More referee stuff

I just watched the Exeter/Benetton highlights. That final penalty to Exeter, I can't make it out. Tackle made by B23, he rolls out pretty much immediately, B player right over the ball, two E players join almost immediately to attempt to clean him out with E5 not "joining from the direction of his own tryline" as the law dictates for players joining a tackle, but from the side. Ref gives the penalty to E with the explanation "going/rolling the wrong way". Now what in the hells does that mean?

The only cause I can see for a penalty is that a ruck may have been formed and the jackler needs to let go, but that's not what the ref says. Is he talking about the tackler "rolling the wrong way"? If so that would be the first time I've ever heard of someone penalized for rolling the "wrong way". There is nothing more the tackler could have done in that situation.

Also, why is the player (E5) clearly joining the tackle from the side right in front of the ref ignored?

How do you guys call this? Minute 9:19 in the video. Remember, this is a match deciding penalty and there are question marks galore.

I guess the ref was thin in that be rolled back between the 9 and the ball instead of taking the shortest route to get out of the way.

He does actually get out the way really quickly though.

On Boks unpacked this week they were talking about how they never come back to this stuff and explain it. I do see the logic because if the refs came out and admitted mistakes it would make things really sour. But at the same time, the decisions cost games, and sometimes silverware.

Why not have a rating system? There are x amount of refs plying there trade. Find 10 times that amount of people, have 10 people rate a ref and then rotate them on to the next ref next week.

The worse your rating the closer you move to being relegated. The better your rating the bigger games you get to ref.

Ref performance ratings need to be entirely removed from governing bodies.

Yeah but there wasn't even a ball for the scrumhalf to pick up. The tackler impeded nothing and no one and he got out of there as fast as I think was humanly possible. There wasn't even an appeal by the 9, and we know they don't let any opportunity go to wave those arms around if there's half a chance of milking something.

I don't have much sympathy for Benetton though, their defense just went to sleep far too often. Too many soft tries for Exeter.

Many people tend to get snappy if you criticize refs too much, and yes it's a tough job, but they also hold the result in their hands. Decisions like this, and like the Pollock yellow, deserve closer scrutiny.

What do you think of my idea for objective rotating panels rating refs and there being a relegation system in place for refs, Pakie?

Right now, it's governing bodies that handle it and as I understand it, reviews are done by retired refs. For me, I think that's partly why we get these weird and seemingly illogical decisions sometimes. The refs are pandering to centralised reviewers and WR's vision instead of being allowed to interpret via their own feel.

I think they should be going with what they think and those with a reliable gut feel will rise to the top and those without will get relegated.

I know we joke, but I swear Hollie is one of the most reliable refs on the circuit at the moment.

What do you think of my idea for objective rotating panels rating refs and there being a relegation system in place for refs, Pakie?

Probably not a bad idea, but will they? I doubt it. I don't know what's in place currently, to be honest. I see you say governing bodies but that's a vague concept. The whole ref business feels like a mysterious protected shell.

Hollie is definitely up there, seldom any major question marks when she's in charge. With the men there's always something.

The retired reviewing refs take direction from the governing bodies on the direction and and how they want the game to look. A retired ref then rises the performance of a ref in a game.

That's how I understand it.

To me, reffing should be handled entirely separately. It should be completely independent. Governing bodies should not be directing them at all. The only thing that refs should have to worry about is applying the laws of the game.

Cant see them implementing your plan Plum, Completely undermines the ethos of respect for the referees and each other. Same reason they'll never publicly reprimand a ref no matter how much us, as fans can see the error of a call.

Regarding the incident above. Fair penalty. Harsh certainly. Referee could've warned the jackal off the ball. The tackler does roll almost North/South and not East/West and while it wouldn't have mattered (the jackal was so quick onto the ball) he does prevent the tackled player the opportunity to place the ball. I wouldn't the ref too much though as he has only one angle, no replay and other things at the breakdown to keep an eye on.

Yeah I see what you're saying, Xavi, but agreed, that is harsh. The way he fell in the tackle, his whole weight was over that side and the 5 joining from the side virtually blocked him from rolling the other way. I hate penalties for incidental, unavoidable actions, especially when it's a match decider.

The problem for me is that I'm mega cynical.

WR wants to grow the game. I'm on board with that.

...but I look at how some big games are reffed and I can't help but feel that ref is under pressure to provide the outcome that falls the most in line with growing the game.

Thats the main reason that is so much love for reffing to be entirely separate to the authority of governing bodies.