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What's up with the sign language?

dasNdanger

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(Did a search and didn't find this, sorry if it's already been discussed)

So I'm watching today and I see the refs - instead of saying out loud when to put the ball into the scrum - they're doing some sort of weird signal. I looked it up and found this:

The International Rugby Board has ditched the controversial scrum call "yes, nine" replacing it with a non-verbal, pre-agreed instruction with immediate effect.The news comes after an IRB review in which it asked national coaches and referee managers for their thoughts regarding the call.
The "yes, nine" call had been subject of some controversy in rugby circles, with one criticism being the fact it can take away the crucial timing advantage or element of surprise for an attacking pack at scrum-time by alerting the defending team exactly when to push.
But that is now a thing of the past with referees now signalling in some manner to the scrum-half when they can put the ball into the scrum. The change to the rule will be effective immediately with this weekend's Heineken Cup clashes taking on the new method.

Read more at http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/210459.html#2mt2R7LXf4zwQUct.99

I get the 'element of surprise' aspect, but isn't it a bit hard in some cases to watch the ref AND the pack at the same time? It seems to me that this would delay the game more than the oral call, and I'm not quite sure how this would work since neither side would be alerted (and thereby prepared) for the put in.

Thoughts?


das
 
From what I've seen the referee will tap the scrum half if he's on that side of the scrum, and if he's not then the 9 just puts it in sharpish, not looking at the referee.
 
From what I've seen the referee will tap the scrum half if he's on that side of the scrum, and if he's not then the 9 just puts it in sharpish, not looking at the referee.

Okay, the tap makes sense (I haven't seen the tap, but that's probably because I'm multitasking and not always fixed on the screen...like now :p ). When on the other side from the 9 he gives some sort of gesture - I just can't figure out quite what it is yet, and wonder whether it's going to be a universal signal, or what.


das
 
I believe it's meant to be a signal agreed with the scrum-half before the game so not universal.
 
I believe it's meant to be a signal agreed with the scrum-half before the game so not universal.

Okay, thanks.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how it works out. It might be too early, but has anyone noticed if it's created more resets?



das
 

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