The law is not fair; it is just.

The title for this post comes from a lecturer that I had in college, she was a retired solicitor and was teaching us a module on law.  After she would tell us about some old case we would always bemoan that the judgement wasn't fair and her reply was always "The law is not fair; it is just". 


All sports have rules or so players and coaches would say. Referees on the other hand refer to these guidelines as the laws of the game. Tag rugby is no different. There are quite a few laws associated with tag rugby. Now, don't worry I don't intend on listing off every single last one. If you are looking for a definitive run down on the laws of the game, you can find them here http://www.irishrugby.ie/tagrugby/usefulinfo/index.php for IRFU tag laws and here http://www.tagrugby.ie/Basic-Rules-of-Tag-Rugby.html for ITRA tag rugby laws.  There are a few small differences between the IRFU laws and the ITRA laws but small enough that it would be easy to adapt to playing both codes without much adjustment being required. 


Aside from the actual laws of the game, the game itself has a simple philosophy surrounding it.  This is quite simply enjoyment, everyone should enjoy themselves and play for the fun and social aspects to the game.  The simplest way that this will happen is when everyone comes to the game in the spirit of participation.  That's all well and good you might say, but what if you are a competitive person or the team you play on is of a high skill level and expectation?  If this is the case then that is fine too, because you will find that the players and teams you will be playing against are of the same mindset.  But for 80% of players and teams, it is all about getting out for a few hours during the week and having a few drinks after the game with your friends. 


The venues are run in such a way that a carnival atmosphere is created and everyone takes a more relaxed approach to the whole event, even the referee's, believe it or not!  Ah yes, the referee, the men and quite often the women in the middle.  Tag rugby referee's can come from a few different backgrounds.  Some are 15-a-side rugby union referee's, some are former players and only referee tag rugby and others have no previous rugby knowledge but want to start refereeing rugby.  


I myself referee tag rugby and have done so now for the past three seasons, I was a player in my youth and do love watching rugby, so for me it is an enjoyable experience.  I have only refereed IRFU tag rugby matches and therefore I can only speak about the IRFU's approach to the sport.  The main message that is given by the IRFU to tag rugby referee's is to let the game flow and try to ensure that both teams enjoy the game.  


Basically, I and other tag rugby referee's take a holistic approach to refereeing the games. Having said that, the game has laws and those laws have to be enforced as well as adhered to.  So, without further ado, here is the shorthand version of five laws that are most commonly seen.  I will be explaining the reason for the law, not the actual law itself, for this please go to the websites listed further up this post.

1. Offside - This law applies to both attackers and defenders.  The purpose of the law is to primarily allow the attacking team space.  It also reduces the chances of contact occurring and keeps the game fluid.  The referee enforces this law by asking the defending team to remain seven meters back from the attacking team.
2. Contact - Contact between players is strictly prohibited.  The reason for this is simple, to reduce the chances of injury to players, especially if there are female players on the field.  To avoid contact just remember that the defender must mark the space he/she thinks an attacker will run into and the attacker must attack the space between defenders.  This law is strictly enforced by referee's.  That is not to say that injuries can occur. For example,in a game I refereed recently one of the players had to leave the field because he pulled his hamstring.  This happens so warming up correctly is always advisable.
3. Tagging - Specifically early or late tagging.  This is when a defender tags his/her opponent either before they receive the ball or after the ball has left their hands.  The reason this law is enforced is because by doing either of the above the defender is being cynical.  The attacker, if tagged early or late will have an advantage but they will have to retrieve their tag and it can also lead to confusion whereby they may stop running momentarily giving the defending team a slight advantage.  Referee's will use their discretion when it comes to tagging, if the ball and tag occur together, the referee will usually call "play on", "ball away".  Otherwise advantage will be called and a penalty may arise or a yellow card if the offense is repeated.
4. Roll ball - When a roll ball occurs there are three people involved; the person who was tagged, the defender (marker) and the scrum half.  There are a few laws happening here.  First the marker must not encroach upon the scrum half until they have played the ball, either passed it or picked it up and run with it. The reasons for this are many.  For starters it can lead to an accidental collision and possible injury, secondly it can cause irritation to the team with the ball which could manifest itself in tempers becoming frayed and thirdly the mechanics of such an action means that the marker is offside.  From the defenders point of view, they are not allowed to block the marker from moving in on the scrum half, once the scrum half has played the ball.  This is again two fold, potential collision scenario and frustrating the opposition (gamesmanship).  Finally, the scrum half (the person playing the ball), they must play the ball within 3-5 seconds of the ball being placed back to them. Not doing so will result in a penalty mainly because it is seen as time wasting and could also be used as a form of gamesmanship.  So, marker stay until the scrum half either passes, runs or is standing upright with ball in hand.  Defender, don't impede the marker and scrum half play the ball quickly after the rolling back of the ball has occurred. 
5. Kicking - Kicking the ball is allowed, but only out of hand and once the ball doesn't go above shoulder height (mixed games).  If the ball is loose on the ground, no player is allowed to put their foot to the ball and kick it.  The reason again is down to safety and avoiding collisions or contact.  If the ball is kicked too high, then players are watching the ball and not each other, this is where a collision can occur.  If the ball is on the ground, the following may occur; a player may be in the act of picking the ball up while another player is in the act of striking the ball with their foot.  This could end up in one player being kicked in the face, arm, hand or body and may end up in an injury.  

Like I said, for the full outline of all the laws, go to the sites mentioned above.  Most of the time, all players and referee's need to apply is some common sense.  But as a friend of mine used to say, "Common sense ain't that common!".

Thanks for reading this post.  Next time I might go into some tactics and strategies that can be applied by tag rugby teams during a game.