Article: Understanding 'Clear & Obvious'

[Robert Burns]

You can view the page at http://www.rugbyrefs.com/content.php?381-Understanding-Clear-Obvious

[menace]

Only problem with this article is that you're merely preaching to the converted as barely a diddly squat of spectators will read it....shame about that, they might have learnt something.

[Robert Burns]

Ah, not true. It's running as an advert and already has 524 views via other mediums, & Brian Moore has tweeted about the irony of having to explain 'Clear & obvious". :D

[crossref]

Personally I am not a fan of the clear and obvious mantra.

What about an offence that is perfectly clear but not at all obvious ? You are going to blow, right..

[Robert Burns]

It's not mean to be broken down into individual bits. It's a term to mean unless I am 100% sure I am not blowing this whistle.

[Pegleg]

It's something of a tautology. But a useful tool none the less.

[ChrisR]

Even if an event is obvious it is not always clear. Therein lies the difficulty.

[Pegleg]

If it is clear that it is a Penalty offence then it is obvious that it is a Penalty offence.

EG


You see a punch land: It is both clear and obvious that a punch has landed therefore a Penalty offence has occured.

Alternatively:

A player come out of a maul with a bloody nose it is both clear and obvious that something happened. It its neither clear nor obvious what that "something" was.

[crossref]

If you see a crafty punch to the kidneys, that no one else has noticed, it's clear.. But it wasn't obvious

[Pegleg]

If you see a crafty punch to the kidneys, that no one else has noticed, it's clear. But it wasn't obvious

It was obvious to you. On the scenario you propose nothing would be C & O as someone somewhere in the ground will not see it. C & O must be seen from the referee's perspective.

[Taff]

It's not mean to be broken down into individual bits. It's a term to mean unless I am 100% sure I am not blowing this whistle.
That's how I understand it.

Ie if it's a "grey area" between a clear black and white decision - it doesn't get blown.