Remember that you are in charge of the match from the moment you leave the changing room to warm up until you get back into the club house after the game. You are therefore entitled to deal with actions by players, coaches and spectators before, during and after the game.

Unsafe pitch
If either team objects to the state of the pitch, they must tell the referee before the match starts. The referee must not start the match if he believes that the pitch is unfit and therefore potentially dangerous (whatever the teams say). The referee can also stop a match once it has started if he decides that it is unfit.
If both teams believe the ground to be unsafe then the match does not take place. If one team believes the ground is safe and the other disagrees, the referee cannot force a team to play. The decision as to whether to play or not must be taken by the team's coach. Youth referees should not attempt to persuade a team to play if their coach considers the pitch to be unsafe.

Coaches
Introduce yourself to both coaches well before the kick-off time. Brief them on any particular requirements that you want them to pass on to their players. Check whether they have a full front row and any front row replacements. Check that both coaches are aware of the match length and the number of substitutes allowed.

Post protectors
Check before the game that the posts are properly fitted with post protectors. If they are not, tell the home coach to deal with it. Do not under any circumstances start the game if the post protectors are absent or not fitted properly.

Flags
Flags should be in place on the dead ball line, the goal line, the 22 and the half way line. If they are not, tell the home coach. Unlike post protectors, a full set of flags is not compulsory. Insist on having flags on at least the goal line and the 22. If the club can’t find any flags, make it clear to both coaches that their players will have to appreciate the difficulties that you face and respect your decisions as to whether kicks were from inside or outside the 22 and which side of the corner point a kick passed.

Briefings
Always brief the front row to check that they fully understand the scrum engagement sequence. You may also want to brief the scrum-half about the need for a straight put in at the scrum, his positioning (eg at under 15 level and below, the non-putting in scrum-half cannot advance beyond the tunnel) and at what stage you regard the ball as being out of a scrum or ruck (eg when it's beyond the back foot or the scrum half has two hands on the ball and it is under control).

Studs
Check all of the players studs well before the game.
IRB approved metal studs are no longer compulsory. The guidance now says that 'Studs/cleats of player’s boots must conform with IRB Specifications (Regulation 12), must not be longer than 21 mm, and must not have any burring or sharp edges.' There is nothing to say that football studs or blades are outlawed. Any sort of studs are therefore acceptable as long as there are no sharp edges, points etc. A single stud at the toe of the boot remains illegal - there must be a pair.
If you are not satisfied with a player's studs, tell the coach. The player will then have to find another pair of boots or get some studs from a team mate or the Club shop. Insist that any ear studs, rings etc are removed. If a player has an item of 'jewellery' which cannot be removed, do not allow him to play unless you are satisfied that the item has been securely taped up and is safe. If in doubt, do not allow the player to take part in the game.

Colour clash
If there is a colour clash, the home team must change into suitably coloured alternative kit. If the home team say that they genuinely cannot find any alternative kit, you must decide whether you can safely referee the game. Tell both coaches and captains that the players will have to recognise the difficulties that you will face in deciding which team is which and accept your decisions accordingly.

Touch judges
Each team is responsible for providing a touch judge. If you have flags (£3.99 from Soccer Sports), give one to each coach and tell him to find a touch judge. It is not your job to persuade anyone to run the line.
Touch judges provided by each team are not officially appointed. Their duties are therefore limited to flagging when the ball is in touch and indicating whether kicks at goal have been successful or not. If the touch judges disagree as to whether a kick at goal has been successful, you must decide. Brief your touch judges accordingly.
If a touch judge raises his flag to indicate that the ball (or a player carrying the ball) is in touch, always go with that touch judge's decision. Otherwise, you run the risk of one team stopping as soon as they see a flag while the other team continues. Do not allow players to argue with a touch judge. Treat dissent towards a touch judge, provided you actually witness it, in the same way as you would treat dissent towards yourself.
If a touch judge makes a glaring error, have a quiet word at the next stoppage. If you decide that a touch judge is biased or incompetent, you are entitled to require the coach of the relevant team to find you a replacement.
You can never award a scrum, free kick, penalty or try or issue a yellow or red card on the say so of a non-appointed touch judge. If a touch judge tells you at a stoppage that he has seen foul play, all that you can do is get the details and speak to the player and his captain to advise them that the incident was seen and that they need to keep their discipline.

Spectators
Insist that all spectators stand back from the pitch and, if there is a barrier, behind it. If any spectators are reluctant to retreat, tell the coaches to deal with this in the interests of safety and refuse to play on until they move.
Unless it descends into abuse or foul language, ignore anything that comes from the spectators. If any spectator is guilty of what you regard as abuse, tell the appropriate coach that he is responsible for the behaviour of his supporters and that he must deal with the issue. Do not confront the spectator yourself. If the spectator continues to misbehave, refuse to continue with the game until the coach arranges for that spectator to be removed well away from the pitch side.
If you are subject to anything that you regard as abuse (as opposed to spectators strongly disagreeing with your decisions), report that to Peter Brady or Mark Smith as soon as possible after the end of the game. The Herts RFU takes a very strong line against clubs whose supporters abuse match officials.

Injured players
If a coach refuses to replace an injured player who you think is not fit to continue, or if you have safety concerns about that player, refuse to continue the game until the player is replaced. You are the judge of fitness to play and safety, not the player or his coach.

Safety
The safety of the players is paramount and overrides any other consideration.
If you are not satisfied that a front row player is able to scrummage safely, insist that the coach replaces him with a player who can. You are the sole judge of this. If the coach cannot or will not replace the player, you must order uncontested scrums for the remainder of the game.
A coach may tell you that he needs to remove a front row player because of injury and cannot provide a replacement front row player so that uncontested scrums have to be ordered. You must accept what the coach says about this. The other side (who may have been dominant in the scrum) may complain that this is a ruse. Tell them that you are not going to debate the matter and that uncontested scrums have to follow. If a team has an issue with this, the coach must take it up subsequently with the competition organisers and not with you.
You are the sole judge of whether it is safe for a game to continue. If you consider there to be a serious risk to the safety of the players, you should abandon the game. This is obviously not a step to be taken lightly but your duty to the safety of the players is paramount.

Misbehaviour
Always deal with misbehaviour by players in the form of dissent, abuse or foul play. It is your decision whether you deal with the matter by speaking to the player or by issuing a card. If you speak to the player, always do so in the presence of his captain.
If you issue a yellow card, always make a note of the player's number (if he has one) or his position (if he does not) and make a very short note of the reason for the card. This is necessary in case you have to issue a second yellow card to the same player and therefore send him off. A player who has been shown the yellow card remains off the pitch for 10 minutes playing time (not actual time, which may be shorter). A youth player should remain on the halfway line with his coaching team. A player who is yellow carded shortly before half-time may join his team during the break but must then resume his place on the halfway line at the start of the 2nd half.
Yellow cards do not need to be reported to anyone.
If an offence is serious enough to warrant a red card, speak to the player in the presence of his captain and get his full name. Show him the red card and tell him that he is being sent off the pitch and the reason why. Make a note on the rear of your scorecard of the circumstances. As soon as possible after the match, contact Peter Brady or Mark Smith to discuss the reporting procedures.
If a coach approaches you at half time, full-time or in the club house and asks you to explain the reason for a yellow or red card, do so clearly but briefly. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into a debate about this. If the coach persists in wanting to debate the matter with you, terminate the conversation and walk away.
Remember that you can issue a warning, a yellow card or a red card to any coach, any player on the pitch and any replacement who is waiting at the side of the pitch.

Insurance
Finally, please remember that you are only insured for refereeing at your home club if you are actually a member – check that your BSRFC membership is up to date. You are only insured to referee at another club if you are a member of that club or you have been officially appointed to that game by the appropriate Referees Society.

Peter Brady
Club Referee Co-Ordinator