Lines

Monday 15th January 2007

This is has to do with lines. After all they are so important in the game.

You are a referee, therefore the most honest of men. Do the little test and then look up the answers without cheating. Cheating at these Tests, like cheating at Solitaire, really is an exercise in futility.

In this match the Irish Furniture is playing against the Welsh Cleaners.

1. With the Welsh Cleaners leading 21-16 and only moments left, Anthony Sidebord of the Irish Furniture gets the ball on an overlap and races down the touch-line on his right. He crosses the Welsh Cleaners' goal-line in the corner and turns round to make the conversion easier for Ronan O'Sofa. Sidebord runs on an arc as eager Welsh Cleaners players make for him but he charges along deep in in-goal and eventually dots down. You consult the television match official who tells you that Sidebord's right foot just clipped the dead-ball line on his way round.

You will

a. award the try

b. award a drop-out

2. Kevin Polisch, the Welsh Cleaners fullback, gathers the ball deep in his 22. He is under no pressure and runs up to the 22-metre line. He kicks for touch with his right foot. As he kicks his left foot is planted firmly on the 22-metre line. The ball flies downfield and goes directly into touch on the Irish Furniture ten-metre line.

You will have the line-out

a. on the Welsh Cleaners 22
b. a metre outside the Welsh Cleaners 22
c. on the Irish Furniture ten-metre line.

3. The ball is lying in the Irish Furniture in-goal area, in touch-in-goal. Shane Duster, the Welsh Cleaners wing, speeds after the ball and dives at it. He is slightly short but puts his left hand down on the touch-in-goal line and reaches out with his right hand and places it on the ball, pressing it to the ground.

You  will

a. award the try
b. award a drop-out

4. Ronan O'Sofa of the Irish Furniture kicks a high Garryowen. The ball, is dropping towards the Welsh Cleaners 22 where Kevin Polisch of the Welsh Cleaners waits for the ball. His right foot is anchored on the 22-metre line, his left foot stretching forward. He catches the ball about a metre outside his 22. He calls Mark.

You will

a. award the free kick
b. wave play on

5. Ronan O'Sofa of the Irish Furniture grubbers towards the Welsh Cleaners line where Kevin Polisch is waiting for the ball. His right leg is anchored on the goal-line, his left leg stretched forward as he meets the ball about a metre in front of the goal-line, draws back and dots the ball down on the goal-line.

You will

a. award a drop-out
b. award a five-metre scrum

6. Ronan O'Sofa if the Irish Furniture grubbers towards the Welsh Cleaners line where Kevin Polisch is waiting for the ball. His right leg is anchored on the goal-line, his left leg stretched forward. The ball stops as it gets to him. He picks it up, draws back and dots the ball down on the goal-line.

You will

a. award a drop-out
b. award a five-metre scrum

7. Ten metres outside of his 22, Kevin Polisch, the Welsh Cleaners fullback, kicks for touch. The ball is dropping  towards the touch-line on the Irish Furniture ten-metres line. Girvan Armchair, the Irish Furniture fullback, waits for the ball. His left foot is anchored on the touch-line, his right leg stretched into the field of play. When  he catches the ball it is about half a metre before it reaches the touch line.

You will award

a. a line-out where Armchair caught the ball, Irish Furniture ball
b. a line-out where Armchair caught the ball, Welsh Cleaners ball
c. a line-out 32 metres from the Welsh Cleaners goal-line, Irish Furniture ball

8. Shane Duster, the Welsh Cleaners wings, dashes for the Irish Furniture goal-line. In a covering tackle Girvan Armchair of the Irish Furniture mows him down holding his ankles as Duster falls to ground. Duster is fifteen centimetres short of the Irish Furniture line. Lying there he holds the ball in one hand, lifts it and places it on the line.

You will

a. penalise Duster
b. award the try

9. Kevin Duster goes to field a long kick five metres outside his 22. He goes not catch the ball which goes off his hands back over the 22-metre. line. He runs back, picks up the ball six metres inside his 22 and from there kicks the ball out directly into touch ten metres outside of his 22.

You will award the line-pout

a. 16 metres from the Welsh Cleaners line
b. 22 metres from the Welsh Cleaners line
c. 27 metres from the Welsh Cleaners line
d. 32 metres from the Welsh Cleaners line.

10. After the Welsh Cleaners have scored a try, Ronan O'Sofa, the Irish Furniture flyhalf, kicks off. It is a shallow kick which drops and bounces before it reaches the Welsh Cleaners ten-metre line. Adam Mopp, the Welsh Cleaners prop, steps over the ten-metre line and tries to grab the ball. He knocks on. Marcus Taybill grabs the ball and charges ahead to set up a ruck.

You will

a. let play go on
b. award a scrum to the Irish Furniture
c. have a kick-off again
d. award a scrum to the Welsh Cleaners at the middle of the half-way line
e. give the Welsh Cleaners the option of a scrum or a kick again

To see answers, click here.

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