How long for a held ball?

[bas2456]

I've seen some quick whistles, then some that aren't whistled at all.

My question is, is there a specific amount of time you wait on a held ball to see if one player can gain control?

[grunewar]

Rule 4, Section 25 A held ball occurs when:
ART. 1 . . . Opponents have their hands so firmly on the ball that control cannot
be obtained without undue roughness.
ART. 2 . . . An opponent places his/her hand(s) on the ball and prevents an
airborne player from throwing the ball or releasing it on a try.

I give it a good look, maybe hold my whistle a split second to see if someone will gain control, and then put air in the whistle and move toward the situation quickly. I definitely want to get it, and get there, before it gets rough and the elbows and arms fly.

[Adam]

Ideally, I wait to see if the ball is stuck. If neither player can free it without "undue roughness," I hit the whistle.

The fact is, sometimes I find myself hitting whistle sooner than I'd like. Sometimes I wait too long.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Ideally, I wait to see if the ball is stuck. If neither player can free it without "undue roughness," I hit the whistle.

The fact is, sometimes I find myself hitting whistle sooner than I'd like. Sometimes I wait too long.

Newbie question:
If play has been "rough" in the game, is it considered good mechanics to be a bit quicker with the whistle in a held ball situation?
Not looking to impose my own interp. of 4.25.1 here...just a game management question.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

Newbie question:
If play has been "rough" in the game, is it considered good mechanics to be a bit quicker with the whistle in a held ball situation?
Not looking to impose my own interp. of 4.25.1 here...just a game management question.

Maybe good "game management" is the better terminology. This is a seat of the pants thing you will need to get a feel for as you gain experience.

Nip it in the bud before a scrum gets out of hand. If the game is a bit "chippy," you might put air in your whislte earlier to prevent "issues" from developing.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Maybe good "game management" is the better terminology. This is a seat of the pants thing you will need to get a feel for as you gain experience.

Nip it in the bud before a scrum gets out of hand. If the game is a bit "chippy," you might put air in your whislte earlier to prevent "issues" from developing.

Agree. I'm also much quicker if the players are on the floor. Those situations can escalate quickly.

[Loudwhistle]

I tend to hold my whistle a little longer during Gjv, they sometimes can get the ball away from opponent without us having to stop the game. In physical, rival, BV games I hit the whistle very quickly to stop the rip the ball away and maybe take out somebody's teeth with an elbow. I sometimes sprint right up to players while blowing my whistle on a held ball if I know they are cocky.

[Adam]

I agree with grune. The same goes with contact that seems to be borderline incidental. If the game is getting chippy, I might be more inclined to call the borderline stuff.

[KJUmp]

grune/Snags.....thanks.