Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby News, Rugby Refereeing | Tags: fair play, French rugby, learning the game of rugby, Rugby Refereeing, Sebastien Chabal
Read this article first.
TV pundit and former Lions hooker, Brian Moore decided to learn to referee and managed to pull a muscle in his first game. He was definitely a poacher turned gamekeeper. But he was brave enough to put himself in the firing line. Perhaps he might have tried it as a player…I wonder whether he would have played differently.
Now, the naughty Sebastien Chabal is to referee some games himself. My first thought was that few would argue with his decisions. Well, for the first five minutes anyway. After that, he will find that the referee is only a human and will be prone to mistakes. Many a referee will tell you that they may make fewer mistakes than any player on the pitch yet they will be picked up on the smallest error.
A lion in the lions’ den. Will there be tears? I don’t think so, but I do believe that Sea Bass may be a little more careful in what he says in the future.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Refereeing | Tags: rugby game management, Rugby Refereeing
Rugby union is not immune from player-referee “discussion”. Nor are coaches completely innocent of aggressive language and behaviour towards the referee.
The picture above, which comes from US basketball, is quite scary I suppose. It is obviously mid-game and the poses of the participants show a telling story of who thinks who is right.
Few sports allow a decision to be overturned. I cannot see the sense in arguing with the official in that case.
I know that other coaches will vent their frustration towards the officials, or might try to influence a future decision. But there are times when a proper, civilised conversation can work for both parties.
So I think the best times to speak to the referee are:
1. Before he comes into the changing room at the start of the game. Breaks the ice and gives both a chance to understand the philosophy of what is about to happen.
2. A quick word at half time, but only to query a possible future decision, not a decision in the past (they can’t be changed!)
3. After the game. Here the feedback is important, style especially. Referees can be defensive about their decisions, not it is not the time to be laying into them. Use this time to help you understand what you and your team can do better next time.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Team Management | Tags: rugby injuries, rugby parents, Rugby Refereeing
In one hour I was part of or witness to five incidents which required coaching judgement. None of them were tactical, but you may recognise some of these for yourself.
1. Compromises?
I refereed my first game of the season, an Under 11s game. In the chat before the game with the coaches, the ELVs were a topic of conversation. It being the first game of the season for one team and the second for the other, one team were not using quick throws and others were. What would you allow?
2. Injuries in game time
Before the game I refereed, I told the coaches that if there was an injury, I would play on if the player was not close to the action and I deemed it not immediately serious. The coach should come on and see to the player and ask me to stop the game if necessary. Would you agree to that?
