Pro Legoete, one of South Africa's top referees, will be back at Newlands this weekend for the second weekend in a row. In the meantime he is also answering readers' questions.

1. Name: Bob Lafite

Question: Hi, Two players run up to try and charge down a kick. Player 1 overruns the kicker, and is in front of Player 2, who charges down the kick. The ball bounces free, and Player 1 picks it up. The referee says he is offside. Is this correct, or is everybody not onside if a ball being kicked is touched?
 
Thanks
Bob

Pro Legoete: Hi Bob,

Yes, the referee is correct; we must remember that players who are in front of a team-mate who last played the ball can play the ball only once they are made onside by their team-mate(s) moving forward ahead of them, also by the offside players retiring to an onside or through an opponent playing the ball moving 5 metres forward or the ball being passed/ kicked. Offside is not only from a kick.

We need to encourage players who are on the wrong side to get onside before playing the ball.

Regards, Pro
 
2. Name: Rob Whyte
 
Question: G'day lads.
 
Coming from Australia and out of curiosity I was wondering why the occasional assistant referee in the South Africa has a differing uniform to the man in the middle. generally the referee and one of the assistant referees will have the traditional strip and the second assistant referee will have one with white sleeves. What is the purpose of this?
 
Best of luck with the season!
 
Pro Legoete: Hi Rob,

Nice to see someone as far as Australia keen to know why different jerseys for the match officials. This differentiates between the different tiers in South African referees' ranks. Active National Panel referees wear the green as their number 1 jersey. The next tier, which is the Provincial Panel wears gold as their refereeing jersey and the specialised assistant referees have completely different jersey which has a different look and design from that of referees.

Enjoy the rugby.

Regards, Pro

3. Name: Mike Greyling
 
Question: In a game at the weekend a Bulls player was tackled short of the line, but crossed over through his momentum.  Conrad Smith of the Hurricanes (not the tackler) dived onto the player preventing him from scoring.
 
My first question concerns the legality of Smith's intervention as his first contact with Bulls player was while the players were still in the field of play. He did not enter from the direction of his own goal-line as other players at the tackle are required to do.  In addition he also dived onto the tackled player contravening at least three of the tackle laws.  In my understanding the tackle on ends when some part of the tackled player crosses the goal line and as such Smith should have been sanctioned and probably a penalty try awarded. Am I correct?
 
The television match official ruled that the ball was "held up." Given that Smith's "offence" occurred by definition outside of the in-goal area am I correct in assuming that the television match official would not be able to point this out even if he agreed?
 
Pro Legoete: Hi Mike,

You are correct. A player is not allowed to dive on any player - it is dangerous! The referee would first look at the first infringement and then make a decision based on that. This is where the referee would then apply advantage with the probability of a try being scored, ball being knocked on or ball being held up. A penalty try is awarded if a try would probably have been scored but for foul play by the defending team. All infringements in the in-goal are treated as if they had taken place in the field of play.

Protocol does not allow the television match official (TMO) to adjudicate on things that he was not asked on. They can answer only what the referee had required - that is, try or no try or is there any reason why I shouldn't award the try? Referees have to tell the TMO that they suspect foul play so that TMO can advise accordingly.

Hope this answers your question satisfactorily.

Kind regards, Pro

4. Name: Dirk Meyer
 
Question: In the Bulls-Hurricanes game the Hurricanes employed a tactic in the line-outs that when the Bulls caught the ball and formed the maul they all backed off and technically there was no maul formed because there were no opposition players binding onto the Bulls players. On the 60th minute they did so again and the commentator (Andy) said the Bulls can still move the maul forward. What about obstruction? An opposition player did then hit the maul and got a yellow card. I did not hear or see for what?
 
What does the law think of this tactic and perhaps you can point this out to me.
 
Regards, Dirk

Pro Legoete: Hi Dirk,

I'm glad to see that you have noted that this couldn't be classified as a maul as there was no opposition caught in or bound to form a maul.

The players in the line-out are not obliged to form a maul but they are obliged to stay in the line-out till it is over. They could easily shift to do this. If the Bulls then work the ball to the back of their formation and if the Hurricanes then join at the front of it but cannot get to the ball-carrier, that is obstruction.

The law states: All other players who are not taking part in the line-out must be at least 10 metre behind the line of touch, on or behind their goal-line if that is nearer, until the line-out ends. It is dangerous for any player to charge anything that has been deemed to be a maul hence maybe the referee gave a yellow card.

Kind regards, Pro
 
5. Name: Grant Malcolm
 
Question: IRB Ruling 2 of 2010 covers the case where a referee has decided there is time for a restart, but that this will be the "last play".   This doesn't have the same status in law as awarding a scrum or line-out (Law 5.7 (e)), and so I'd like to ask what the best course of action is in the following situations:
 
(a) the team to restart go slowly to half-way so that time expires before they can kick off, and then ask you to blow the whistle for full-time
 
(b) the kicker tells you that the ruling does not mention Law 13.1, goes in front of the half-way line and punts (rather than drop-kicks) the ball directly into touch; he then tells you that under Law 13.1 you have to offer an option to the other team, so under Law 5.7, the game has ended (assuming, as in the ruling, that there is time only for the restart, but no further play).
 
Thanks in advance; this is the best website I know of for learning not just the laws, but how to apply them. 
 
Pro Legoete: Hi Grant,

I truly appreciate that you have taken the time to also look at the laws and what’s important is the way we apply the laws. No team is allowed to intentionally delay the game or waste time and referees needs to make sure that teams do not use unfair tactics to disadvantage their opponents.

(a)  Players are not allowed to waste time - free kick.

(b) If the kicking team kicks directly into touch in this fashion - over the line and with a punt - the referee offers the other side the option of a kick again or a scrum. If time is up with the kicking team uses such a ploy, surely it is covered by the ruling as it is only a slightly different tactic to achieve the same end - ending the match with a wrong act.

The referee is the sole judge of fact and law during the match and he must apply fairly all the Laws of the game in every game.

Regards, Pro
 

Ruling 2 of 2010
 
Ruling of the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee 
 
The Designated Members have ruled that if there has been a score towards the end of the game and there is time for the kick off to take place but time will expire immediately after the kick and the kicker:
 
• Does not kick the ball ten metres
• Kicks the ball directly into touch
• Kicks the ball dead on or over the opponents touch-in-goal or dead ball line
 
The referee will offer the non-offending team the options provided by Law 13.7, 13.8 and 13.9 respectively and the match continues until the ball next becomes dead.
 
The Laws referred to in the ruling are as follows:
 
Law 13.7 KICK-OFF OF UNDER 10 METRES AND NOT PLAYED BY AN OPPONENT
If the ball does not reach the opponent’s 10-metre line the opposing team has two choices:
To have the ball kicked off again, or
To have a scrum at the centre of the half-way line and they throw in the ball.
 
Law 13.8 BALL GOES DIRECTLY INTO TOUCH
The ball must land in the field of play. If it is kicked directly into touch the opposing team has three choices:
To have the ball kicked off again, or
To have a scrum at the centre and they have the throw-in, or
To accept the kick.
If they accept the kick, the line-out is on the half way line. If the ball is blown behind the half way line and goes directly into touch, the line-out is at the place where it went into touch.
 
Law 13.9 BALL GOES INTO THE IN-GOAL
(a) If the ball is kicked into the in-goal without having touched or been touched by a player, the opposing team has three choices:
To ground the ball, or
To make it dead, or
To play on.
(b) If the opposing team grounds the ball, or if they make it dead, or if the ball becomes dead by going into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead ball line, they have two choices:
To have a scrum formed at the centre, and they throw in the ball, or
To have the other team kick off again.
(c) If they opt to ground the ball or make it dead, they must do so without delay. Any other action with the ball by a defending player means the player has elected to play on.