After wandering all over the place, Marius Jonker is back in Zululand and on Saturday he had a tough match between the Sharks and the Hurricanes. Now he has the gentler task of answering readers' questions.
 
1. Name: Alistair Archibald

Question: Hi duty ref,

When does a touch judge become an assistant referee? I play very low level amateur rugby in the UK and often am on the bench and get pressganged into running a touchline. The officially appointed ref on Saturday in our Cup game handed me a flag and asked me to point out any infringements he might have missed, such as hands in ruck etc, bodies on wrong side, over and above where the ball crossed the whitewash. I declined and said I didn't think I was legally allowed to as I wasn't officially appointed.. and besides which my team, for whom I came on at 60 minutes, was on the pitch so I couldn't be trusted to be completely neutral. We agreed then that I would mark where the ball went out or look for 'out on the full' only. Is there a hard and fast rule on this and does it depend on country/governing body?

Thanks.

Marius Jonker: Hi Alistair.

When you are appointed by a union to run touch you become an assistant referee and you can indicate ball/player in touch, successful kicks at goal, foul play and anything else required by the referee. In  your case you were not appointed by a union and you were a touch judge and you could indicate only ball/player in touch and kicks at goal.

Regards, Marius.

2. Name: Angus MacMillan

Question: Hi, I saw something this weekend that seems to have crept into the game (Test and Super 14).

A attacking player who has the ball is about to be tackled by a defender when a second attacking player bumps the defender off the tackle (before he has made contact with the ball-carrier). Is this Legal?

Marius Jonker: Hi Angus.

You refer to the fact that there has been no contact yet between the defender and the first attacking player (ball-carrier). This is illegal as no player may be played without the ball.

A defender may be bumped off a tackled player or at a ruck for the purposes of a 'clean out'  and to free up the ball but must do this with positive intent and within law.

Cheers, Marius.  
 
3. Name: Mike Jones 

Question: Nowhere in the laws is there reference to kicking the ball out of the ruck. Therefore three questions.

a) Is it legal?
 
b) If it is legal are there circumstances under which it could be regarded as dangerous play and how would you interpret them?
 
c) If it is legal is it something we actually want in the game? It seems to me that allowing 'kicking' in a ruck lends itself to a number of scenarios that we could do well without and gives the referee another unnecessary aspect of the game to interpret. It is a totally different concept to 'heeling' or rucking the ball back.

Marius Jonker: Hi Mike.

a) You may use only feet in a ruck so that will constitute 'kicking' the ball and it is legal.

b) If a player's action by playing the ball with his feet becomes dangerous or is interpreted as dangerous by the referee it will be dealt with. A player can, for instance, not be part of a ruck and start viciously kicking the ball and hurting other players in the process and expect it to be acceptable.

c) You have just answered part of the above questions. Playing the ball with the feet in a positive manner will be accepted. It is part of law and in my view we haven't had problems managing this part of the game.

Kind Regards, Marius.  
 
4. Name: Deon Strydom

Question: Hi guys, a "simple" question.

A player kicks the ball and chases. His team-mates all stand still. The opposition player gathers the ball and starts running. After he has run 5 metres or passes the ball the opposition advance. Offside or not?
 
Keep up the good work.

Marius Jonker: Hi Deon.

If the team-mates that stood still were not within 10 metres from the place where the ball landed or was caught by a player then they are not off-side. If they were within 10 metres, then they cannot stand still but they have to retire to the 10 metre off-side line. Whilst retiring and before they have reached the 10-metre off-side line these players can be placed onside by any onside team-mate who runs in front of them.

Cheers, Marius.
 
5. Name: Bunny Bolton

Question: I watched the Sharks match on Saturday and thought that Marius Jonker was excellent.

How are referees finding refereeing their own sides in this merit appointments system? Put another way, is it easier to referee two teams from other countries rather than one of your own and one from another country?

Marius Jonker: Hi Bunny.

Thanks for the compliment.

There is always pressure no matter who the teams are.

Personally I do not find it more difficult to referee these games. I think I speak for the other referees as well when I say that we all have a professional view on it. We prepare and go and do the job as such. When we are on the field we do not see teams  but merely blue against white, for example. Things happen so quickly on the pitch in any event and there is no time to even think of the pressure involved.

Enjoy the games this weekend.

Cheers, Marius.