It's a busy time for Marius, not just on the field but in answering a multitude of readers' questions and there are a lot more to come.
 
1. Name: Vernon Lötter
 
Question: At the line out: If defending team does not make contact after the ball has been thrown in , what is the correct way to handle this situation. What are the laws for not making contact?

Thanks  

Marius Jonker: Hi Vernon.

A defending team does not have to make contact with opponents at a line-out. It is important to realize that the defending team may not leave the line-out (to create a situation of obstruction by the team in possession of the ball) before it is over as this will result in a free kick against them.

Once the line-out is over any of the players in the line-out may decide to leave it or if a maul/ruck has developed may join that legally.  

Regards, Marius.   
 
2. Name: Terence Gregory
 
Question: There is a propensity for players to stand offside at rucks and mauls without binding and with the clear intention of preventing tacklers from reaching the ball carriers at the break away. surely this kind of blatant infringement cannot continue? Secondly the Hurricanes try which Jimmy Cowan disputed so aggressively was a clear penalty against the Hurricanes. Watching the match as a neutral I found the referee to be particularly poor. He missed just too much but seems to have escaped further criticism. The try was the difference in winning or losing and the offence was right in front of the referee.

Marius Jonker: Hi Terence.

The fact that players are standing in an offside position at ruck and maul time has been an issue raised at SANZAR level and all referees have been told to referee this better. Hopefully you will see this happening.

I cannot comment on the referee's performance (Hurricanes game) as I have not managed to get his view on this.

Regards, Marius.  
 
3. Name: Darrell Richards
 
Question: Greetings from the US.
 
Law 20. 12 (g) establishes the offside line for players not in the scrum at 5m from the hindmost foot of their team in the scrum.  It makes no exception to the 5m when the hindmost foot is less than 5m from the goal-line similar to those found in 16. 5 (a), 17. 4 (a), and 19. 13 (c). 
It is only when the hindmost foot is on or behind that team's goal line does the offside line then become the goal line according to 20. 12 (h). 

This must be an error that was somehow created when the offside line at the scrum was changed to 5m, but was also overlooked in the corrections for 2010.
 
Are we to expect the defending non participants to remain 5m distance even if to do so that would put them deeper within the in-goal than the goal-line?
 
Additionally are we to assume 20. 12 (h), although not specified in law, is referring only to the defending scrumhalf and non-participants when establishing the offside line as the goal line?
 
Thanks in advance 

Marius Jonker: Hi Darrell.

Should a scrum take place 5m from the goal-line and the attacking team goes for a pushover try and the scrum now moves closer than 5m to that goal-line the offside line for those defending players will remain the goal-line.

Should the defending scrumhalf decide to take up position behind the goal-line then this will be his offside lie as well.

Regards, Marius.
 
4. Name: Colin Barnard
 
Question: Why do the bulls get so many South African referees in the season? How is this possible?

Marius Jonker: Hi Colin.

No idea. The appointments are done by a panel of people from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Cheers, Marius.
 
5. Name: Ian Megom
 
Question: This is a law related question. in tonights Reds-Brumbies game the referee signalled a penalty advantage on the Reds 22 for a high tackle by them. The Brumbies continued to play reaching the try line and having at least two attempts at scoring but were held out by the Reds and lost the ball forward. At this point the referee called them back for the penalty which the Brumbies kicked into touch.
 
My question is: Why is reaching the try-line from the 22 not considered to be an advantage?

Marius Jonker: Hi Ian.

The referee is the sole judge of advantage. There is no law that tells a referee how long advantage must be applied.

Advantage would normally be stretched a while longer in the 22 meter area or close to the goal-line and when it is for a penalty. Scrum advantage will be called over much sooner.

Regards, Marius.
 
6. Name: Alistair Facebook
 
e-mail: alistairfacebook@googlemail. com
 
Question: Hi, duty ref.
 
Law 19. 2 (d) re. the quick throw in states, in part, "A quick throw-in is not permitted if another person has touched the ball apart from the player throwing it in and an opponent who carried it into touch. "

I fully understand the law but have an odd question on the 'fairness' of its application especially in the amateur game, so I guess it should be aimed at the lawmakers, not you the law enforcers but would love your take on it. Us low league amateurs don't have the luxury of advertising boards at the club for the ball to bounce off, or huge areas of no-man's land between the pitch and spectators. In fact we have two pitches side by side and if we have two home games the space between the two is filled with spectators. In short it is very, very rare that a ball can go into touch without it being touched or retrieved by a spectator (or even a player on the next pitch); to that end sides are denied an attacking weapon and a chance to keep the game going. I should imagine this is the same for many clubs across the land.

Do you think there should be flexibility on this rule at this level or is that opening a can of worms to have differing rules depending on your level?
 
Thanks. Alistair

Marius Jonker: Hi Alistair.

I think we have enough laws to worry about at present and should not try and fix what is not really broken.

Regards, Marius.
 
7. Name: Danie Koen
 
Question: Marius, It is stated in the law book if a player is late charged in-goal and the ball hits the crossbar the penalty kick is awarded where the ball lands, but what happens if the ball lands backwards over the dead ball line, where should the penalty kick be awarded ? enjoy your refereeing.
 
Danie Koen, referee, Namibia

Marius Jonker: Hi Danie.

Lekker om van jou te hoor.

The penalty will be awarded 5m from the goal-line opposite the place where the ball went over the dead-ball line.

Groetnis, Marius.