Pro Legoete, a referee with Test and Super 14 e4xpeiences, asnwers questions as Easter comes closer.
 
1. Name: Ian Cook
 
Question: Hello.

I wish to question the comments made on Clip 1 - 24 March - Taken Back. Could you please explain why it is that even though the Brumbies player was ruled to have "taken back", the ruck that formed immediately afterwards inside the 22 did not "cancel" the taken back, given the wording of Law 19.1 (b)
 
"...When a defending player plays the ball from outside the 22 and it goes into that player's 22 or in-goal area without touching an opposition player and then that player or another player from that team kicks the ball directly into touch before it touches an opposition player, or a tackle takes place or a ruck or maul is formed, there is no gain in ground."
 
How does the player being driven back by an opponent and then brought to ground in a tackle inside the 22, followed by a ruck, differ from the situation where the ball is passed or carried back, the ball-carrier is then tackled, and a ruck forms, with the ensuing kick being allowed a gain in ground?
 
Regards, Ian

Pro Legoete: Hi Ian,

You are right - on two counts. The referee was wrong - on two counts. As you say the ruck was formed after the player had been driven back inside his 22. That was enough to allow gain in ground. Secondly an opponent (No.2) played the ball with his foot, which would also allow for gain in ground.

Kind regards, Pro
 
2. Name: Pieter Rautenbach
 
Question: In die Vodacom wedstryd tussen WP en die Pampas het die No.7 flank van die WP by twee geleenthede spelers van die Pampas geslaan en een het hy getrap in 'n losgemaal. Hoe kan dit ongesiens verbygaan by die skeidsregter en by die assistente? Gaan daar opgetree word teen die speler? Die kommentators het dit paar keer gewys op die TV.
 
Pro Legoete: Hallo Pieter

In ‘n situasie soos hierdie, word ‘n verslag van die skeidsregter verlang waarin hy sy rede(s) lewer hoekom hy nie op die betrokke speler se gedrag gereageer het nie. 

Die meeste wedstryde – veral wedstryde wat regstreeks op TV uitgesaai word, het ‘n kommisaris wat enige speler sal uitwys wat hom teenoorstaande aan goeie sportmanskap gedra.  Daar is verskeie redes waarom skeidsregters en/of assistentskeidsregters gedrag soos hier bespreek somtyds miskyk.  In hierdie geval was dit slegte plasing deur die skeidsregters.  Maar dit is geen verskoning  is nie – ons moes die onaanvaarbare gedrag van die speler onmiddelik raakgesien het.

Ons sal opskerp in hierdie verband om toekomstige situasies soos hierdie te vermy.

Vriendelike groete, Pro

3. Name: Dom 
 
Question: I'd like to know how much advice the assistant referee's are allowed to receive from physio's / water runners. During a recent match, Assistant Ref Lourens van der Merwe was clearly talked to by a physio from an opposition team. I can only presume about some bleeding of a player. This was then communicated to the central referee while he was resetting a scrum. The attacking team had to remove a player for a blood rule, and the other team got a break and a talking to from the captain and a total opportunity to reset themselves. It seems odd that although it concerns player welfare, which should be a top priorty, they are allowed to give unsolicited advice particularly at a crucial point in the game during a reset when no one else had noticed anything at the initial scrum. Coupled with this she then hung around the in goal area watching the play for the next four or five mins. Could've almost be coaching from there. Interested to hear your comments on there roles and realtionships with officials.

Pro Legoete: Hi Dom,

I must say referees and assistant referees are totally impartial and will not do anything silly to discredit their integrity. There are possibilities that the referee didn’t pick up that there was an injured player and that he was bleeding and needed attention. The assistant referee would bring this to the attention of the referee and the player would be given the attention they deserve. With regards to the medical personnel, they are supposed to be one medical roaming the opposite touchline while the other medical personnel, will roam the other touchline. No one is allowed to be positioned in the in-goal area. We do try hard to police such actions.

Thanks, Pro

4. Name: Bevan Von Weichardt
 
Question: Hello, Thank you for taking the time to answers our questions. I would like to know more about the tackle situation as it seems to be one of great confusion. I just want to know if there is any Off-side 'line' that determines whether other players further away from the tackle are off-side? Or does off-side at the tackle situation only influence players within a certain distance from the tackle?
 
Basically if there is a tackle in midfield would a player on the wing need to retire to behind the tackle before being considered on-side again? thank you for your advice.

Pro Legoete: Hi Bevan,

At the tackle or near a tackle, other players who play the ball must do so from behind the ball and directly behind the tackled player or the tackler closest to those players’ goal line. A player who remains on the wrong side (loitering) is normally penalised. If the tackle4 becomes a ruck the referee uses an imaginary line across the field and looks out for players that will have an influence in how the team is going to play. There is no such offside line if there is only a tackle, i.e. if no ruck is formed.

Hope this answers your question'

Kind regards, Pro