Scrums, free kicks and penalties

Nothing hard

We have not had a You be the Ref for quite some time. But there was so much controversy about the scrum sanctions following the Rugby World Cup Final that it seems a good idea to do a little test on knowledge of the Laws, because after a referee's decisions are based on laws.

First there is a difference between free kicks and penalties. Some of the statistics on World Cup matches, inlcuding the Final, lumped free kicks and penalties together.

We shall start thus with a True or False choice. There are ten statements. All you need do is state whether they are true or false. Then come ten situations where you decide whether the decision should be a free kick or a penalty.

Now don't cheat. Be a referee who has to make an instant decision without looking at the situation again or in slow motion and without consulting the Laws of the Game.

The Laws of the Game are on our site. To find those concerned with the scrum, click on http://www.planet-rugby.com/Laws_And_Referees/story_263.shtml

A. True or False

1. If I kick a free kick directly into touch from within my 22, I get the throw-in at the line-out.

2. I tap a free kick and charge at my opponents. They tackle me. The ball comes back from the ruck to my scrumhalf. He passes to the flyhalf who drops for goal. The kick goes over. The points stand.

3. The referee awards our side a free kick at a scrum. The place is one metre outside our 22. I take the ball back inside the 22 and kick the ball directly into touch. The line-out will be where the ball went out.

4. I am taking a free kick and want to kick for touch. As I move forward to kick, the opponents charge. I kick and they charge down the kick. Play goes on.

5. I am taking a penalty kick and want to kick for touch. As I move forward to kick, the opponents charge. I kick and they charge down the kick. Play goes on.

6. I take a free kick. An opponent tackles me after I have run three metres. The referee advances the kick to 10 metres from the original spot. He changes the free kick to a penalty.

7. A free kick may not  be awarded closer than five metres to the goal-line.

8. A penalty kick may not  be awarded closer than five metres to the goal-line.

9. My team are awarded a free kick. Instead of the free kick we are allowed to opt for a scrum.

10. My team is awarded a penalty kick 10 metres from our goal line. I take a tap kick, run five metres and kick the ball directly into touch. My team gets the ball to throw in at the line-out.

B. Free kick or Penalty

Right that's done. Now come the scrum incidents. Each one goes wrong enough to invoke a sanction, either a free kick or a penalty. Just say in each case which it will be - free kick or penalty kick.

You are the referee.

1. The teams are crouched and steady. You call engage. England go forward to engage. Bill Young of Australia stands up.

2. The scrums engage.  Before the ball comes in England push Australia back away from the mark.

3. Australia hook the ball in a scrum. Bill Young of Australia is battling in the scrum. Phil Waugh, the Australian flank, moves up and pushes next to Young to help him.

4. England hook the ball in a scrum. Trevor Woodman releases his binding and places his left arm on his knee.

5. England hook the ball in a scrum. Trevor Woodman takes his binding off the back of Al Baxter, the Australian tighthead, and grips his right sleeve. In that position Woodman drops his elbow downwards.

6. Australia heel the ball in a scrum. They are struggling. To help Bill Young, the Australian loosehead, who is finding Phil Vickery, the England tighthead, a handful, George Smith puts his left arm up, grabs Vickery's jersey and pulls on it.

7. Australia heel the ball in a scrum. Phil Vickery, the England tighthead, swings his backside out to his right and pushes in on Paul Cannon, the Australian hooker.

8. Australia win the ball in a scrum. England wheel the scrum. Phil Waugh, packing behind loosehead Bill Young, moves away from the scrum slightly so that his hand only is on the back of Justin Harrison, the Australian lock.

9. Australia win the ball in a scrum, under pressure from England. Phil Vickery, the England tighthead, pushes Bill Young, the Australian loosehead upwards. Young pops his head out of the scrum.

10. Australia are to put the ball into a scrum. As the scrum goes down, Phil Vickery, the England tighthead, binds inside the left arm of Bill Young, the Australia loosehead.

To go to the answers, click here.