Grey areas over contact leaves local coaches bemused

NEW laws surrounding the contact area continue to create more uncertainty than clarity.

Both coaches following yesterday's North Yorkshire derby at Threshfields bemoaned referee Ian Tempest's interpretation of the laws concerning the aftermath of the tackle, and who must roll away.

Neither Gary Walker of Otley or home coach Tommy McGee aimed their criticism at the match official, more the guidelines governing the contact area.

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Walker, Otley's director of rugby, attributed his side's narrow defeat to their poor execution both in open play and in the set-piece, but was bemused by the laws governing play in close quarters.

"We seemed to find difficulty in understanding what the referee was requesting," he said.

"The unfortunate thing with the new laws in the contact area is we can talk to individual referee and get told different things. You don't know what the correct manner is."

McGee only took the head coach's role at Threshfields in the summer after 10 years spent in the professional environment where video analysis of officiating were part of the weekly schedule.

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Now in charge of a part-time outfit who train only a few evenings a week, discovering the most time-effective way in which to educate his players on the intricacies of the new laws, and the different interpretations, is one of the big challenges he faces.

"It's really difficult for the players, coaches and referees at the moment," said the 31-year-old former Scotland A international.

"You have got to play the referee every week because it's how he sees it.

"If you're part of the tackle you have to release and we are trying to get to the stage, through video analysis every week, where we can understand that better."

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Wharfedale edged out Otley in a full-blooded encounter, but McGee is demanding his side show more intelligence.

"We showed an enormous amount of courage although we put ourselves under a lot of pressure and we're quite immature as a side," he said.

"It's about controlling the game, and we didn't do that. We are not making the right decisions."

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