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How Do you mark the Line out? Just curious.

Ciaran Trainor

Ciaran Trainor


Referees in England
I was part of a team of three last week so listened in to my colleague's briefing.
He says " I mark the middle of the line so make sure you are half a metre away".
I always set the defending mark and tell the attacking team to set their gap.
My other AR says I mark the middle and the two marks for the teams!
Curious, Refs what is your preference? Players/coaches, what is yours and is it a pain that refs can be different every week?
 
Phil E said:
I do the same as you.
Defensive mark, attackers make your own gap.
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That's what I was taught on ERRA lvl 2 course and is how I do it. That is also what I've observed from all our Society members that I've watched and whenever it's been mentioned at a meeting.
 
Same as you mate. Mark the defensive mark only. TJ is in line with the centre. Then it is up to the attacking team to create the space. So if they close it, they are hindering themselves.

This is what all the coaches and observers in my region want to see. Saying that we have had people on exchange to our region who mark both attack and defence, and others who just do the middle, who have been told by their respective societies that is what they want to see
 
Used to do it differently, but as soon as I came across the concept of marking the defensive line only (probably here on the forum) I tried it and decided that it is easily the most effective way, - so that's what I do.

apart from the compulsory front row stuff, it's almost the only thing left in my short PMB - I include it precisely because I know that different refs do this differently, so helpful to tell them which method I'll be using.

So far as I know, my society doesn't have a 'peferred method' and it's left to us to do as we please.
So far as I know !
 
Generally I would expect the defensive line set but it is not unusual in the games I observe for a referee to set one of the teams on a reference point. I.E. “blue on the line”, ”red on the end of the dash” etc. Both methods seem to work equally effectively. Not heard of any directive from anybody. Even heard refs, including professional ones, say “line up the middle” on a 5M lineout for example.
 
When center ref - I go to the mark, and walk out to the 5m to mark the tunnel and ensure that the front players are 5m from touch. I've done too many games where there is no 5m tram line, so I just developed the habit of doing so.

When AR with the LO on my line - I hold the mark, and let the center ref handle the tunnel. If the center ref wants more, they'll ask either pre-match or as a lineout is forming (i.e. they're moving from the 5m channel to the back, and want me to check the throw).
 
Except (generally) at schools U16 and all U15 and below, when I will make a mark for both teams.
 
At the start of a game I like to see two clear marks so players know the refs expectations. After that go with what works -and if you have a problem, solve it.
 
I love how many different opinions, and methods, there are on this one.
As a group we refs certainly don't make things easy for ourselves
 
On the contrary, make it as easy as you can get away with. If it works for the players you must be doing OK, if it needs adjusting- solve that problem. Don't go looking for problems throughout the game, step in when you have to.
 
Lee Lifeson-Peart said:
Ditto
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This seems fair to me except the wider the tunnel the more leeway the throwing team has to throw the ball "straight". Doubtful a team would try exploiting it, but a wide tunnel makes it easy for the thrower to angle the path of the throw wider away from the non-throwing team while still keeping it within the tunnel and even inside the shoulder of the jumper.
 
jdeagro said:
This seems fair to me except the wider the tunnel the more leeway the throwing team has to throw the ball "straight". Doubtful a team would try exploiting it, but a wide tunnel makes it easy for the thrower to angle the path of the throw wider away from the non-throwing team while still keeping it within the tunnel and even inside the shoulder of the jumper.
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I have had this but I now make it clear in the PMB that I will give the defensive mark and it is up to the attack to form the 1m gap. Law 18.10 comes into play. FK against the attack if they try to take the micheal. This also makes it easier for me than trying to decide who has been closing the gap.
In my match when it happend I actually gave not straight (I didn't know the law/sanction off the top of my head) as they threw the ball down the extra wide tunnel to their jumper. I then looked up the correct sanction after the match and saw what was obviously the answer. Now its stuck but has never happened again. Typical
 
When we talk about ball going over the inside shoulder or head or outside shoulder, is that from where the players are on the ground or where they are when lifted into the air?
 
Where they are on the ground for me. They shouldn't be jumping across the tunnel anyway
 
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