Development pathways
As a referee
As a touch judge
As an advisor
As a coach
Rugby, a game which has been around since 1823, is now played in
over 125 countries throughout the world. Rugby refereeing, at all
levels, provides real opportunities for travel and subsequent
friendship with others in the game, both in the UK and other
countries.
You can become a referee, touch judge or referee coach.
How far can you
go?
International rugby refereeing, the pinnacle. Imagine running onto
Twickenham, Stade de France or Murrayfield with a packed crowd
cheering! Refereeing at the international level as a full-time,
paid official is the ultimate, and will provide you with the
opportunity to travel the world on a regular basis. Be a part of
the Rugby World Cup, the third largest sporting event in the world,
held every four years. Be a part of Sevens Tournaments played in
exotic locations around the world.
National Panel of Referees
Group Referee
Development Squad
Referee with Potential
General referee
National Foundation
15 A-Side Course
To attain Level 8, Referees need to have passed the
Society Referee course.
To attain Level 7, Referees need to have passed the
Development Referee course.
Benefits of becoming a Referee
What can rugby refereeing offer you? Speed, Fitness, Skills,
Friendship.
Would you like to be a part of the big hits, the great tries and up
close with the players? Well, you can do this at any level, the
referee always has the best seat at the game! Whether a player,
ex-player, coach spectator, school student, or supporter,
refereeing can offer you a totally unique involvement in the game.
Here are some benefits that refereeing provides to both men and
women.
Fitness and Health
You can keep fit and healthy, both mentally and physically, by
being involved in regular fitness programmes specifically developed
for refereeing. People of all ages, shapes and sizes can be a
referee.
Camaraderie
As a member of the Society, you are part of a very large and
supportive team and club, with world-wide links. Both socially and
professionally, this team works together to fine tune and develop
skills in refereeing, on and off the field.
Management Skills
Management skills are developed in a fast and physical game, where
you are required to make sound decisions under pressure. Instant
decision making, judgement, control, empathy and game knowledge are
all a part of the holistic development of a referee, which enables
him or her to be not only a better referee, but also a better
member of society.
At what level can you Referee?
You can referee at any level you wish. Refereeing is essential at
all levels of the game of rugby and therefore there is a role for
everyone. You can referee at a much higher level than you have
played.
Mini rugby. Under 9-10
The first contact rugby for youngsters, and a challenge and reward
to referee.
Juniors and school rugby
Provides both midweek and weekend competitions at varying levels of
skill for all referees. It can be a great starting point for your
refereeing career or help to continue your development.
Senior Rugby
This can be a game with a local club side that only runs one or two
teams right up to clubs running five or six sides, along with the
proportionate increase in refereeing skills required.
County Rugby
So called because of the make-up of teams coming from various
towns, cities, and counties and playing other sides from these
areas. A wide range of these games is on offer to help referees
with their development.
Seven-A-Side
A fast exciting game, which lasts 14 minutes and is now played both
locally and internationally.
Becoming a Touch Judge
Club Touch Judge Award
This is a course of approximately three hours duration and is
primarily aimed at those Non - Society members who wish to take up
Touch Judging to help their respective clubs.
The course comprises of a detailed description of the duties of a
Touch Judge.
Development Touch Judge Award
This course is open to Society members who wish to take their
refereeing career in an alternative direction.
The course is of a one day duration. Candidates can then apply to
take the Touch Judge pathway to the National Panel at the
recommendation of the Society.
Candidate are recommended through their Regional Managers.
Coursees and Dates
Club Touch Judge Award
As Requested
Development Touch Judge Award
05 Apr 09 at London Welsh
The London Society's first Touch Judge course was run in July at
Sutton and Epsom RFC. Bob Ockenden had sent us a powerpoint
demonstration as pre-course homework and we started with a multiple
choice test. The results have been sent to Castlecroft and we will
pass or fail on the basis of these. The course is aimed primarily
at those who might consider focusing on Touch Judging rather than
refereeing and perhaps progressing to the National Touch Judge
Panel. In due course, there will be a South East Touch Judge Group
which will form a compulsory stage on the way to the TJ panel.
However, the course was very useful to anyone who runs touch at
tournaments or for cup matches and the 20 participants covered a
range of refereeing levels.
After the test, Bob went through the nine modules, discussing them
with the group in often lively question and answer sessions, before
showing the slides as revision notes.
We started, appropriately, with Pre-match duties. The emphasis was
on working as a team of three: the referee will brief the touch
judges and the latter should be present at the ref's briefing to
the captains. As well as stud checks, TJs should communicate with
the physios/doctor about where they will be during the game, brief
the ballboys and check the pitch, especially the technical
areas.
Post-match, it was emphasized that the TJs are part of the team of
three until they leave the ground and should support the referee
throughout that time. Bob advised asking the referee for feedback
on your performance and asking for two specific aspects to work on
the next time.
Cards: if you gave an opinion that led to a player being carded,
you must give some input to the report. At Level 4 and above, this
includes Sin Bin reports because players accumulate points for
yellow cards in different games: three yellows equal a one-game
ban.
Foul Play
This is the most important of a TJ's duties. The hardest thing to
learn is to stop watching the ball and the game and to focus on
before and after. Keep an eye on players at set pieces or the
breakdown after the ball has gone to make sure that nothing
untoward is happening. During play, position yourself so that you
mirror the referee - if the ref is behind the players, move
slightly in front to get a different perspective; after a lineout,
move to the defensive side if the referee is on the attacking
side.
If you see foul play, indicate by holding the flag straight out,
parallel to the ground. If you have a microphone, tell the referee.
Otherwise, continue with play and get the referee's attention at
the next breakdown. If the players are fighting, you should stay
with them rather than following play. Do not get physically
involved. Observe who does what to whom and get numbers. We did
some role playing of reporting foul play to the referee: calm body
language, no gesticulating (keep both hands on the flag), colour,
number, offence and where it occurred. Don't recommend a sanction
unless the referee asks. If it's a penalty for a late tackle,
remember to keep an eye on where the ball landed.
Foul play arises from frustration when a team is unable to play as
it wants/expects. This may be due to their own lack of talent or to
poor refereeing, especially poor management of flashpoints. It is
more likely towards the end of the match when players are tired,
especially when the score is close. Stay alert, look for illegal
actions and try to manage to prevent retaliation.
Foul play includes obstruction, punching or striking, stamping or
trampling, late tackling, shirt pulling off the ball, dangerous
tackling and tackling a jumper in the air. All these should be
flagged.
Positioning
Think of where you should be to be of most help to the referee at
any given moment. Work with the TJ on the opposite side, one
staying on the defensive line, one on the attacking one. If play
approaches the try line, it is good to get in goal but if the
referee is in goal, you might do better to stay behind and watch
the back of the ruck/maul.
Trends
Look for trends in play that might not be noticed by the referee,
e.g. the defence conceding a series of penalties in their own 22,
the same player being penalized multiple times in a short interval,
one team consistently wheeling or otherwise disrupting a scrum,
persistent infringement offside, too much contact in the
lineout.
Communicate trends to the referee only at a stoppage and only if
they are having a material effect on the game. Be clear, accurate
and concise.
Communication equipment
The key when using microphones is not to talk too much. Give
advisory input only and if the referee has made a decision then
keep quiet, except in cases of foul play.
Use for offences on the opposite side of a breakdown to the
referee, such as hands in the ruck, illegal binding on scrums,
flankers being held back. During play, the TJ can advise on a knock
on or forward pass if the referee is unsighted and for players in
front of the kicker. In goal, the TJ can help with decisions but
this should be discreet. Only ever signal with your hands when the
referee is looking at you.
4th/5th Official
The main task is to manage replacements and substitutions.
Determine whether a player is coming off because of injury, in
which case he or she cannot return to the field, or because of a
tactical substitution. Many coaches are not aware of the
distinction in law, so be clear.
Keep accurate records of players leaving and taking the field. Time
sin bins and blood replacements and manage those players returning
to the game.
You are responsible for collecting the team sheets before the game
and identifying the front row replacements. You also manage the
technical area and should be fully conversant with the relevant
competition regulations in the event of a draw in a cup match or
play off.
Overall, the course was interesting, informative and enjoyable. I
would recommend it to anyone when it is run again at the end of the
season.
Joan Marsh
Becoming a Referee's
Advisor
Referee Advisor Courses
Society Advisor Award
12 Oct 08 at London Bridge Hotel
08 Mar 09 at London Bridge Hotel
Development Advisor Award
10 May 09 at TBA
Do you feel that your active refereeing career may be
coming to an end?
There is a way to stay involved in rugby and refereeing
that requires no more physical exertion than a keen eye and walking
up and down the touch line.
Regardless of what level you refereed, you still can help other
referees to improve. Your ability to see what a referee does in a
game and to coach them in some way is invaluable to those who are
still blowing the whistle. The fact that you did not make the
International panel of referees does not impede your ability to
analyse a referee's performance and offer that nugget that they
need.
The game of Rugby Football Union has changed more in the last
decade than anybody could have predicted.During this period of
change the approach of players and club officials has become much
more professional with players' coaches for all aspects of the
game.
Clubs are now demanding better referees and touch judges to
facilitate the spectacle even to the extent of criticising the
referees when things don't quite go as they think they should. It
is essential that referees receive a commensurate amount of
coaching as the players.
So, how can you contribute to the improvement in refereeing
standards?
We all recognise that referees need as much help as we can provide
and we have looked into the requirements of the advisors to see how
we can promote this avenue to both coach and assess referees. A
survey in 2001 indicated that the London Society was about 50
advisors short of what was required. Possible reasons for the lack
of advisors are:
- No gradual exit strategy for 'retiring' referees.
- A fear of paper work.
- A lack of confidence to be an advisor.
- A lack of encouragement and training.
- No recognition/undervalued.
It is well recognised that the advisor is a poor relation in the
game of Rugby Football and any structure put in place will need the
support of the LSRFUR to raise the standing of the advisors in the
eyes of the clubs. Such a structure must be flexible enough to cope
with the new advisor as well as the experienced referee, who takes
up advising. This paper is the start of a strategy to address the
issues above by planning the exit strategy of the retiring referee,
addressing the needs of a new advisor and reducing the bureaucracy
of paper. To this end LSRFUR will adopt a structure, which will
facilitate those of you who want to coach and those who wish to
coach/assess and progress to an RFU level. The difference between
the coach and the coach/assessor will be the form required for the
assessment. You will be able to choose what level you wish to
attain, as we need both levels if we are to maximise the support
for our referees.
There will be a defined "career path" for advisors to progress in
London from new Advisor to a candidate for SEG (& RFU Panel) as
identified in the new structure (indicated in the diagram).
One of the fundamentals of advising is that in the early part of a
referee's career the advisor is primarily a
"COACH" then, as the referee progresses, the
advisor becomes more of an "ASSESSOR". C-grade
referees are looking for the advisor to coach them whereas the
B-grade referees require a balance between coaching and assessing
and at International level the role is one of assessor.
A "coaching course" is an essential part of the
training/development of advisors and should be provided early in an
advisor's development. One is being developed by the RDO (Dave
Broadwell) and the SADO (Peter Emberson) to be run on a central
basis, targeted primarily at new advisors, who will be expected to
attend, but also available to existing advisors. Similarly, active
referees should attend so that they can coach other referees when
they don't have a game (through bad weather or injury). A
simplified form for the coaches is being developed which could look
like the one at the end of this document.
New advisors will go with an experienced advisor for the first
time: the latter will do the advising while the newcomer submits a
draft report for evaluation. Progress from pure coaching to
coach/assessor will be based on the criteria identified in the
structure. A small group (4-5) will be identified as those with the
potential to move onto SEG and possibly the National Panel, with
development and training from the SADO.
Further details of the courses and progress will be published on
the website, in the Whistler or can be obtained from your Regional
Advisor Manager. So "watch this space!"
Peter Emberson (SADO)
Becoming a Referee's
Coach
Referee Coach Award
01 Oct 08 at London Bridge Hotel
03 Dec 08 at London Bridge Hotel