Mark Lawrence has been having a busy time crossing continents with his whistle in his bag. Now he is home in South Africa's and answering readers' questions.

1. Name: Shane Kennedy 

Question: Hello, I have a question about where to award a penalty kick after offside on a kick.  The sanction listed under 11.4 (f) says that the penalty kick is at the place of infringement, or the non-offending team may take a scrum where the ball was kicked.  The placement of this provision, along with 11.4 (g), implies that it applies only to offside under the 10-metre law. 

I cannot find a provision which says where the penalty kick is taken for offside at a kick not under the ten-meter law, and it seems that Super-14 referees have given the penalty kick in front of the kicker, who created the offside line.  If the penalty kick for offside not under the 10-metre law is just in front of the kicker, then it would seem that one is better off being offside under the 10-meter law, and giving the opponent the kick in front of where the ball was coming down. 

Mark Lawrence: Howdy, Shane.

Offside at a kick in general play, is exactly the same as under the 10m law,  except under the 10m law, the action of the opponents cannot put you onside. The sanction for both is offside with the place of the penalty kick  where the player goes offside and the scrum,  from where the ball was kicked.

Hope that clears up the matter for you

Regards, Mark

2. Name: Rick Horsfall 

Question: Can you clarify what the ruling is when both an attacker and defender have a hold on the ball when it is grounded in the in goal. It seems that the attacking team is given the advantage and the try is awarded when, by my reading of the Laws, neither has grounded the ball 'first'

Mark Lawrence: Howsit Rick,

The attacking team is not given the advantage. When there is doubt about the grounding, Law 22.15 applies which in short is the awarding of a 5m scrum to the attacking team. I have quoted the law below for you as well as the new IRB ruling.

Law 22.15 DOUBT ABOUT GROUNDING
If there is doubt about which team first grounded the ball in the in-goal, play is re-started by a 5-metre scrum, in line with the place where the ball was grounded. The attacking team throws in the ball.

IRB Ruling of 19 March 2010

The WRU request a Ruling related to Law 22

Doubt about grounding Law 22.15

Scenario: Team A kick the ball into their opponents in goal. Both a player from Team A and Team B dive for the ball. The referee refers to the TMO for decision of try or no try and also if any foul play has occurred. On viewing the evidence the TMO advises no foul play has occurred and that it is inconclusive as to who last plays the ball as the ball is in the air when both players go for it. The ball then goes dead.

Question from above: Does Law 22.15 apply scrum 5 attacking ball although no grounding has taken place?

Or
Is it 22m drop out as Team A were the last team to conclusively play the ball ?

Or
Are there any other options open to the referee?

Ruling of the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee

The Designated Members have ruled that

• If the ball is kicked into in-goal by a player from the attacking team and the ball is made dead by the players touching the ball down but the match officials cannot determine which player touched the ball down Law 22.15 applies and the referee awards a five metre scrum with the attacking team throws in the ball.

• If the ball is kicked into in-goal by a player from the attacking team and the ball is made dead by the players touching the ball and the ball travels and lands on or over the dead ball line or touch-in-goal line the referee awards a drop out.

Regards, Mark

3. Name: Morgan Davies 

Question: Looking through the IRB law book, I could not find a definitive answer to the following question.

Can referees show any sort of card to a team official? 

If there is nothing in the law book which addresses this, I am under the assumption that a referee has discretion in whether or not to show a card to a team official.

Mark Lawrence: Hello Morgan,

The referee’s jurisdiction is in the playing enclosure during the match. Law 6.A.4.

There are, however, regulations which fall under the jurisdiction of a match commissioner and/or the local union. You would have to submit a written report to either party for their attention and action.

Contact your union for their regulations.

Cheers, Mark

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.

Mark Lawrence: Hi Bevan,

Law 15 deals with the tackle. In short there is no offside at a tackle. All that is required from players entering the tackle, to play the ball, is to enter through the 'gate'. The gate is the width of the tackle, that is the width of the tackler and person tackled in relation to the goal line, i.e. parallel to the goal-line. Entry is from the defenders' side of the last body of the tackle. (See the image above!)

Hope the tackle is less confusing now!

All the best, Mark

5. Name: Bunny Bolton

Question: How do you feel about this naming and shaming of referees and assistant referees? We have, I see on your website, two referees and two assistant referees who have been found wanting and removed from their jobs.

There has for years been a complaint that referees get off Scot free while players get dropped. But I watch a player missing tackle after tackle and not getting dropped. Your statistics name a single player who was penalised five times last week and gave away 9 points, but he is playing again this week.  But the assistant referees get dropped after just one mistake.

What purpose is served by making a public display of the demotion of a referee? No business firms do it and neither do rugby teams. Surely it must be possible to drop a referee without holding him up to ridicule.

What do you feel about it?

I suppose it’s OK till it’s done to you.

Mark Lawrence: Hi Bunny,

Thanks for the question. In reality it doesn't matter what I think, the powers that be have decided to name and shame.

The truth is nothing has changed except now it is made public.

Here is some food for thought. Refereeing is about confidence. I once attended a super 14 seminar with Robbie Deans who witnessed the ref assessing procedure and its deductive marking system of mistakes and critical incidents. He said his players would not have the confidence to play the game if they were assessed in this way. His words were... it is too negatively based. He impressed us all with his views, which were based on positive reinforcement and confidence! I rate him as one of the best coaches and rugby brains in the world and I wonder what he thinks of shaming the ref or shaming his players? I will ask him in September at the Bledisloe game in Sydney!

Keep well

Regards, Mark