Recent content by Quarryref

Indeed - it's a perfect invitation to have a go at the officiating team ! What that also means in practice is that the wise decision is sometimes not to overrule your AR, even if they are wrong. Not saying that's the case in this example, but there are situations where that will give you a...

Like you, I've never appealed a report. However I am pretty sure the criteria are as @RefereeX states. I do know you need to use this link, because I bookmarked it in the unlikely event I did ever feel the need. I also think you have to do it within 7 days...

Only at a restart and then context is everything. Demand a player gets on and takes a throw-in when his team mate is doing up his laces early in the game and there is no reason for them to be time-wasting and you look too busy and lacking empathy Stop a team taking a throw-in whilst an...

It's a difficult one - in early days of parks football, I remember a couple of games where the club had problems with locals complaining about language, but I can't remember teams trying to be anything other than co-operative when it was pointed out. More recently, I have had a couple of...

Just for balance, a bit of spot on punditry from Steve Sidwell https://www.skysports.com/football/video/16429/13111863/penalty-controversy-sidwell-reacts-to-chaotic-arsenal-bayern-ending

I do think the interpretation of the Law needs a clarification. I think we need to know which test to apply. Logically, I think there could be be two interpretations of 'preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball' 1. The test is strictly whether the player could have...

That's my point - you could read it that way. However, it doesn't work literally without a qualification. What if the player whose line of vision was obstructed was a defender 20 yards away ? Common sense says it only applies where the opponent had some chance of playing the ball, but that...

Wearing rainbow laces by definition has nothing to do with bias in the way a referee officiates. In that sense, it's just a non-issue. Is it problematic as a political statement ? I think 99% of people see wearing rainbow laces as simply showing support for inclusivity, not an endorsement of...

@socal lurker and @JamesL I have sympathy with both points of view. If you just look at the diagram, you would say this 'must be' penalised. If you just read the text of the Law as a piece of English language..... 'preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly...

Clear cut penalty for me. If Lamptey gets the ball cleanly and there is unavoidable contact afterwards there is a discussion to be had. In this case his slight touch on the ball is incidental to the main event, which is the trip.

I think we make a mistake if we conflate a hobby with a job. Before I started officiating, I played for a while at a similar level. Whilst some clubs and a few players earn silly money, most in the middle to lower reaches of the NLS would have a similar equation on time spent to money earned...

The L4 experience also varies across the country - not the AR bit, where you will do Step 3 and 4 lines wherever you are. Middles look very different In some parts of the South East, you will only do Step 5, but just on one league so you see the same teams over and over again. At the other...

Agree rugby (both codes) has a different ethos. But reject drugs err no. Massive issue with steroid use, not least in South African junior rugby union Reject cheating - at least as much gamesmanship, they just call it ****housery and laugh about it. Neil Back anyone ?

Anyone else having issues with the MOAS confirmation emails ? My April fixtures are on MOAS, but no emails so only knew they were there when I logged in and looked. Could be just me, but can't see any reason why and heard anecdotally some others may be having issues

Rugby is often lauded as getting things right, and it is in a much better place on some things - general player / official respect and crowd behaviour being the most obvious (and by the way this applies just as much to Rugby League as Rugby Union). However they are far from having everything...