---
title: "What referees will be watching out for in the Six Nations"
canonical: "https://readrugbyunion.com/2018/01/30/referees-will-watching-six-nations/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Sam Brown"
section: "News"
published: "2018-01-30T15:33:19Z"
modified: "2018-01-30T15:33:19Z"
---

# What referees will be watching out for in the Six Nations

[Six Nations referees have been instructed to clamp down](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/issues-six-nations-referees-been-14220096) on several issues ahead of the opening weekend.

At the top of their lists this year is said to be crooked feeds into the scrum. Whilst the rule-book has always said the ball must be placed into the scrum perpendicular to the direction of said-scrum, rugby fans will know this is almost never the case.

![Stu Forster/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readrugbyunion.com/readrugbyunion/2018/01/493324312.jpg)

Nigel Owens, 2015 World Cup final referee and the man in the middle for France vs Ireland on opening weekend had [this to say speaking to the Mail Online](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-5320435/Nigel-Owens-laws-look-Six-Nations.html):

> “We will be stronger on crooked feeds at the scrum… Everybody wants the ball put in straight at a scrum – it does not need to be 50-50 down the middle, but it needs to allow both hookers to strike for the ball.

> “If the ball goes straight into the second-row’s feet we will be giving a free-kick.”

Another issue Owens drew attention to was the matter of scrum halves using their hands to roll the ball back out of a ruck whilst the ruck is still active.

> “If they use their hands they could concede a penalty or referees will say the ball is out and the ruck is over, so the opposition can come round.”

![Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readrugbyunion.com/readrugbyunion/2018/01/847761780.jpg)

One final issue to be addressed is the response to backchat from players. Owens has traditionally been a strong purveyor of making sure he is respected on the pitch, and is seemingly hoping other referees start doing the same.

> “Protecting rugby’s values is important, so we will deal with backchat as we are aware of it creeping into the game,”

> “We can march teams back 10 metres, reverse the penalty decision, or even show cards – although I would probably only sin-bin someone who has retaliated to foul play and then asks for a yellow for the other player.”

The Six Nations gets underway at 2.15 on Saturday, with Wales vs Scotland.