Clarification – Front Row replacements
Since the answers have implications beyond the referee’s purview, these answers
have been run by the chair of the USA Rugby Competitions Committee (and were
approved).
Peter
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Question
I am getting questions about if you go to uncontested scrums due to a front row
player being injured and the team not having a front row replacement, do they
then have to play a man down with the scrums being uncontested?
Answer
If a team is unable to continue with contested scrums because they do not have
an available replacement for an injured (or sent-off) player, scrums become
uncontested and the player whose departure caused this may not be replaced.
Question
Also, if a team brings in a player they deem front row eligible, and he/she
cannot play front row safely and uncontested scrums are required, do we then not
allow that replacement once we go to uncontested scrums.
Answer
Declaring that a player is “front row qualified” is a team function, as has been
clarified by the IRB in a couple of Rulings. Until a player comes into the game
to play front row and the referee determines that the player is in fact not
qualified, the team’s word has to be accepted. When a player comes into a game
to play front row and the referee judges that he or she is not qualified after
seeing the player in a scrum, scrums become non-contested (presuming there
aren’t any other FR players available) but the player remains in the game. This
may feel like a situation where the team is manipulating the system to obtain an
unwarranted number of subs, but the referee cannot know that for certain. There
may simply be an honest difference of opinion about the player’s skills. The
referee should make a report to the Union (Competitions Committee and/or
Disciplinary Committee) and allow them to decide.
Question
If a team has 6 front row players but 4 of them are hookers without proper prop
training – when do we go to uncontested scrums?
Answer
The Law covering replacement front rows, and the relationship between number of
front rows and total number of players contains specific provisions about the
required skill-sets. See Laws 3.5 (c) and 3.14 (c). If a team presents five FR
players they must be able to replace a prop and the hooker. If a team presents
six FR players, they must be able to replace each of the starters. This is a
question that the referee can and should ask during the pre-match briefing with
the front rows. If the answer is that all three reserves are skilled only at
hooking then the team hasn’t met the requirements and does not get the full
slate of replacements. If the team says that the players are properly skilled
and it turns out they are not, then the referee should report to the Union and
allow the Union to handle it after the match.
Question
If an injured prop leaves the field and there are no props to replace
them that team will play with 14 men. Suppose the prop has an injured
neck/shoulder, is unable to play prop but can participate in the game (e.g.
play flanker or center) – what is the referee to do given that the mantra is
“safety first”.
Answer
If the player is too injured to play in the front row, then that player must
leave the game (with the consequent reduction in total number of players).
