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This is not soccer is the famous catchphrase of Nigel Owens, Wales’ top rugby referee and widely respected as one of the finest officials on the planet.

And football it most certainly is not. Many will be tuning into rugby for the first time as the World Cup commences, but even seasoned rugby watchers are sometimes mystified by the complex laws and the referee’s hand signals.

So who better to take you through exactly what those signals mean than Nigel himself?

In total, there are 22 rugby laws, but each with a whole myriad of sub-clauses.

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“We have to watch out for so much,” admits Nigel. “At the lineout alone, for example, you have to check the numbers are the same, the throw goes five metres, everybody is a metre apart, the non-throwing hooker is two metres from the lineout and touch.

“The scrum-half must be two metres away, the rest of the backs must not be within 10 metres, the ball must be thrown straight, those contesting the ball must do it fairly, no-one must be pulled down.

“It’s not just a question of this is a lineout, just get on with it. We have to keep an eye out for a host of things. Similarly at the scrum we’re watching for different offences.

“Rugby is such a unique and great sport, but it can also be complex in terms of trying to implement the laws of the game.

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The signals in full

HOLDING ONTO THE BALL

When you’re tackled, and go to ground, you must do three or four things with the ball. You can either release it immediately, you can place it in any direction, or you can pass it off the floor, or roll it back. But if you hold on which slows play down, that’s a penalty.

OFF YOUR FEET

In rugby the game is played on your feet. If you go off your feet deliberately, in the contact area for example, then it’s a penalty.

HEAD CHECK

If a referee suspects a player has become concussed, and would like him to get checked, then he calls the medic with a head check signal.

NECK ROLL/NECK GRAB

This is something quite new that has been creeping into the game. It’s dangerous play where players grab an opponent by the neck in a maul or contact area to take them out, or grab them round the neck to twist them out of the contact area. This should not be happening because it’s very dangerous play.

So that’s classed as a high tackle, dangerous. That is to be penalised and clamped down upon.

This neck roll/neck grab has pretty much replaced what used to be known as the spear tackle.

FREE KICK

This is awarded for an infringement which is deemed to be not as deliberate as a penalty offence.

CROOKED FEED

That would be, for example, if a scrum-half feeds the ball not straight at the scrum... although a lot of people would say that’s deliberate.

FOOT UP

The hooker having his foot up before the ball comes into the scrum is another free kick.

BALL NOT STRAIGHT IN LINEOUT

The ball must be thrown down the middle, which we call straight. If it’s thrown down to one side more than the other, which makes it an unfair contest, then it’s not straight. Scrum or lineout to the opposition, their captain’s call.

PENALTY

A penalty is awarded for a deliberate infringement, ie something other than a knock-on, forward pass or an accidental offside.

HANDS IN RUCK

Players must be on their feet in the ruck. They can only use their feet to ruck the ball back, so any player who uses his hands after the ruck is formed will be penalised.

OFFSIDE

There are different offside lines in the game. You have an offside at the ruck and maul, which is the hind-most foot and that line goes right across the width of the field.

At lineouts, the offside line for players not in the lineout is 10m back, and from scrums it’s five metres back from the feet of the number eight. If anybody encroaches those offside lines, then they get penalised.

TACKLER NOT ROLLING AWAY

Once you are tackled, the ball carrier must place the ball and make an attempt to roll away. The tackler must release the ball carrier and then roll away from that area if possible, too.

PULLING DOWN THE SCRUM

The front row must bind straight and drive square. They must not drive lower than the hips, or push the scrum up. If you pull the scrum down, you get penalised.

TELEVISION MATCH OFFICIAL

When we go to the TMO, which is quite often these days, it’ll be a TV signal. And as TVs are square at the moment, the signal is square.

ASSIST TACKLER NOT RELEASING

These days, you often see two people tackle the ball carrier. Once the ball carrier has gone to ground, the player who remains on his feet and is still in contact with him must release him before regathering the ball. if he doesn’t, then we call that assist tackler not releasing and that’s a penalty offence.

HIGH TACKLE

You must make an attempt to tackle the opponent below the line of the shoulder and neck. If you don’t, it’s a high tackle.

GOING IN FROM THE SIDE

When you enter a tackle at a ruck or maul, you must enter form behind the hind-most foot of your own players in that phase of play. If you enter in front, that’s regarded as side entry and will be penalised.