Laws have become too complicated
IT IS often a sure sign of common sense flying out of the window when we become obsessed with the literal definitions of words such as ‘institutionalised’ and in rugby’s case ‘reckless’.
As a former referee I fully accept that the advent of the TMO whether deliberate or not relieved an element of control/ management of the game from the referee.
In conjunction with some of the mind boggling tinkering/dismantling of the basics of rugby union and its laws, we now find ourselves in a situation where we are reduced to scouring dictionaries for the explanations of ill thought through law making.
Are there any other caveats the authorities can add to the labyrinthine
laws to make it totally impossible for anybody to understand and apply them? When does accidental become deliberate, reckless become dangerous? If only we could just sit down and calmly apply more common sense to our law making and officiating. Referees will always make mistakes,
although usually not as many as the combined 30 players on the pitch at the same time, and lessons should be learnt from them.
Judgement will always be a component of any decision making and very few if any laws can be defined to the point where a referee’s judgement/ common sense will not be called upon to make a decision. Over complication only ever muddies the waters. I would add that any referee who lacks the ability to read the pace and mood of a game will always be prone to making more dubious decisions. Arthur Grün
I UNDERSTAND that after last Saturday’s game referee Jaco Peyper expressed his fear that he would not be appointed to referee another high profile game in future had he not sent Freddie Steward off.
After thinking about this in slow motion, I have come to the conclusion that any referee who allows his or her career prospects to influence decisions on the pitch should not be asked to referee any high profile games. Nigel Spencer