Has Rugby Got a Refereeing Problem?

[BengalTiger]

A big issue is that referees seem to gravitate upwards unimpeded by obvious incompetence, think of Steve Walsh and Andre Watson, Steve Lander, OK don't think too hard about any of these or you will feel ill.
There seems to be no check on their inevitable upward progress no matter how many times they spoil a game.

However the ref is the most important person on the field without the ref there is no game, so there should be more focus on paying them more, reviewing their capability and encouraging new referees to take up the whistle.

Refs will always make mistakes, most refs with the exception of the three above are making honest mistakes and need a good communicator to get them back onside, then it will even out, treat the ref as the enemy and he will oblige you! none of us respond well to someone getting in our face when we have made a mistake, it makes matters worse not better.

[nasher]

Yes ! It is being done to “improve the spectacle” - balderdash. We have a rule book which is continually undermined by so called .”game management” at the behest of management and media not the spectators.
The Southern Hemisphere have ignored “minor infringements” for years and that is changing the game globally .I used to have sympathy for refs but no more. Many ref according to their interpretation of game management and are basically therefore incompetent. We need consistency not howlers varying from ref to ref. As for TMO’s, like soccer they are ruining the game by removing the decisions from the o field person.The major responsibility is with management but they are a waste of space.
Rant over

[Scott1]

Thanks for reminding me about Walsh?! Who is the dire Irish ref too?

[Scott1]

Lacey, he is up there with the very worse theres ever been!

[jgriffin]

In contrast, I think that Craig Maxwell-Keys is improving. As my fellow terrace dweller of the 10m line will attest, he wasn't one of the refs that exuded confidence in previous seasons but he has been pretty good this year from what I've seen. Also Matt Carley is one of the better younger generation of refs and also Luke Pearce is gaining recognition at international level and I also think he's pretty good and I've been impressed with the way he has reffed games this year. None of them has played rugby at a high level and also neither has Wayne Barnes. I remember that he was given a large amount of stick early in his career and has gone on to improve out of sight to be the best in the business.

For me, what doesn't help is the varying role of the TMO and when they interject. Each ref uses the crew around them in different ways and I think that rugby could benefit from an NFL style system where the ref, touch judges, TMO and citing officer work as a crew consistently.

Steady on, old chap. My opinion of refs has in general regressed, but the Georgian guy showed that unobtrusive yet firm reffing is possible. I would agree that some have progressed, but some remain pants, and some have regressed. CMK has improved, though not sure Pearce in a match against Exeter would be my choice. I always think you are a fair balance to my criticisms (that didn't occur when I had Reflink), a sort of Ernie Wise to my Morecambe.

[JP14]

CMK has come a long way from his performance in the 2018/19 last home game of the season against Bath (the thought of which still makes my blood boil). I also rate Pearce, just not when he's refereeing his chums at Exeter.

[MCC1964]

Let’s put it this way, if we look back at threads on this forum that has raging debates about the referee I can almost guarantee that it would be following a game that we lost...

[TigerFeetSteve]

https://www.rugbyworld.com/news/pascal- ... gby-121427

It appears that at least the ref is open about having made a mistake IMO having acknowledged it rather than bury a head in the sand it shows he's more capable of not repeating the mistakes again going forward.

[ay2oh]

Let’s put it this way, if we look back at threads on this forum that has raging debates about the referee I can almost guarantee that it would be following a game that we lost...

Yes well that stands to reason as if you have a number of bad decisions against you then you are more likely to lose particularly if these decisions relate to tries not given or conversely tries for the opposition that shouldn’t have been given. The most annoying thing is that these incidents are looked at multiple times on screen yet still arrive at the wrong decision.
It was obvious to all except the referee and Welsh fans that neither of Wales first two tries should have been allowed

[mol2]

Until there is refereing to the rulebook there will always be onconsistencies.
Knock ons and forward passes are just that. At international level there should be sensors in the ball, and probably at premiership level too. Take away this direction of hands rubbish.
Likewise "in touch" - tennis, badminton and cricket can have line calls assisted for a ball/shuttle going way over 100mph so not exactly tricky for a rugby ball.

Foul play is just that. I think this is being helped by having a TMO but the present laws are part of the problem. Is the player jumping to take the ball or simply jumping to prevent the opponent competing for fear of getting it wrong and being red carded?

High tackles - there has to be a better way of discoraging them than the drastic level of punishment for making contact with the head of a player who is stooped low.

[BengalTiger]

The TMO is causing as much confusion as anything, some TMO's do not seem to know the rules and some seem to be not watching the game at all.
During the England game on both England tries the ref said they had to check something, he did not ask to check for anything in particular just wanted to check, this for me is wrong, the ref should not ask the TMO to go fishing for a reason not to award a try.
Similarly the Itoje penalty for deliberate knock on, when he slapped the ball out of the SH's grip, I believe that was called by the TMO but was not watched by the ref, just taken as true, that is wrong for me, the ref is there to make the decisions the TMO is there to show them the video on stuff he may have missed or is unsure about but we have the TMO giving their opinions, the ref should be shown the clip and any angles as he needs but the ref should be the sole arbiter, he can take advice from his assistants but the people in the truck are not international referees they are just people sat in front of the tele!

[TigerFeetSteve]

At international level there should be sensors in the ball, and probably at premiership level too. Take away this direction of hands rubbish.

I think I'm right in saying this is currently being trialled in Super Rugby... can you imagine it immediate and live decisions on forward passes. If it works properly as said on the tin, it's a must to introduce IMO

[BFG]

Refereeing could be improved with better training, and perhaps mandatory cross border eye testing!

[Yorkshire man]

There are some very interesting points made here. I feel for referees at all levels and they are generally in a no win situation in that you can't please both sides, but again, without them we have no game. Wellstiger made a very pertinent point regarding different areas of the game being highlighted for refs to deal deal. Not too long ago it was feeding at the scrum. It seems we don't bother with that now and the ball can effectively be almost fed to the back row. Similarly, the scrum itself. Apart from the actual setting of the scrum, it seems that once the ball has been fed, the scrum can be brought down and collapsed and we play on. Is this another directive from above to keep the game moving because it favours week scrummaging teams immensely. If someone soon doesn't either get rid of the "use it" call or actually pull somebody up for not getting on with he game my apoplexy could become fatal.

Without doubt the quality of refereeing in the England Wales game was scandalous. After the first "try" Owen Farrell justifiably sought to speak with the ref, and in doing so made him his enemy. After that England were penalised for supposed offences which when repeated a short time later by the Welsh drew no such censure. Itoje has been highlighted in the press for the penalty count against him, but I have sympathy. He tackled the Welsh scrum half and while going to the floor stripped the ball and a penalty was given. Two minutes later Navidi did exactly the same thing and nothing given.

In a few years time all that will be remembered is that Wales won the match, and only a few will recall the appalling refereeing standard. Refs are professional and rely on the game for their living. I am sure our French friend didn't set out to have a mare of a game and seem to favour one side over the other, but there must be some form of re-education to make sure he doesn't do it again. Perhaps the powers that be should be dragging Nigel Owen off his farm and getting him to educate those still plying his old trade.

[Chobbsy]

Evening all!

Now this may be a slightly controversial piece but given both our game yesterday and then the England game afterwards was affected by refereeing decisions, I decided to write this about my concern for the game and the referees. For me, what happened yesterday was not a one-off and part of the trend that has come in over the last couple of seasons with the officials.

Now this is not a blame the referee exercise. As I say in the piece, both Tigers & England deserved to lose. But the decisions that were made did have a material factor in how the game panned out.

So what do you think, does rugby have a refereeing problem or am I being too harsh or worried about a problem that does not exist?

https://aviewfromle2.wixsite.com/websit ... ng-problem

I have worked at Twickenham for 24 years now and in that time I have missed 2 internationals, I think I can truly say that the refereeing (the whole team TMO included) in Cardiff on Saturday is the worst international refing I have ever witnessed.