Craig Joubert, soon to head east on Tri-Nations duty, answers' readers refereeing questions.

1. Name: Jaco Pieters 

Question: Hi. I would just why does the assistant referee not get involved in the games as I think they miss a lot especially with the Lions tour. I think the Lions team got away with murder. Like there first try in last test. No.8 walking Morné late early in the first half. Shaw not getting a yellow/red card when he fell on du Preez. It is like they where playing dirty in a clever way and we gave the penalties away.

Craig Joubert: Hi Jaco,

I think the assistant referees in the Lions series intervened as appropriate. Your example regarding Shaw is a clear example where the incident was flagged by the assistant referee and a yellow card was issued.

 Cheers, Craig

2. Name: Corrie Botha 

Question:

Law 10: Obstruction- Players "blocking"/moving in front of advancing opponents (Habana, etc, chasing after kick-off) to prevent them from tackling the "receiver" of the kick-off is never blown or flagged as obstruction. (rule 1 (b and c).

Dangerous play: rule 10.4 (m) is contravened almost with impunity. 3rd test involving the Lions a case in point. Kirchner is blatantly "floored" with a shoulder charge after kicking for touch...no reaction from referee or his assistant. Bismarck is penalised in a kickable position for same offence though.

My complaint is not the inconsistency, but the way that the opponents are blocked from reaching the receiver of a high kick or kick-off (especially).

Also the interpretation of the laws at the ruck ....how can players advance to the last line of feet OF THE OPPONENTS and stand there fending off players trying to join or clean-out at the rucks? It is looking more and more like the blocking plays in gridiron and its a huge irritation to me (as a previous club-level ref).

Craig Joubert: Hi Corrie,

Players who find themselves in front of a team-mate who is fielding a high kick cannot, and aren't expected to, disappear. It is inevitable that there will be some "traffic" (players) between the guy who puts up the bomb and the player waiting to catch it. Provided these players don't deliberately change their line to move into the path of a player chasing the kick they shouldn't be penalised. Of course players do push the boundaries in this regard and there are instances where players do obstruct opponents by moving into their path and I can recall some good intervention by the assistant referee's in these circumstances.

Cheers, Craig

3. Name: Franz Schwarzendahl

Question: Craig, regarding the ruck: it normally happens after a tackle - correct? Now the law states that any arriving player(s) must be on their feet to play the ball, etc.

It happens lately that all players are on the ground off their feet thus no ruck! Why do the defenders still stand behind the "hindmost feet" as no ruck is formed and why do the refs not allow them to run around and play the ball?   

Craig Joubert: Hi Franz,

A ruck is a dynamic aspect of the game whereby players enter with force and velocity. You are quite right that they have to arrive on their feet but physics dictates that after one of these "collisions" (known as a clean outs) occur it is inevitable that players will end up on the ground. Once a ruck has been formed however (a player from each side in physical contact over the ball on the ground), offside line apply even if that ruck subsequently collapses.

Cheers, Craig

4. Name Bunny Bolton

Question: Why do you do it? You are obviously a man who could hold down a top job. What makes you referee, especially in South Africa where people are so rude to referees?

Craig Joubert: Hi Bunny,

I was in Corporate Banking before, Mark Lawrence still has a number of optometry businesses, Marius Jonker is a top legal brain at Bell Equipment and Jonathan Kaplan was a partner in a successful transport company prior to turning to full-time refereeing. Each of us could pursue these careers at the expense of being involved in rugby if we wanted to but we referee because we love it. Sometimes the abuse and criticism is hard to swallow but the satisfaction we get out of being involved in and contributing to what are sometimes remarkable games of rugby make it all worthwhile. Not a day goes by that I would rather be back in the corporate world at the expense of being involved in this wonderful game of ours.

Cheers, Craig