Tackler Assist and Handling Player/Coach Disagreements
Rugby must be one of the few sports that gives its referee full autonomy on the pitch as our laws include:
"The referee is sole judge of fact and of law during the match" - 6.A.4(a)
This particular law is the basis for players, coaches, commentators, and spectators alike respecting the calls as made on the pitch which unfortunately doesn't always happen. However, it is strong enough to differentiate our sport from American Football and Baseball where referee abuse is considered part of the game or at least its entertainment. We may be the sole judge during the match but after is a different story and I often enjoy having discussions with coaches and players once the dust has settled. One call in particular stood out from this past weekend as a defender helped bring a ball carrier to ground near his own ingoal. Here is a clip of the play (with slowmo):
Tackles are covered by law 15 with the definition being, "the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and is brought to ground." It isn't the best footage given the location of the camera compared to the action on the field and the direction of play but it's clear that a tackle has occurred with more than one opponent (blue) bringing the ball carrier (white) to ground. The next part of the definition include opposition who go to ground with the ball carrier being referred to as "tacklers" and those who do not go to ground who are simply referred to as "not tacklers." The law then goes on to describe the responsibilities of the tacklers (15.4), the ball carrier (15.5), and all other players (15.6) which includes those "not tacklers."
Players in opposition to the ball carrier who remain on their feet who bring the ball carrier to ground so that the player is tackled must release the ball and the ball carrier. Those players may then play the ball providing they are on their feet and do so from behind the ball and from directly behind the tackled player or a tackler closest to those players’ goal line. Sanction: Penalty kick 15.6(c)
These "not tacklers" are more commonly referred to as Tackler Assists as they have helped the tackler bring the ball carrier to ground while not going to ground themselves. They are not tacklers but still have the same responsibility to release the ball carrier before attempting to play the ball. The release needs to be clear and obvious or else the player is liable to be called as they are preventing the ball carrier from fulfilling his requirements to make the ball available by releasing, placing, or passing the ball so that play may continue.
Again, the video isn't the greatest but here the ball carrier is held, brought to ground, and the fullback remains on his feet making no attempt to release until the whistle has been blown. The play looked clear and obvious in real time but the materiality of the offence has been questioned based on the video. Others have suggested that the penalty was called too quickly but the ball had been slowed and the damage done as White was on the doorstep and a quick recycle could have been the difference between a penalty and a try. It's hard to remember/see if the ball actually goes forward as the tackler assist is driven off and the whistle isn't audible making it difficult to determine the true sequence of events. I'm still confident in the call but would have liked to allow the play to develop a little longer to see what may have come of it. After all, you can always come back to a penalty but once the whistle is blown play must stop.
A similar call was made by Steve Walsh in the Stormers vs Hurricanes match a few weeks ago with this video for comparison:
Slightly better camera angle and this one is definitely clear and obvious. Guessing he didn't have players or coaches arguing this call after the match :)
