Mark Lawrence has been resting in rural Standerton and is fit and fresh to answer readers' question. He is to be congratulated for his reselection for the IRB's panel of 17 top referees from around the world and for his appointment to the match between the Lions and Western Province and to the Tri-Nations match between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park.

We have every reason to be proud of Mark and glad that he can answer our questions.

1. Name: Bossie Bosman 

Question:  Hi.

In Saterdag se wedstryd tussen Cheetahs en Crusaders skop ch speler bal tot in doelgebied crus gaan in pushup posisie met altwee voete oor doodlyn lê op been hand in doelgebied en met ander hand tel bal van die grond af op. Beslissing: skrum van waar geskop is. Dit kan sekerlik nie reg wees nie of geld dit by kantlyn ook soos in bg. voorbeeld dat dit 'n crus ingooi sou gewees het indien dit die geval was. Dankie vir jou aandag? 

Mark Lawrence: Hi Bossie,

Die skeidsregter is heeltemal korek in sy besluit. Dieselfde reëls vir grens geld ook vir die doodlyn.

Law 19 Definitions

The ball, is in touch when it touches the touchline or anything or anyone on or beyond the touch line. The ball is in touch if a player catches the ball and has a foot on the touchline or the ground beyond the touch line.

(So even if the ball has not crossed the touch line or dead-ball line, it has touched someone who is in touch and therefore out)

If the ball is moving it is deemed to be kicked out and therefore it is defenders' ball. If the ball stops moving and is now picked up by a defender, it is treated as a touchdown!

In your example above, the ball was moving and touched someone over the dead ball line. Therefore it is Chiefs ball and because it is kicked dead by the Cheetahs and they have a choice of scrum from where it was kicked or a 22m drop out.

Keep well

Regards, Mark.

NB Bossie asks about an incident in the match between the Cheetahs and the Chiefs when the Cheetahs kicked the ball into the Chiefs' in-goal where a Chief, feet on the dead-ball line reached forward and grabbed the moving ball. The decision was a scrum back where the ball was kicked. Mark says that this was the right decision.

2. Name: Monde Skeyi

Question: Hi.

Kick off - crossing the line while kicking the ball from the kick was that allowed or may I call for a scrummage? What should the referee do?   

Hi Monde,

Law 13 kick off and restarts is clear.

Law 13.3 POSITION OF THE KICKER’S TEAM AT A KICK OFF
All the kicker’s team must be behind the ball when it is kicked. If they are not, a scrum is formed at the centre. Their opponents throw in the ball.

Regards, Mark

3. Name: Juan van der Westhuizen 

Question: Has it ever happened that a captain takes his men of the field due to a disagreement with a referee?

In other words, what will happen if a Captain of a team takes his men of the field and refuses to play because of a dispute with a referee?

The reason I am asking is that there must always be good two-way communication between captain and officials.  In one particular game I saw that the referee had very flowing conversations with the one captain, but he dismissed (unprofessionally) the other captain of the opposition team without the same courtesy/respect.

Mark Lawrence: Hello Juan,

Yes it has happened at club level and the team concerned was heavily penalised for this.

6.A.5 PLAYERS DISPUTING A REFEREE’S DECISION
All players must respect the authority of the referee. They must not dispute the referee’s decisions. They must stop playing at once when the referee blows the whistle except at a kick off.
Penalty: Penalty Kick at the place of infringement or where play would next commence.

There is a misconception that the captain has the right to argue and talk with the referee. From the law you can see that is not so! The referee allows the captain to communicate for the sake of transparency and for game management, but if a captain abuses this privilege then the referee can rebuke him!

Also read the following:

6.A.4 THE DUTIES OF THE REFEREE IN THE PLAYING ENCLOSURE

(a) The referee is the sole judge of fact and of Law during a match.
The referee must apply fairly all the Laws of the Game in every match.

(b) The referee keeps the time.

(c) The referee keeps the score.

(d) The referee gives permission to the players to leave the playing area.

(e) The referee gives permission to the replacements or substitutes to enter the playing area.

(f) The referee gives permission to the team doctors or medically trained persons or their assistants to enter the playing area, as and when permitted by the Law.

(g) The referee gives permission to each of the coaches to enter the playing area at half time to attend their teams during the interval.

Regards, Mark

4. Name: Allan Danker 

Question: As an assistant referee do you think that a yellow card for such an offence compared to a same card for a trivial matter does not turn this card business into a farce?

Any ref worth his salt should have had no hesitation in red carding the culprit.

Mark Lawrence: Hello Allan,

It is Mark here. I have empathy for your question .. it seems strange that a dangerous tackle and a technical infringement can carry the same penalty, when one offence seems far worse than the other. However, that is rugby law,  where cheating and foul play are frowned upon and can result in temporary or permanent suspension.

A word for the referee here .. sometimes the offence seems worse from one angle and not so bad from another. Slow motion also exaggerates/accentuates an offence. Keeping in mind a referee does not want to spoil a game by giving an unwarranted red card .. he really has to be in perfect position and be 100% sure of the decision.

It tough to be a ref, hey!

Keep well regards, Mark

5. Name: Keith Moore

Question: Mr Ref,

I always understood that the 'plane of touch' (as recently explained to me) depicts whether or not the ball is out from a kick. Recently there seems to be more instances where a player receiving a kick has his feet in play, but leans into touch to catch the ball (the way basketball players do). In needing to do so, surely the ball has crossed that plane? Is the ball in or out in that instance?

Secondly, the following happened over the weekend (if memory serves!): Team A kicked the ball all the way into Team B's in-goal area. The fullback from Team B plants his feet over the dead ball line then stretches to collect the ball - therefore the ball is out. However, in doing so, the fullback was supporting his weight with one hand on the ground. My question is, surely the player needs to be supporting his own weight in order to collect the ball? Otherwise he is on the ground and out of the game?

Thanks very much for your time.

Keith Moore

Mark Lawrence: Hello, Mr Moore.

Law 19 definition answers your first question.

If the ball crosses the touch line and is caught by a player who has both feet in the playing area, the ball is not in touch.

For your second question you can read above at Question 1 where I have answered the same query.

Thanks for the questions

Regards, Mark

6. Name: Monde Skeyi

Question: Hi.

The ball comes out of the tunnel and the  flank picks up the ball and plays. What can the referee do?            

Mark Lawrence: Hi Monde

(c) If the ball is not played by a front row player, and it goes straight through the tunnel and comes out behind the foot of a far prop without being touched, the scrum half must throw it in again.

Regards, Mark

7. Name Monde Skeyi

Question: Hi.

Tight head prop repeatedly infringe the law of not binding and the team doesn't have other player for the position. What will be the decision of the referee?         

Mark Lawrence: Hi again, Monde,

Law 3.13 FRONT ROW FORWARD SENT OFF OR TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED OR INJURED

(a) If after a front row player has been sent off or during the time a front row player is temporarily suspended, and there are no further front row players available from the nominated team, then uncontested scrums will be ordered. It is not the responsibility of the referee to determine the suitability of trained front row replacements nor their availability, as this is a team responsibility.

(b) After a front row player is sent off or during the time a front row player is temporarily suspended the referee, upon awarding the next scrum, will ask that player’s captain whether or not the team has another player on the field of play who is suitably trained to play in the front row. If not, the captain chooses any player from that team who then must leave the field of play and be replaced by a suitably trained front row player from the team’s replacements. The captain may do this immediately prior to the next scrum or after another player has been tried in the front row.

(c) When a period of temporary suspension ends and a front row player returns to the field of play, the replacement front row player leaves the field of play and the nominated player who left the field of play for the period of the suspension may resume playing in the match.

(d) Furthermore, if, because of sending off or injury, a team cannot provide enough suitably trained front row players, the match continues with uncontested scrums.

(e) An uncontested scrum is the same as a normal scrum, except that the teams do not compete for the ball, the team throwing in the ball must win it, and neither team is allowed to push.

Regards, Mark