GUIDANCE FOR REFEREES
The restart of play through the scrum is to have two distinct phases, the safe formation of the scrum and the fair competition for possession once the ball has been thrown in.
Formation:
The force of impact generated in the engagement is proportional to the distance over which it occurs.
The “hit” is often used by a team to gain maximum advantage before the ball is thrown in. This can lead to the scrum collapsing or wheeling and delays the restart of the game.
The physical contest for possession should only start when the ball is introduced.
1. The EV is intended to discover how close the heads of the front row players in the crouched position can be brought so the force of the “hit” is minimised. It is a slight variation of the engagement process in current Law and uses four stages.
Crouch. Touch and Hold. Pause. Engage. The referee’s call should be spaced so that each stage is separated.
If the front rows are retained in the crouched position for a moment with the outside arms of the props in contact they can focus on where their heads must interlock with their opponents.
Before engaging, their heads should be at the same level and not close enough to lead to “head butting”.
A distance of 15cms (6 inches), the width of a Size 5 Rugby ball, should be about sufficient.
After saying “Touch and Hold”, it may be necessary to adjust this distance before saying “Pause”.
If it is necessary to delay the actual engagement, blow the whistle to stop play and reset the scrum.
It is important that the referee establishes the EV process at the first scrummage and thereafter.
After the engagement and before the ball is thrown in, ensure the scrummage is still square, stationary and stable.
Enforce Law 20.1 (k) requiring the scrum to be stationary, parallel and kept on the mark until the ball is thrown in.
2. The scrum half must stand one metre from the nearest prop to provide a better opportunity for the referee to adjudge the correctness of the throw in. The sanctions for “crooked feeds” increase with repeated infringement.
3. Referees should use a similar signal for the 5m offside line as given to backs to stay 10m at line outs. Referees should raise one arm above their head to indicate the ball has been thrown in correctly and keep it raised until the scrum has ended. As the arm is dropped, the referee should check both teams have respected the Law.
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