Loof de Jager Red Card: South Africa vs France Explanation
Summary of World Rugby’s Laws on Head Contact (as detailed in the article):
Hear’s a breakdown of the laws and process for determining punishment for head contact in rugby, according to the provided text:
Key Laws:
* law 9.11: Players must not act recklessly or dangerously, including leading with elbow/forearm or jumping into a tackle.
* Law 9.13: Players must not tackle above the line of the shoulders, even if the tackle starts below it.
World Rugby’s Focus:
* Player Welfare: The primary driver of decisions regarding foul play, especially head contact.
* Action, Not Injury: The focus is on the action that caused the contact, not whether an injury occurred (an HIA doesn’t automatically mean foul play).
The Four-Step Process Referees Use:
- Has head contact occurred? (Includes head, face, neck, and throat) – if yes, move to Step 2.
- Was there any foul play? (Intentional, reckless, or avoidable?) – If yes, move to Step 3. If no,play continues.
- What was the degree of danger? (High to Low) – Determines the initial punishment.
- Is there any mitigation? – Factors that might lessen the punishment.
High Danger Indicators (leading to harsher penalties):
* Direct contact (vs. indirect)
* High-force impact
* lack of control by the tackler
* high speed of the incident
* Leading with head/shoulder/elbow/forearm
* Reckless tackle
The article highlights that the De Jager red card was issued because his tucked arm made the contact always illegal and was deemed intentional, leaving no room for mitigation.