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?
Team / Person acting ‘unfairly’
What is a PK?
When should you blow for a PK?
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
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
• No easy exits
• Game play - immediate
• Balance
Profile – Pressure Zone
• Soft decisions either way
• Game play - previous
• Reward impressive play
Profile – Support zone
• 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
Microscopic
Consequence
• What about ‘setting’ the game up – first 20mins, clear the tackler, strong decisions at scrum etc..
• SRU DNA:
• What was the optimal decision here? (note the language used here!)
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 &
Deliberate
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
Understandings – players / coaches / parents / audience
Where are the challenges?
Distance (from action etc)
Goal line decision
High tackles – contact around the head/neck
Breakdown – Tackle / Ruck
Goal line decisions
Flashpoints
Space
What is success for you and team of Referees?
