to a level of competency. If they need more match officials on the field, invest in the resources required to ensure this is implemented. Otherwise you end up with frustrated fans, players, coaches and a poorer standard of play

Ban TV replays, close-ups and slow motion.  That would help us all get back to a more level playing field where the ref is respected and the crowd don't get more information than he does and could never have at the instance of his decisions.  

What's wrong is that armchair fans, commentators, pundits (and indeed coaches) think they are smarter than the refs because they get to look over problematic decisions with the precision of forensic experts.  The ref has to judge with his eyes in real-time speed first..... and he can't be going to the TMO for everything - as few fans want that kind of repetitive stop/start action.

A ref is not the definition of perfection.  He's not expected to be perfect.  He's a human arbiter whereby both sides agree to abide by his decisions.  That's all he is.  A man in the middle that calls the shots in real time, in amongst the players and the action.

Maybe it's the computer gaming generation but people seem to want perfection where there can be none.  If the refs become barking machines, firmly led by unbreakable allegiance to a set of rules drilled into them by a common 'teaching regime'...they'll still make mistakes (big ones) and in 10 0r 15 years from now, they'd still be talked about in places like this.

I think it's right that crucial decisions should be forensically dissected by us fans on whatever media they feel the need to, bay at the moon and howl at the stars - it's all ok - we are passionate fans

BUT it must be in the context that the call at the time was made by humans, prone to error and nobody (not even Nigel Owens) has slow-mo quantrell long distance vision with an x-ray/thermal imaging option. In the Big Picture of an 80 minute match  remember the players make more mistakes than the referee, so if your side went down because of a single crucial miscall – think of how many times your players missed tackles, knocked on or were caught offside.

The top officials are making the best calls they can make at the time and they don't give a flying fart who the call is against/for as it's their reputation they are putting on the line with every judgement they make.

Personally I think World Rugby should say nothing, zilch, zero about their official’s decisions. We all know that the referees are watched and judged by World Rugby and the Unions and if there's been an error in applying the laws then it should be dealt with in house. If the same mistake keeps cropping up then demote the refs or see whether the Laws are badly worded and open to different interpretations.

If World Rugby feel the need to comment on a certain decision – let’s say because they are coming under pressure from one of the Unions (and NOT because of the Meeja) – they then should have a process which they apply consistently whereby they brief both of the Unions involved on the decision, and if it’s been an incorrect call then this should be openly discussed and measures put in place to try and ensure the same incident doesn’t happen again. And I would like to see this conversation happening behind closed doors with a non-disclosure agreement around it.

Why the secrecy?

As a game we need to respect the decisions of the referees, from grassroots all the way up to the top echelon games and this recent ‘We had a conversation with somebody at World Rugby and they say the ref/TMO got it wrong’ type of article in the media is repugnant and verging on bringing the spirit of the game into disrespect. It is vital that Rugby keeps the traditional respect that the man in the middle has always been afforded.

If we don’t, we could lose the game.