BCRRS GAME MANAGEMENT DOCUMENT KEY POINTS
2015-2016
Restarts:
Players are going to be required to be behind the kicker at restarts at halfway and the 22m line.
No obstruction by receiving team at kick-off.
PK’s and FK’s:
Penalties and free kicks are to be taken on, or behind, the mark meaning kickers are not to use
the mark as an approximate target to begin their run to kick the ball.
Injuries:
Injury stoppages will be confined to serious injuries, when the location of the injured player may
interfere with play, or when a hooker or prop is unable to take their place in the front row at a
scrum.
Scrums:
Referee must be in full control and proactive beginning pre-game with the front rows and is to
expect more from the players.
At scrums, scrumhalves need to be square on to the scrum in order to feed the ball in straight.
Scrums will have to be square and stable before the referee makes the next call in the three-call
sequence, with players required to perform an action with each call. There will be no undue
delay of the feed allowed.
Players will be expected to contribute through their attitudes to minimize the resetting of scrums.
Loose-head props are to ensure that they maintain a straight body position throughout the scrum
contest and to bind on the body of the tight-head. Tight-head props are not to bind on the arm of
the loose-head.
After ball in, scrum must go forward first before initiating any wheel. Wheels need to come from
dominance i.e. going forward then around.
When the scrums become stationary the ball needs to be played immediately.
Lineouts:
In the transfer from lineouts to mauls the referees will be looking to ensure a contest can take
place, and to verbally identify when a maul has occurred.
The defenders may hold their ground and choose not to engage the maul. If they do this, referees
will play on. Defenders must not step off the lineout before lineout is over. This is a penalizable
offence.
If the jumper still has the ball and remains in front and the lifters are beside them, they can move
forward together with no problem and no obstruction.
If the jumper lands, and the ball is transferred back from the jumper prior to the defenders
engaging, it is potential obstruction. It becomes obstruction when the defenders engage. The
referee will try to first call 'Use it' and should the team not use the ball immediately then
accidental off-side, scrum defenders' ball will be called. If the ball is moved to a position behind
the front player with the lineout over, and access to the ball carrier is blocked, this is a
penalizable offence for obstruction.
Should the lifters be in front of the jumper when the jumper lands, this is obstruction which will
be penalized when the defenders engage.
If the ball transferred or not, only the ball carrier can be tackled but it must be a legal tackle
If or when a maul is formed by a (designated) defender, his teammates must join the maul from
their own side and not come in from the side.
A (designated) defending player who wishes to enter the opposition’s side cannot overstep the
line of touch until the receiver has passed the ball back, or when ball goes through line of touch.
It is not permitted for the ball carrier’s teammates to pull in the opposition players in order to
form a maul. Only ball carrier can set up a maul by grabbing an opponent.
Tackle/Ruck:
At the breakdown the onus will be on players of both teams who are off their feet to not attempt
to play. Tacklers must roll clear immediately to provide clear access to the ball to allow a contest
between players staying on their feet. Focus is on the tackler moving; tackler having clear
release; no tackle side entry including by ball-carrying team.
Scrumhalves will not be interfered with at rucks and mauls. The ball will be out of the ruck when
the halfback lifts the ball outside the ruck, not when he touches it.
Players on the fringes of rucks but not actually part of the ruck but very close to it, are not to be
“cleared away/taken out” by an arriving opponent.
Offside:
There will also be emphasis on providing space for the game to operate with both backlines 5m
back from scrums until the ball is released, and 10m back from lineouts. Ruck and maul offside
lines will be closely monitored.
Referees are to ensure that there is space following kicks in open play, with players in front of
kicker not to advance and anyone ahead of 10m of where ball is landing to retire.
Foul Play:
Any decoy runners who get ahead of the ball carrier or passer are not to contact opponents nor
force opponents to materially change their defensive running lines.
Referees are to be stricter on cynical play, dangerous tackles and any dangerous foul play.
Where players are competing for ball in the air, if both players are going for the ball, and a
collision occurs it will not necessarily attract a penalty, however poorly executed challenges will
be penalized, and may be yellow or red carded depending upon the nature of the incident.
Players joining breakdowns will be penalized for dangerous play if their first contact is a
shoulder charge with no arms used on players who are past the ball, on the side of the
breakdown, or a player on the ground.
Advantage:
Referees will play advantage whenever and wherever possible, with there being a difference
between scrum and penalty advantage. Penalty advantage needs to result in major territory or
tactical advantage or play comes back. If anywhere near a kick at goal situation, penalty
advantage needs to result in try or kick at goal or play comes back.