Game Conference 2024

Game Conference 2025 Refereeing Game Understanding

What is being asked of you?

What is the Role of the Referee?

When do you blow your whistle?

When should the game be allowed to run?

• What did the game ask of you?

• How did you do in answering that question?

What is a PK? When should you blow for a PK?

Team / Person acting ‘unfairly’ Team / Person can not play the way they have earned

Technical understanding People -----------Performance

Role of the Referee

Referee the game that is in front of you

Add value often

Game A.C.H.

How I see a performance

People --------Perform

R O E

Adding Value

Technical Understanding

Over-refereeing Vs Under-refereeing

If no game can be refereed without error or omission – what is the goal?

Its agreed that giving 30/30 PKs correctly you might not have refereed well

Conversely, a game with 14/18 PKs correctly given, may not have been refereed very well..

How do you reconcile these conflicting statemenets?

Mapping

Profile – Cheap zone

Profile – Pressure Zone

Profile – Support zone

• No easy exits • Game play - immediate • Balance

• Soft decisions either way • Game play - previous • Reward impressive play

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Situational Game play - pressure Rules of Engagement Why to take off attack

Being Right V Being relevant •

What would a game where we stick very close to the law look like

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What about ‘setting’ the game up – first 20mins, clear the tackler, strong decisions at scrum etc..

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SRU DNA:

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What was the optimal decision here? (note the language used here!)

Microscopic Consequence Clear & Obvious Reason

How do we look at a referee getting better?

Traditional methodology is look at where mistakes and omissions occurred – how important they were etc.

Stacking decisions Adding value

What about flipping that ideal on its head?

Looking for the positive moments in the match: Can we multiply them over the course of a game(s) Where did we add value to occasions?

Stacking positives and value moments > better then looking to avoid / evade –ive impacts.

Quick turn around in game On/Off – get it played

What are the expectations?

Keep the score Let them play (as much as practical) Fairness Body language committed to the game

Deliberate practice > Improving Performance Analysis & Audit

Game

Deliberate Practice

Review & Coaching

Evaluation & Experience

Varied Different standards between teams Different standards withing teams

Levels of Rugby

Over engaged coaches (particularly for underage)

Multiple games (Often back/back) Skill levels

Where are the challenges?

Understandings – players / coaches / parents / audience Distance (from action etc) Goal line decision

High tackles – contact around the head/neck Breakdown – Tackle / Ruck Goal line decisions

Flashpoints

Space

MISTAKES>>> ?????

What is success for you and team of Referees?