Changes to the scrum law
- 30 Jan 07, 08:49 AM
There's a certain amount of pressure involved with every international for a referee or touch judge, but there is something special about the Six Nations that really gets the whole world interested.
Just like the players, all the officials would have dreamed about walking out in front of 80,000 roaring fans ever since their humble beginnings refereeing local games in the park.
There is a team of six that officiate at every Six Nations game; the referee, two touch judges, a television match official (the TMO, or video referee), a reserve touch judge and a fifth official who deals with the replacements as well as sin-bins and blood-bins.
The referee is chosen by the International Rugby Board from the , while the touch judges and TMO are chosen from a panel of 19 officials. I'm one of those 19 hoping to graduate to the elite refereeing panel.
This year's tournament will see the introduction of a .
The new law change came into effect at the start of this year and it applies to all levels of rugby, from colts right through to seasoned internationals. So now when a scrum is called, the referee will call as follows:
"Crouch" - Both front rows must crouch to an equal height
"Touch" - BOTH props must touch the opposing props' shoulder. Failure to do so will result in a free-kick
"Pause" - The referee will give a clear instruction for both front rows to pause
"Engage" - This is when the front rows will scrum down
The IRB has been very strict about this - every referee must follow this protocol. The changes will be very new to southern hemisphere referees, who will have only officiated in a few games before they take charge of a Six Nations match.
Their Super 14 competition doesn't start until middle of February, but I'm more than confident they will cope.
Wales 27-18 England
Comments Post your comment
'...applies to all levels of rugby, from colts right through to seasoned internationals.' I am sure someone will have pointed out that this applies to all 15 a side rugby. Traditionally the term 'Colts' applies to the U17 - U 19 age group. This law change will, in England, apply from U13 on upwards.
Complain about this post
It would also be good to see referees apply the laws on feeding which the IRB have decided should be enforced after a gap of many years at international level
Complain about this post
Can you clarify something regards new scrum law?
In the scrum, after "Touch" do the Props have to keep their hands on the opposing props whilst they engage - or - once they have touched (presumably to mark the required distance) do they remove their hands on "pause" before engaging?
And would non-compliance be a penalty/free-kick ofence?
thanks
Complain about this post
I'm not sure what affect the new law will have. It will not stop opposing scrummages charging into one another (it hasn't stopped me or anyone I have played since the law came in) although I suppose it may help the angle of the contact at times.
In my experience it is more likely that injuries will occur when you have entirely mismatched scrummages which lead to one team going backwards too quickly to remain stable. There will then be a tangle between the front an second rows legs in the team going back and the scrum collapses.
I will add that it is difficult to hold back the back 5 at times when in the 'pause' position. This in itself can cause problems.
I love scrummaging and wouldn't change or remove them from the game. What the game really needs rather than the laws changing is decent understanding of the scrummage by referees - something which seems lacking.
Complain about this post
I was at the Worcester vs Wasps game last week at Sixways and saw first hand the new requirement of the opposing front rows having to touch each other's shoulders before engaging.
It worked in the way that everything slowed down and became more ordered. This should be a boon for southern hemisphere sides who prefer to boss their way around the scrum and engage when they want to rather than when the Ref says so.
Complain about this post
It's a little vague I agree, as rory pointed out is it just touch to mark the distance or hold on. Be interesting to see it in action. However, I do think this new rule is a really good idea, it puts technique back into the scrum as well as brute force, and should cut down on injuries.
Complain about this post
I have been watching these new laws in action for the last 4 weeks or so - I don't think it will work in the long run. It will be too difficult or just insignificant to Police.
Why don't we just let the guys passively engage?
Any side starting the scrum before the ref shouts 'BALL' gives away a penalty.
The Scrum Half has to put the ball in immediately - any hesitation and the opposition get a free kick.
This will reduce the injuries that are steering the game away from juniors. (Their mummies at least).
Yes, the scrum will still be competitive – just taking out that bullish engagement that causes so many problems.
Complain about this post
i play in a saturday league, and we have recently been introduced to the new scrum laws and find they aren't working. we've played three games and every game the scrum collapses and is reset because of an ever decreasing period of time between touch and engage. while i realsie this is a failing on the part of the referees to properly officiate and explain the laws, it surely is only a matter of time before teams start exploiting this, especially with the "weaker" referees in world rugby.
Complain about this post
Did this on Saturday - felt a bit like country dancing - and was totally pointless - let the front rows sort themselves out.
Complain about this post
I have coached mini rugby and now coach U14 girls. This rule is nothing new to us who have been using it for some time now. It is useful when the players are learning and developing as it gives them confidence in a very physical situation. It doesn't diminish the impact of the two teams coming together, it just controls the initial contact between the teams. Hopefully the senior players will learn the benefits of the new rule and it should reduce injuries caused in the first few seconds of contact.
Good luck England and welcome back Jonny!
Complain about this post
I have coached mini rugby and now coach U14 girls. This rule is nothing new to us who have been using it for some time now. It is useful when the players are learning and developing as it gives them confidence in a very physical situation. It doesn't diminish the impact of the two teams coming together, it just controls the initial contact between the teams. Hopefully the senior players will learn the benefits of the new rule and it should reduce injuries caused in the first few seconds of contact.
Good luck England and welcome back Jonny!
Complain about this post
I have coached mini rugby and now coach U14 girls. This rule is nothing new to us who have been using it for some time now. It is useful when the players are learning and developing as it gives them confidence in a very physical situation. It doesn't diminish the impact of the two teams coming together, it just controls the initial contact between the teams. Hopefully the senior players will learn the benefits of the new rule and it should reduce injuries caused in the first few seconds of contact.
Good luck England and welcome back Jonny!
Complain about this post
"The new law change came into effect at the start of this year and it applies to all levels of rugby"
It doesn't apply to any of the rugby I watch.
Complain about this post
In answer to Craig and Rory's question, after the props have touched to measure the distance between them, they are supposed to let go before they engage. This has caused havoc in school rugby (I coach a 2nd XV) as schoolboy props have always been told to touch before they engage but to stay in contact as they engaged. Now they are supposed to let go before engaging? It's too dangerous at U18, let alone U13s who've only been playing the game a short time.
Complain about this post
I agree let the front rows sort themselves out. If the referees tried to understand what's going on by talking to the front rows rather than read a rule book about the laws of the scrum and how it should be done it would be a safer place. Uneven scrums are the real danger but refs allow scrum after scrum to go backward sat 90 mph then fuss about how you engage !
Complain about this post
When are referees going to insist on the ball being put into the scrum honestly and not shoved under the feet of the second rows?
Is it any wonder that problems exist within the front row. Knowing that the ball is not up for contest they start wrestling with each other.
It is my contention that given the opportunity, front rows are more likely to occupy themselves trying to win the ball rather than dragging each other to the ground.
It is the referees who have created the problem and not the players. All this, 'after you Claude' dialogue is a nonsense and does little for the game.
Complain about this post
One has to ask just what the purpose of this new law is. I've played 3 games now with it in place and it has made no meaningful difference.
Mind you, our front row last Saturday had a combined age of 153 so perhaps they weren't up to learning new tricks...
Personally I think it's cosmetic pandering to those who want to take the competitive element out of the scrum. Anyone who has ever played in the front row knows that its what happens after the "Engage" that matters and I've yet to meet a ref who can see what is really going on in there but by pretending to police it they can pretend to control it. I am sure the new rules would have made no difference to the stuffing that England gave Australia in this area in autumn 2005.
Complain about this post
As a matter of interest, can the expression, 'Engage', be interpreted as, 'Charge'?
Call me an old-fashioned hooligan but in days gone by there seemed to be far less problems when the props would lean on each other using their hands and then bind.
Feet position, arm position and body posture will tell the referee who is doing what (all in the laws of the game, including who should take the inside arm and where their hands should rest).
It is my suspicion that few referees know much about front-row play.
Perhaps, and before taking to the whistle, they should play a dozen games or more in the 'tight or loose' head positions.
Complain about this post
The Super 14 starts tomorrow, not in the middle of February. On the law change, anything which allows scrums to form quickly and efficiently is to be welcomed. Too much time has been wasted in recent years by setting and re-setting scrums again and again. This has been mostly due to the refs. If a scrum fails to form properly, then give a free kick and get on with the game.
Complain about this post
I have just started playing tighthead at bottom level Saturday rugby after a season on the wing.
I was unsure of the new rules and have found they only work very well when we have a good ref who can organise the scrum well. This puts it identical to previously where it was only when you had a bad ref there were problems.
It seems to me, and many others at my level, that this is a rule brought in to protect the big props at international level by fixing a problem which doesn't exist at our level.
Especially when you have a bad ref who can't notice that the props on one side can't actually reach each other on touch...
Complain about this post
I agree with previous comments about feeding the ball in fairly to the scrum; otherwise it seems almost pointless to have a scrum at all. There would be far greater efforts made by the opposition to secure a strike if it were put in straight down the middle as it used to be done.
Gerry F
Complain about this post