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Question 2 MAUL

TBH I am not sure that's a very good question for a Law exam. It's a bit tricksy, I wonder how much that really helps the ARU sort the good refs from the not so good.

I mean in practice : has anyone EVER had a team fail to obey a command to USE IT, within 5 seconds? It just doesn't happen. This whole discussion is about something that is never going to happen on the field.

I suspect it was set by the kind of ref who enjoys delivering the occasional 'gotcha' to the players....
 
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The Fat said:
Personally, I believe that the way the law is written could lead some/many to consider 17.6(g) a contradiction of the norm and 17.6(c).

This could have been avoided by making and listing 17.6(g) as an "Exception" to 17.6(c).
However, close scrutiny of 17.6(g) shows that the wording is quite specific as to who MUST act following the referee's direction to "Use it".
Click to expand...

THIS! If 83% of referees get it "wrong" then that is a clear indication that the two Laws are contradictory and badly worded

Listing it the way you suggest or even with its own subheading (as I have below) would be an indication to everyone reading it that the drafter understood its implications for 17.6 (c). The fact that they didn't list it that way tells me that they did not check the rest of the Law first to see what impact it would have.

If it had been listed like this....

[TEXTAREA]17.6 (g) Scrum after a maul where the ball is available. If the ball carrier in a maul goes to ground, including being on one or both knees or sitting, the referee orders a scrum unless the ball is immediately available. When the ball is available to be played the referee will call “Use it!” after which the ball must be played within five seconds. If the ball is not played within five seconds the referee will award a scrum and, notwithstanding Law 17.6 (c), the team not in possession of the ball is awarded the throw-in.[/TEXTAREA]

... then C) would be the obvious and only correct choice.

That they didn't do something like this is just bloody typical of the WR law drafters.
 
crossref said:
TBH I am not sure that's a very good question for a Law exam. It's a bit tricksy, I wonder how much that really helps the ARU sort the good refs from the not so good.

I mean in practice : has anyone EVER had a team fail to obey a command to USE IT, within 5 seconds? It just doesn't happen. This whole discussion is about something that is never going to happen on the field.

I suspect it was set by the kind of ref who enjoys delivering the occasional 'gotcha' to the players....
Click to expand...

I do agree with you and especially the bit I have made bold.
The whole approach of the "wrong statement" being the correct answer messes with my brain when you have a 90% pass mark.
You want to be tested on your knowledge of the laws in relatively quick situations. You don't get 5 minutes to read/assess a situation on the field. Why word questions in tricky ways in an exam situation?
 
Ian_Cook said:
THIS! If 83% of referees get it "wrong" then that is a clear indication that the two Laws are contradictory and badly worded
.
Click to expand...
To a degree...but probably more likely a great proportion couldn't be arsed reading the laws (and it's an open book exam!). :wink:

Ian_Cook said:
If it had been listed like this....

[TEXTAREA]17.6 (g) Scrum after a maul where the ball is available. .[/TEXTAREA]

... then C) would be the obvious and only correct choice.

That they didn't do something like this is just bloody typical of the WR law drafters.
Click to expand...

I get your point about a sub heading and agree...just not this because a scrum after a maul that appears to be successfully ended cause it's available sounds.....odd.
 
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