THE TACKLE AREA

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THE TACKLE AREA

• Chris Henshall
• USA Rugby National Panel Referee

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Agenda

• Definitions
• Key elements by referee grade
• Aide Memoir
• Some Elite facts
• Check List

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Tackle - Definition

• A tackle occurs when the ball-carrier is held by
  one or more opponents and is brought to ground.
  
• A ball-carrier who is not held is not a tackled
  player and a tackle has not taken place.
  
• Opposition players who hold the ball-carrier and
  bring that player to ground, and who also go to
  ground, are known as tacklers.
  
• Opposition players who hold the ball-carrier and
  do not go to ground are not tacklers.
  

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If only things were this straightforward!
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What stops it being so?

• Where it happens relative to the referee
• Nature of the tackle
• Number and position of players involved
• What they do
• Which of these can you affect?

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Tackle - Priorities

• Recognition
• Tackler
• Tackled player
• Arriving Players

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Tackle

• It is vital that we get a picture in our heads of
  good, safe and legal tackle sequences
  
• Variations from this should alert us to issues
• The Tackle should be a fair contest
• It is difficult to referee
• Relish the challenge of getting it right!

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Key Elements of the Tackle

• From the USA Rugby Evaluation and Grading Manual

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C3 Elements

• Observed trampling of players
• Protected safety of players on the ground

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C2 Elements

• Observed arriving players leaving their feet
• Did not permit pileups to continue after ball is
  buried
  
• Awarded scrum put-in to the correct side when
  ball became unplayable

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C1 Elements

• Ensured arriving players stayed on their feet
• Observed flagrant killing of the ball
• Observed players lying on the ground interfering
  with players on their feet
  
• Positioned out of the way of arriving players
• When play is stopped, positioned close enough to
  administer effective corrective action

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B3 Elements

• Observed failure of tackler to move away from
  tackled player
  
• Observed failure of tackled player make the ball
  available
  
• Observed arriving players entering from the wrong
  side of the tackle
  
• Initial position close enough to manage the
  immediate availability of the ball
  
• Final position anticipated which team would win
  the ball

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B2 Elements

• Ensured arriving players did not obstruct
  opponents
  
• Ensured tackler and tackled player made the ball
  available
  
• Observed when tackler and tackled player did not
  make the ball immediately available
  
• Ensured arriving players enter from correct side
  of the tackle

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B1 Elements

• Proactively prevented tackle offenses from
  occurring

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Aide Memoire

• Tackle Comments

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A Key Area of Observation

• Arriving players require observation before
  tackled players on occasion. Referees need to be
  aware of who won the collision when starting
  their checklist
• Accuracy in decision-making is vital as this is
  an area of high penalty count and can affect the
  outcome of matches

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A Continuous Game

• Ball must be available immediately irrespective
  of body position of the tackled player
  
• Zero tolerance to be applied to tacklers who do
  not move away

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Sneaky Ruggers

• It has been recognized that the tackler is
  becoming a problem and that the tackled player
  has been penalized for not releasing the ball
  when he has been prevented from doing so by the
  tackler

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The Finer Points

• Where there is a double tackle the role of the
  upper tackler may be of consequence as that
  player is more likely to impede the playing of
  the ball. A tackler who regains his feet is
  obliged to release the tackled player before he
  attempts to play the ball

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A Higher Level of Cheat

• Please note that players on their feet may not be
  playing the ball (Hands on the ball pulling it
  back into the tackled player), looking for a
  penalty they are not allowing the ball to be
  played. They should be penalized for not allowing
  the ball to be played

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Mind The Gate

• Zero tolerance to be applied to players who do
  not enter through the gate and who have a
  material effect on play. Gate is as wide as the
  last person at the end of each side of the tackle
  or ruck

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Play The Ball

• Unplayables are acceptable if the referee is in
  doubt as to the offender or there is no offence.
  Unplayables should be whistled quickly. A number
  of unplayables should indicate there is a problem

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Flight School

• The following analogies apply to arriving
  players
  
• Plane taking off is acceptable
• Plane landing is not acceptable
• Fork Lift truck when moving players is
  acceptable
  
• If not using fork lift technique, players are
  planes landing and this is not acceptable

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Hanging Judge

• Zero tolerance to players who charge into rucks
  and mauls, without Binding
  
• Zero tolerance to players who clear out
  opponents not involved in ruck or maul
  
• Question whether advantage will work at the
  tackle unless it is obvious

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The GATE

• Players who play the ball after a tackle must do
  so from the direction indicated in the diagrams
  that follow i.e. from the direction of their own
  goal line and directly behind the tackled player
  or tackler nearest to their goal line

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GATE width
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GATE width
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o
Tackle typical organization
RED is defending
Imaginary Barriers
x
o
x
x
BLUE is attacking
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RED is defending
IMPORTANT ZONES to WATCH!
x
o
2
BLUE is attacking
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RED is defending
x
o
NO MANS LAND Beware of players lurking
BLUE is attacking
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o
x
MAYHEM!
o
o
x
o
x
o
MAYHEM!
x
x
o
x
MAYHEM!
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Managing the gate GATE
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Managing the gate GATE
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Not a Part of our Game

• Dangerous Tackles To be treated at the upper
  end of foul play scale (red card, and work down,
  not the reverse)
  
• High
• No Arms
• Spear
• Tackle on the collar

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No Rodeo Tackles

• Any player who puts a player in the air or caused
  a player to be put in the air has a
  responsibility to ensure that the player is
  brought to the ground safely

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Either/Or

• Tackles could be
• Late
• Early
• Late and Dangerous
• Early and Dangerous

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We Dont Read Minds

• Referees to judge on fact/law, not intent. Intent
  is for the judiciary to rule on, not the referee

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Best Practice Communicationat the Tackle /
Ruck
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Game ObservationsBRETT BOWDEN (Aus)

• Stuart Dickinson
• Hurricanes v Stormers
• Bulls v Highlanders
• Crusaders v Stormers
• Blues v Bulls
• Blues v Stormers
• Scott Young
• Stormers v Highlanders
• Sharks v Blues
• Cats v Blues
• Chiefs v Bulls
• Wayne Erickson
• Bulls v Cats
• Hurricanes v Sharks
• Hurricanes v Cats
• Crusaders v Bulls
• Chiefs v Stormers

• Peter Marshall
• Cats v Crusaders
• Highlanders v Sharks
• Highlanders v Cats
• Sharks v Crusaders
• George Ayoub
• Bulls v Hurricanes
• Cats Chiefs
• Sharks v Chiefs

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The aims of this study were to

• Observe the communications from these elite
  referees in a match context
  
• Identify existing trends
• It is thought that from these results we can put
  in place, a Best Practice Communication
  
• Can then be distributed to the community rugby
  level
  

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Communication was observed at

• Tackle
• as it is occurring
• once it has happened
• as players arrive
• when it is over
• Ruck
• as it forms
• during the phase
• as players arrive
• when it is over

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The verbal communication that is being observed
will be listed as either

• Direct
• A player that is clearly defined
• Eg. Black 7 release and roll away
• Indirect
• Non specific communication
• Eg. Hands away
• Non verbal communication
• Communications used without voice, (eg. Use of
  hand signals)
  

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Communication at the Tackle/Ruck
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Penalties at the Tackle/Ruck
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Commentary

• You would expect to have a lower percentage of
  penalties after direct communication was given
  during the tackle/ruck phase.
  
• For percentages above 10, it must be thought
  when was the communication given, and if it had
  any effect at all?
  
• Observations from coaches would need to accompany
  penalties given after direct' communication,
  including running lines and positioning as the
  tackle/ruck was developing.
• The goal here would be to change the in-direct
  communication to direct communication.
  
• Three (3) out of the five (5) referees had higher
  percentages of penalties after in-direct
  communication was used at the tackle.
  
• If our purpose is to decrease the amount of
  penalties at the tackle / ruck phase it should
  be looked upon as dealing with the biggest
  problem first and in this instance it is the low
  success rate of our in-direct communication at
  the tackle.

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Conclusion

• It has been demonstrated by Australias leading
  referees that your communication as varied as it
  comes, could determine your ultimate success or
  your downfall
• From the results of this analysis we can start to
  adopt the following communication strategies to
  help you manage the tackle / ruck in a more
  effective manner

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TackleHands Away Tackler, - Roll
Away!orHands off Red 6!
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Specifics here are

• TACKLER RED, used in a 5 3 word direction
  making it a very clear and specific demand in a
  time frame for the tackler to oblige your
  request
• This is only used if it is needed! If the tackler
  is already in the process of releasing the
  ball-carrier, do not use your Power of Words if
  you dont need them

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RuckThe most contentious facet of our game
both on and off the field!Communication will be
paramount at this breakdown, your knowledge and
interpretation will be yourultimate success.
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ITS A RUCK HANDS OUT RED!STAY ON YOUR
FEET - BLUE
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Its not just the specifics that are communicated
during this phase but when it is said!

• Too early
• You will back yourself into a corner! Let it
  progress and then talk when it is needed
  
• On the occasions that you do talk to early, stick
  with your convictions!
  
• Too late
• There is more chance that you will lose control
  at the breakdown if your talk comes too late!
  Better to blow the whistle immediately rather
  than try and talk the players out of a situation
  that has got out of your control
• If you find that your communication is coming too
  late, it could mean your positioning or running
  lines too the breakdown needs to be adjusted for
  it to be effective.. There is more chance that
  you are actually seeing the 2nd Infringement,
  which will lead to player frustration

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Trends at the Tackle

• There is now a more aggressive attack of
  possession at the ball once a tackle is made. The
  tackle is now an offensive weapon!
  
• The first players arriving are ball focused
  rather than cleaning out opposition players
  
• The contest for the ball is happening immediately
  resulting in a need for you to be there much
  earlier
  
• The first two players are going to come into
  contact much earlier at the tackle, as both try
  to secure the ball on the ground
  
• Communication and being there will determine
  continuity!
  
• Because of this ball focus, you are going to see
  a lower drive (clean-out) and players leaving
  their feet after the contact. What should be
  observed is a clean-out action similar to a
  plane taking off!
• This has to be considered as positive play,
  compared to the player that is just sealing off
  the ball from the opposition and flopping to the
  ground.
• The demand for referees to be faster, fitter
  more agile will help promote play at the
  Tackle!
  
• If referees can combine best practice
  positioning/running lines with specific
  communication they will have limited problems.
  

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Things To Highlight On Your Checklists!

• TACKLE
• 1. Actions of Tackler/Tacklers
• 2. Actions of Ball carrier
• 3. Arriving Players
• 4. Joined from an on-side position
• RUCK
• 1. Be
• -Positive, Specific, Preventative
• 2. The cleanout
• - must use arms
• - close proximity
• 3. When its over
• - players in an offside position

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END