In football (soccer), hockey, and shinty when the referee awards a free kick/hit or penalty he will point to the flow of the team gaining the free kick/hit or penalty. However, in rugby (both codes) when the referee awards a penalty or free kick he points towards the team gaining the penalty or free kick.
Any sporting historians know why and how this occurred?
Referees Pointing.
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Bob Singleton
- Posts: 1975
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:40 am
Re: Referees Pointing.
Trumpton wrote:
> In football (soccer), hockey, and shinty when the referee
> awards a free kick/hit or penalty he will point to the flow of
> the team gaining the free kick/hit or penalty. However, in
> rugby (both codes) when the referee awards a penalty or free
> kick he points towards the team gaining the penalty or free
> kick.
>
> Any sporting historians know why and how this occurred?
>
It's not so much that the referee points towards the team being awarded the penalty, as he turns his back on those conceding it. Originally, referees pointed straigt up (180 degrees), but just like cricket umpires adding flourishes to signals for boundaries etc, so rugby referees have tended to only raise their arm to about 105 degrees (which looks as if they are pointing toward the side gaining the penalty)
In other areas of the game, scrums and lineouts, the arm points in the direction of the team being awarded the set piece.
> In football (soccer), hockey, and shinty when the referee
> awards a free kick/hit or penalty he will point to the flow of
> the team gaining the free kick/hit or penalty. However, in
> rugby (both codes) when the referee awards a penalty or free
> kick he points towards the team gaining the penalty or free
> kick.
>
> Any sporting historians know why and how this occurred?
>
It's not so much that the referee points towards the team being awarded the penalty, as he turns his back on those conceding it. Originally, referees pointed straigt up (180 degrees), but just like cricket umpires adding flourishes to signals for boundaries etc, so rugby referees have tended to only raise their arm to about 105 degrees (which looks as if they are pointing toward the side gaining the penalty)
In other areas of the game, scrums and lineouts, the arm points in the direction of the team being awarded the set piece.
"But how to make Liverpool economically prosperous? If only there was some way for Liverpudlians to profit from going on and on about the past in a whiny voice."
- Stewart Lee
- Stewart Lee
Re: Referees Pointing.
Bob Singleton wrote:
> It's not so much that the referee points towards the team being
> awarded the penalty, as he turns his back on those conceding
> it.
Yes in rugby that's correct. But in football it's the other way round.
> Originally, referees pointed straigt up (180 degrees), but
> just like cricket umpires adding flourishes to signals for
> boundaries etc, so rugby referees have tended to only raise
> their arm to about 105 degrees (which looks as if they are
> pointing toward the side gaining the penalty)
They do that when they've awarded a try, conversion and penalty.
> In other areas of the game, scrums and lineouts, the arm points
> in the direction of the team being awarded the set piece.
Correct.
> It's not so much that the referee points towards the team being
> awarded the penalty, as he turns his back on those conceding
> it.
Yes in rugby that's correct. But in football it's the other way round.
> Originally, referees pointed straigt up (180 degrees), but
> just like cricket umpires adding flourishes to signals for
> boundaries etc, so rugby referees have tended to only raise
> their arm to about 105 degrees (which looks as if they are
> pointing toward the side gaining the penalty)
They do that when they've awarded a try, conversion and penalty.
> In other areas of the game, scrums and lineouts, the arm points
> in the direction of the team being awarded the set piece.
Correct.