The RFU have announced thier "Big 5" key messages for Season 2011/12
The ‘BIG 5’ key messages for the 2011/2012 season are:
- The breakdown
- Scrum
- Offsides
- Maul (obstruction)
- Foul Play
See the full article with videos on the RFU website, by CLICKING HERE
Scrum Factory
On July 4th this year, 21 Warwickshire Referees attended an RFU Scrum Factory at Birmingham & Solihull RFC, along with neighbouring societies and coaches. Here are some of my notes from the factory. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at everitt.phil@gmail.com The notes are a little disjointed and some of it may seem obvious, but if you can take just one piece of information away, then it's worth it.
The scrum succeeds or fails on two main points: Body shape from all the members of the scrum; leading to.....Teamwork, to keep the scrum square and stable with a straight push.
Top Tip: watch the scrum setup, because if it starts well, it will end well.
Are you happy with their body shapes? If it's not a problem, leave it. But if you do have a problem later, you will know where to look.
The Tight Head Prop (THP) needs to bring his inside shoulder through when he binds, but do you need to insist that the Loose Head Prop (LHP) does the same? By making him bring his shoulder through you may be creating a gap between the LHP and the Hooker, that breaks apart the Front Row (FR). It is more important that his body shape as a whole, and his feet are square.
The smaller gaps we are now getting between FR's mean there is no time for the FR to straighten out, if required, during the engage. So having a good initial body shape is more important than ever.
Remember, the lighter pack will want a smaller gap to take away the opposition's hit advantage. While the heavier pack will want a bigger gap to give them some momentum, to use their weight advantage in the drive.
Scrum Checklist
- S - Safety conscious at all times
- A - Applicable to the age group
- F - Fault identification + Technical feedback
- E - Enjoyable for players
Top Tip: Players, Coaches and Referees all have ownership of the scrummage and need to work together.
Remember the old adage; "If it aint broke, don't fix it". If the scrum is safe and the players are having fun, leave them to it.
Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage, must be four distinct words, with pauses; but it doesn't need to be "War & Peace"! Keep it constant, but let the players know that if they mess about then it will take longer.
If you blow and stand them up, then you must come up with something substantial, or the players will know you aren't sure and you will lose credibility.
Remember both we and the players need a pushing contest, so reward the dominant side. But, the dominant side must push straight. Tell them, "don't go up or down, just straight, then I will reward that dominance".
Finally, when refereeing the scrum, there has to be an element of self learning.
- Go to your local club and watch the scrum practise.
- Offer to help with the engagement calls.
- Buy the props a drink, they love to talk about what referee's are missing.
- Talk to the whole of the front row, find out what they are trying to achieve.