The modern rugby referee just can’t seem to catch a break. Each decision is subject to analysis using High Definition cameras, from 12 different angles.
Often those who are picking apart each decision made by a referee (that would be us fans) do not know all the rules as well as the referee does and do not necessarily have any idea why certain decisions are made or how a game is actually managed on match day. Our opinion of the referee also tends to have a close correlation to our team’s result over the weekend. If our team has won, the referee was pretty good. If our team loses, the referee should collect his white stick and dog at the door to the stadium. For my own understanding, I made arrangements to attend the Currie Cup semi-final between the Golden Lions and the Cell C Sharks as a guest of the Golden Lions, sitting with the match officials for the day.
The team managing the game were:
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant Referee: Ben Crouse
Assistant Referee: Sieg van Staden
AR 4: Pieter du Toit
AR 5: Ruan du Preez
AR 6: Michiel Koekemoer
Timekeeper: Pieter van der Merwe
TMO: Johan Greef
Shadow the Ref: Ishmaaeel Adams (more on this soon)
AR’s 4 & 5 liaise with the respective Team Mangers, manage substitutions and assist with maintaining general discipline in restricted areas.
AR 6 is responsible for the running of the restricted areas, the naughty chair for players who have been yellow carded as well as general access to the field by team staff. He also keeps a detailed record, called a Player Movement Summary, of all substitutions and yellow cards. Exact times and reasons for substitutions are recorded and is the record of absolute fact. Before a substitution is made, the Team Manager gives a substitution slip to AR 6 to record the substitution and the reason for the substitution. The broadcaster’s floor manager was also close at hand to get an early heads up of substitutions about to happen so that they could queue up the television information ribbon. It was also interesting to see the frantic reconciliation that took place once both teams had cleared their benches in order to ensure accuracy, just in case another player was injured. When players are yellow carded, (there were two in this game) a Temporary Suspension form is filled in to record the exact details of the yellow card offense, including reason for carding and timing. The Player Movement Summary as well as the Temporary Suspension form are submitted to the South African Rugby Union after the game.
Whilst sitting in the referee’s change room before the game, it was interesting to listen to the refereeing team swopping notes from previous games, from some of the front row skullduggery to gain an advantage at scrum time, to timing of line out throws and the speed of the defensive line.
This same process was followed at half time, with the referee and his assistants sharing what they had spotted and what they needed to watch out for in the second half. Whilst this is probably obvious to those in the know, it was enlightening for me to note that the refereeing team assist each other in this way.
So what was my biggest takeout from this experience? Mistakes can and will still happen. The game is managed by human beings. A forward pass might be missed in the heat of action, but we do need to appreciate that the referee is sprinting to keep up with the likes of a Bryan Habana, processing a number of the laws of the game and at the same time listening to advice from two Assistant Referees in their earphones. If it takes a Television Match Official ten different views in slow motion to decide on a forward pass, can we honestly fault a referee for doing so and erring with only one opportunity to view it? Yes, there will be tho occasional howler and for that there is the referee Assessor, so this guy won’t be getting any more TMO gigs: Rugby’s first “Own Try”
I have every confidence that our refereeing teams are competent and doing the very best they can to manage the game we love so much. Whilst we might not always agree with their decisions, after viewing them in slow motion, the honest truth is that none of us could do better under the circumstances, let alone equal their performance. Just sitting with the match day team, I could see their desire to deliver an excellent personal performance. These guys are professional and each and every one of them wants to progress through the ranks and maybe one day referee a Rugby World Cup final.
It would be remiss of me not to thank Callum Johnston from Imbongi Communications and Theuns Naude from the Golden Lions for their fantastic support in making this possible.
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