The tackle area will be a major focus for URC referees this season as officials prepare for another campaign of high-speed, physical rugby. MORNÉ ESBEN reports.
Head of match officials Tappe Henning says the sheer volume of tackles in a match means decision-making in that area is crucial, with referees required to process several potential offences in a matter of seconds.
“There’s a lot that’s happening at the tackle, and that’s a phase of play that happens the most on the pitch. It’s 180 to 220 tackles,” Henning said during a media call on Thursday. “So the decision-making around that phase is hugely important.”
Henning outlined five areas that referees must quickly assess when managing the tackle: the actions of the tackler, the ball-carrier, arriving players going off their feet, side entry and whether the ball-carrier is holding onto the ball.
“The tackle is an absolute focus always for us,” he said.
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Henning also identified the set-piece and aerial contest as key areas for officials, with the overall objective being to keep players on their feet and allow the game to maintain its structure and flow.
He said the scrum remains an important part of that process, with officials working to reduce collapses and repeated resets.
“Our contribution as match officials is to bring structure to a game so players can be on their feet to play,” Henning said.
“The breakdown becomes important, so that we do not have collapsed scrums and resets all the time. But a safe environment, and then also to let the game continue.
“The aerial contest has become our next set-piece, because that becomes a source of possession in how the players contest and win possession back, and the attack that happens from that.”
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Together with offside decisions, Henning says those areas will have a significant influence on how matches develop.
“Foul play is always important, but that shows itself,” he said. “But we need to contribute as match officials to those four key areas to make the game better, to make it more enjoyable, keep the players on their feet so that they can participate in the game.”
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The post Tappe issues tackle warning to URC appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The tackle area will be a major focus for URC referees this season as officials prepare for another campaign of high-speed, physical rugby.
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