“Sin-bin” no deterrent to orderings off

Press, 21 April 1979, Page 12

“Sin-bin” no deterrent to orderings off

By

BARRY SIMPSON

The "sin bin” is not going to replace orderingsoff as the penalty for offences against law 26 (foul play and misconduct). Referees attending the New Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association annual conference at Westport over Easter, had this hammered home to them when the “sin bin” trial approved by the International Rugby Board was discussed.

Delegates will return to tell their members that the provisions of • law 2 6 are not to be usurped by banishment to the “sin bin” and that, if anything, to overcome foul play and misconduct, law 26 penalties should be applied even more strenuously than in the past. The New Zealand Rugby Union and the referees are determined that foul play must be eliminated from the game. Blatant foul play and misconduct, therefore, will continue to be dealt with by ordering off. Players in club and rep-

resentative matches (not internationals) will be sent to the “sin bin” for periods of not less than 5 min, entirely at the referees’ discretion, to cool-off. An example of the type of offence which would merit “sin-binning” would be over-vigorous rucking in a heated situation, or two players, in a similar situation, taking a swing at each other. The miscreant(s) will be

sent to the “sin-bin” area — immediately behind the goal posts and behind their dead-ball line. Their names will be recorded and reported to their union(s). If they should be “sin-binned” three times in a year, they will automatically go before the union’s disciplinary committee and be liable to suspension. It was learned during the conference that some unions were already imposing first-offence sus-

pensions for orderings-off ranging from four to six weeks. Law 19 (lying on or near the ball) is by no means a new one, but it provoked considerable discussion and, as with law 26, referees were advised to implement most strongly the penalties for breaches of this law. “Immediately” is the word used in the law to describe the period of time which a player who

has gone down on the ball or who has been taken to the ground with the ball, has to play it, get up, or roll away from it, and “immediately” is to be the operative word this season.

The New Zealand union and the referees are disappointed and dissatisfied with the way in which the ball is being killed in the “mucks” (a mess of a ruck), either by the person who has failed to release

it, the player who had dived over the top of the

player with the ball or the tackler who will not permit the player to release the ball. Referees have been asked to police this law with the utmost vigilance.

By doing so, it is hoped that the bal! will be freed more quickly, there will be fewer stoppages, and less injuries from flailing boots. The conference unanimously endorsed a remit calling upon the New Zealand union to outlaw the longer, more pointed aluminium sprigs that so many players are using. In the past, when this has been referred to the national union, it has advised that referees should apply law 4 to players using such sprigs and prohibit them from playing. This has been countered by refereees who said they refused to prohibit a whole team from taking the field because the sprigs were illegal.

Two other controversial matters which received an airing related to appointments for national

matches and the appointment of neutral referees. The appointments committee has been asked to have a long look at the first matter and in the second, there was very strong opposition to the New Zealand union permitting the use of neutral referees in internationals with New Zealand.

Delegates took the view that the New Zealand unions acceptance of this policy was a slight on the capabilities of New Zealand referees.

The only other new laws to come into effect this season relate to the kick which crosses the touch line in the air then swings back into the playing area, and the permitted time to attend to injuries.

A ball going into touch must now hit the touch line or the ground beyond for it to be ruled out. Because it is felt there was too much shamming of injuries, injury time has been cut from two minutes to one, except in the case of likely serious injuries where the referee still lhas a discretion.