Las 5 infracciones que los referees no cobran

No referee is perfect, and every rugby player knows rule no. 2, “What the referee does not see, is not a foul.”

As a result, every match, anywhere in the world, at any level, is filled with infringements that a referee will miss, and some of those come back over and over again.

Here are five of the infringements that annoy us all, both as players and viewers, and which hardly ever get punished.

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1. Crooked feeds

This is a true pet peeve for viewers, commentators and players alike. Only hookers and scrum halves seem not to mind, unless it goes against them.

The ball should be thrown in in the scrum, and the hooker should strike the ball back into the second or third row. Feeding the ball into the feet of the hooker, or even the second row robs the opposition of a chance to compete. But unless the referee is a real stickler for it, crooked feeds are only punished when it is truly blatant.

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2. Reserve players or staff messing with the ball in touch. 

It happens at amateur level, it happens at pro level and it happens in test rugby.

The opposition has kicked the ball into touch and if you get the ball quickly, there is time and space for a quick throw in and a counter move. But a chaser, or worse, a reserve from the opposition or one of their staff, or even a ball boy, works the ball over the boarding or beyond the designated three meters from the line. Some times they hold on to the ball, or even replace it.

As a result of these fouls, you can’t take the quick throw.