A few important things to remember about referees:
- According to World Rugby Law 6.4.A(a) “The referee is the sole judge of fact and of Law during a match.”
- The referee is traditionally addressed as “sir”, and besides the captains, all other players, coaches, and spectators should not address the referee during a match except to say “yes sir”.
- Referees should be treated with utmost respect. These men and women are sacrificing their time to referee our matches in order to help youth rugby to flourish in Illinois, and for that we are grateful.
Scheduling Deadlines
Member Clubs: Referee organizations require time to coordinate schedules and assignments, so please be courteous in providing referee requests with as much notice as possible. If you are using the CARFU-RS, the deadline to receive priority scheduling is March 1 for the spring season. Please review the policies and procedures for all the local referee organizations to determine which is best for your club.
Become a Referee
We need more referees! Rugby is growing quickly in Illinois, and that puts a heavy demand on the available pool of referees. Rugby Illinois requests that every club have at least one coach, player, or other volunteer certified, registered, and available to referee occasionally during the season. Experienced high school players and recent graduates are encouraged to become referees and earn extra money refereeing middle school matches and b-side matches while gaining experience to referee at higher levels. Financial assistance is available.
Laws and Guidelines
Rugby is a game of laws. World Rugby oversees the laws, and USA Rugby provides guidance on interpretation.