This piece will try to pull together some of the key decisions on those finer details, in the hope of bringing clarity to this potentially confusing area. Indeed, in this weekend’s final Bledisloe Cup match, the two red cards shown to players for dangerous tackles were still disputed by some online. It allows for a margin of discretion and interpretation, and thus, as I had predicted, there has been disagreement over its finer details. Nonetheless, as I noted then, the Framework has not been a panacea in this area. It is the “ embodiment of World Rugby’s commitment to player welfare as its number one priority”.
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This article will therefore seek to provide an update on the Framework and its application by referees and disciplinary panels.Īs I wrote in my first article on the subject, the Framework is a very positive step towards more accurate and consistent outcomes, with player welfare concerns at its core. Since then, the Framework has been applied widely, both on and off the field.
Last year, I wrote an article explaining and analysing how the Framework would work and considering where its sticking points might be. It was intended as a “ systematic tool” to guide decision-making by referees, citing commissioners and disciplinary panels as to the appropriate sanction for potential acts of foul play. In May 2019, World Rugby published its Decision-Making Framework for High Tackles (the “ Framework”).