Two quick ones for Mark Lawrence to answer.

Question 1: Name: Callie Coetzee 

Question: Hi there

In Clip 10 & 11 referee, Romain Poite, comes under fire from the commentators.

What was the reason for the penilty in the clips and would you have judged the same?

Callie  

Mark Lawrence: Hi Callie,

The clips you referred to is on:

http://www.sareferees.co.za/laws/laws_explained/clips/In both cases the referee, as he said, penalsied the Australian prop for collapsing the scrum. In both cases he had a good vierw of what happened - a better view than I had lkookinbg at the clips.

Keep well

Regards, Mark

2. Name: Callie Coetzee 

Question: Hi there

When scrumhalf kick san up-and-under from behind the lineout, all his forwards will be in an offside position. In a split second the wing from the attacking team passes all the forwards and places them onside. If the ball comes down 10 metres from were the scrumhalf kicked it, will the forwards still be penalised because they are within the imaginary 10-metre line? Please advise what the forwards must do when a kick like this occurs and the wing passes them within a second after the kick?

In clip 12 - 30 June the ball came down about 3 metres from were it was kicked. Other onside attacking players passed all the forwards.

Do these other onside attacking players place the forwards onside? Or what should the forwards have done not to be penalised? 

Regards, Callie 

Mark Lawrence: Hello Callie,

The players in the clip were in front of the scrum half when he stepped back to kick. They then advanced and where penalised correctly.

This is one of the areas referees have been asked to clamp down on. Referees have been asked by SANZAR and the IRB to ensure there is space for players to counter attack rather than always kick the ball back. Accordingly we are strict on offside application and no benefit of the doubt will go to players who advance ahead of the kicker or fail to retreat outside the 10m.

There are a few ways teams can put their player onside but only if they retire, i.e. go back towards their own line, and I have quoted the law below for you to read. Enjoy the Tri-Nations.

Law 11.4 OFFSIDE UNDER THE 10-METRE LAW
(a) When a team-mate of an offside player has kicked ahead, the offside player is considered to be taking part in the game if the player is in front of an imaginary line across the field which is 10 metres from the opponent waiting to play the ball, or from where the ball lands or may land. The offside player must immediately move behind the imaginary 10-metre line or the kicker if this is closer than 10 metres. While moving away, the player must not obstruct an opponent.
Sanction: Penalty kick

Law 11.4 OFFSIDE UNDER THE 10-METRE LAW
(a) When a team-mate of an offside player has kicked ahead, the offside player is considered to be taking part in the game if the player is in front of an imaginary line across the field which is 10 metres from the opponent waiting to play the ball, or from where the ball lands or may land. The offside player must immediately move behind the imaginary 10-metre line or the kicker if this is closer than 10 metres. While moving away, the player must not obstruct an opponent.
Sanction: Penalty kick

Law 11.5 BEING PUT ONSIDE UNDER THE 10-METRE LAW
(a) The offside player must retire behind the imaginary 10-metre line across the field, otherwise the player is liable to be penalised.
(b) While retiring, the player can be put onside before moving behind the imaginary 10-metre line by any of the three actions of the player’s team listed above in 11.2. However, the player cannot be put onside by any action of the opposing team.

Law 11.2 BEING PUT ONSIDE BY THE ACTION OF A TEAM-MATE
In general play, there are three ways by which an offside player can be put onside by actions of that player or of team mates:
(a) Action by the player. When the offside player runs behind the team-mate who last kicked, touched or carried the ball, the player is put onside.
(b) Action by the ball carrier. When a team-mate carrying the ball runs in front of the offside player, that player is put onside.
(c) Action by the kicker or other onside player. When the kicker, or team-mate who was level with or behind the kicker when (or after) the ball was kicked, runs in front of the offside player, the player is put onside. When running forward, the team-mate may be in touch or touch-in-goal, but that team-mate must return to the playing area to put the player onside.

Regards, Mark