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New High Tackle Directive for the New Year

Get lower!
That's not always possible, specially near the in goal.
How are you supposed to stop someone going head in first if by touching his head you are liable to getting a penalty try + YC against you?

The only way you can is by letting him pass (his head) and then grabbing him by torso/legs/whatever. The problem is that by letting his head pass he gains that distance and momentum and it makes the tackler's job pretty much impossible.

This is the situation i picture: I have the ball 5 metres away from try line and my clone is standing on the try line. I have to score he has to stop me. With the new directives, if we played 100 times, i'd either score 100 tries, get 100 penalty tries or a combination of both adding to 100.
 
Jezza - how "helpful" do you want me to be? I was asked to provide a clip, so I provided the match video and the relevant time stamp. I'm not about to spent 30 minutes creating a YouTube video or a GIF (both of which are at the border of my competence) in order to save you 5 seconds getting to the right time stamp.

As for your points n the reasoning, and theory as to the future - Valid points all, I just happen not to agree with them.
I do agree that high tackles are rarely the cause of concussion, and that head-ground is more likely (eg North), or the tackler getting their head in the wrong position (eg Ellis). However, I don't see how the game can legislate against that; and high tackles do cause many non-concussive injuries, and the occasional concussive, have always* been illegal, and both can and should be legislated against.

*for a certain value of "always" - no idea what the law book may have said in 1862

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This is the situation i picture: I have the ball 5 metres away from try line and my clone is standing on the try line. I have to score he has to stop me. With the new directives, if we played 100 times, i'd either score 100 tries, get 100 penalty tries or a combination of both adding to 100.
I'm at risk of agreeing with cooky here, which always makes me feel a little dirty, but... take a look at Newcastle V Bath from Friday night (linked above) the new directives appeared to make no real difference to those phases of pick-and-go camped on the try line. Certainly not a dozen tries or a dozen cards for the dozen phases.
I think this is a case of preconception Vs evidence.
 
However, I don't see how the game can legislate against that; and high tackles do cause many non-concussive injuries, and the occasional concussive, have always* been illegal, and both can and should be legislated against.


That's partly the point... there's only so much you can legislate against.

Stopping the choke tackle (not that I'm dead set against it, but as a means to an end), legislating against going to ground before a tackle, and allowing the refs to take into account carriers lowering/leading with their head.

That's all preferable to changing the definition of a high tackle in my book.

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I'm at risk of agreeing with cooky here, which always makes me feel a little dirty, but... take a look at Newcastle V Bath from Friday night (linked above) the new directives appeared to make no real difference to those phases of pick-and-go camped on the try line. Certainly not a dozen tries or a dozen cards for the dozen phases.
I think this is a case of preconception Vs evidence.

Because they weren't implemented. You're also ignoring the other match where it did, in fact, happen.

You have to ignore the rule to avoid sending off half of the teams. That's not a healthy situation IMO. You either have deliberately vague rules, so that a higher degree of referee discretion can be applied, or you have very clear, specific laws.
 
High Tackles

Smart cooks is an ignorant prick, we are not all like him. Just read his other posts and you'll see his condescending attitude.

Thank you for this. I have to admit that I was a bit taken back by his onslaught. Is it a question that unless you agree with him one is in for a kicking? Also I am not sure why I am a “junior member†- I am 57!! However I am happy to be considered a “junior†at this age.
 
High Tackles

I see you are from Gloucester but a Bath fan. How does that work?
 
Has everything to do with RU's cultural acceptance that "lower=better/safer" for both carriers and tacklers, though.

Which, as I've made my position quite clear several times in the past, I strongly disagree with.

I see what you mean. Stats do show that the majority of tackles are sustained by the defender rather than the ball carrier as well. I'm all for this ideally leading to less ball and all tackles in phase play defence though with defences having to adjust.

The bigger battleground for head concussions is the high ball and breakdown imo. The New Zealand trials alongside the new tackle laws should be interesting.
 
High Tackles

It was a perfectly legitimate answer to your question, and what's more, it is exactly what WR are trying to encourage players to do - get lower in the tackle to reduce the risk of head contact.

I see you are referee. What is it that you referee?




Well, if you feel you have to flounce off in a big huff because you don't like hearing a truth that you dislike, then I suggest that you don't let the door hit you on the way out. You probably wouldn't do very well here anyway as this is a rugby discussion forum for grown ups.

You might be better off joining Planet Rugby and posting there with all the squabbling kiddies.

I see you are referee. What is it that you referee?
 
I just saw the incident regarding the yellow card and penalty try in the Ulster game - no way in my mind was that the correct decision.
 
i actually think given time these new rules will make it more entertaining. yes at the moment we are seeing lots of cards but players will eventually start aiming a lot lower, meaning (hopefully) more offloads etc. The only thing i think is a little petty is when there is one arm over the shoulder and one arm under the armpit, i dont deem that to be reckless or dangerous in any way (im thinking of the Jake Ball yellow card in the Scarlets V Ulster game). As others have noted the penalty try was a little harsh against the number 8, Trimble (?) should have been the one who was carded and then a penalty try awarded
 
Because they weren't implemented. You're also ignoring the other match where it did, in fact, happen.

Care to name any examples where it wasn't implemented? Or were just back to preconception Vs reality.
As to ignoring the other match, I haven't had the chance to watch anything other than Newcastle Bath yet, and won't be able to today either.

I don't remember reading about any matches where every pick-and-go resulted in a try or a red card either TBH
 
I see you are referee. What is it that you referee?

http://www.therugbyforum.com/members/20605-smartcooky

"Level 2" is the modern version of Grade B. It means I refereed rugby at Club rugby level (Senior) which is one level below what was then known as "Representative Rugby"; now called Heartland Championship, and National Provincial Championship (Mitre 10 Cup). I did referee a number of Rep games and was set for promotion before a motorcycle accident ended my refereeing carreer

I refereed at a time when high tackles were as rare as hens teeth, and when the vast majority of tackles were made from the waist down, That was a time when players learned to learned to tackle properly and rarely if ever got their heads in the wrong place (which is what that Bath player did- it had nothing whatsoever to do with him being forced to go low by the Laws, and everything to do with crappy tackling technique.

BTW, telling you that the answer was "getting lower" was not an "onslaught", but your reaction to it was OTT, so you got what you deserved.
 
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There is a point to be made though about tall vs short players. A player who is taller will struggle to get lower than a shorter player. If someone is driving forwards with their head barely above hip height, it becomes practically impossible to stop as most attempts involve grabbing their shoulders. I feel there is too much emphasis being placed on players to ensure others safety with little to none on players ensuring their own safety. If a player does something that puts them in a position where it is highly likely they will get injured and as a result they do, that should be taken into account. As it is, players are now being penalised because their opposing player put themselves in a dangerous position and the player being sanctioned had little they could do except to not be there at all.
 

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