This is an aggregation of thoughts provided by USA Rugby National 7s Referee Manager Paddy McNally during the 2014 Summer 7s season, providing some excellent advice on how to manage the sevens game:

POSITIONING IN SEVENS RUGBY
We see a lot of younger and less experienced Sevens referees trying to find the best running lines and positioning that allows them to see the action up close, without getting in the player’s way. Here are some major points to determine the best positioning in refereeing Sevens rugby:

1. Run with the team that is applying pressure – if the defending team is pushing up the pitch (either utilizing the “rush defense” or kicking the ball up field), or the ball is being passed across the pitch (but no real forward progress), a position behind the defensive line is preferable.
2. Be careful to not get too far behind the defensive line as this will take you out of position to get to the breakdown. Fight the urge to avoid traffic and drift back, make sure you are JUST behind the defensive line, but not a part of the defensive line (unless you want the ball or need to be tackled)
3. Sevens referees need to come around to the attacking side at each and every breakdown, in order to see the ball. The tackle/breakdown is huge in Sevens and if you are not in position quickly, you will not see the ball and miss innumerable infractions.
4. When the attacking team is running down the pitch, the referee needs to be in-line with play, to clearly see any knock-ons or forward passes. In Sevens, a forward pass usually results in a try, and the referee builds credibility when he/she is in good position to decide whether a forward pass has been thrown (try calling a forward pass 10-20 meters away from play and see where that gets you!)

POSITIONING AT LINE OUTS
A popular position for the Sevens referee is at the back of the line out, right on the line of touch. This affords the referee a good view of the throw (straight or not), and puts them in a good position to be ready for the next phase of play, which is usually going across the pitch. One aspect of refereeing the line out is to make sure you have the full meter gap between teams, to minimize the opportunity for mischief. However, I see referees admonishing the players several times a match, for not giving the full meter gap, while talking to the back of their heads. This less than desirable means of communication can lead to either free kicks for closing the gap early, or messy ball – not straight throws or more penalties (and more stoppages). Our goal in refereeing Sevens, is trying to keep the ball in play as long as legally possible, to keep the game flowing. Even one less stoppage a Sevens match can mean a more enjoyable match for all concerned. If you are having trouble at the front of the line outs, by all means come around to the front of the line out and make eye contact. Getting compliance by having face time with the players and giving them the stink eye is a more efficient means of accomplishing your goal (a fair contest for the ball), then stopping the game. There are a lot of good reasons to use the position at the back of the Sevens line out. But if you are having problems up front, you need to come around and referee the match in front of you.

RESTARTS/KICK OFFS
In Sevens, possession is vital, so the restart kick has become an important contest. Be sure to keep the kicking team on side at every kick off. Some referees jump ahead and start focusing on the receiving end of the kick rather than making sure it begins fairly. Off side at the kick is a free kick on the midway line.
Refereeing the contest for the ball in the air requires your full attention. Be sure you are watching the players and not the ball (yes, I promise it will come back down). Players are allowed contact in the air, in pursuit of the ball, within limits. Players need to make contact, or near contact with the ball, and should not be allowed to hit opponents in the air, while not coming anywhere close to the ball. Compare it to refereeing the line out – you wouldn’t allow a player to grab, bump, or push an opponent in the line out, so don’t allow it at a restart.

Finally, if the receiving team plays the ball first, always PLAY ON, whether the ball traveled 10 meters or not.

MAUL – IS IT OR ISN’T IT?
By law, a maul consists of at least three players, all on their feet; the ball carrier and one player from each team. All of the players involved must be caught in or bound to the maul and must be on their feet and moving towards a goal line.

One trend in Sevens is when the defending team ties up a ball carrier by holding said ball carrier up and sealing off the ball. If they can stop any forward progress, and keep the ball from being released, passed, or going to ground, a scrum is awarded to the defending team. A more current wrinkle is occurring, when the ball carrier’s team does not commit anyone to the ball carrier being held up, thus preventing a maul from being formed. In this instance, where several defenders are holding up a ball carrier with no one from the ball carrier’s team joining in, it is open play and the referee needs to learn how to handle situations like this:

Ball carrier is held up by opponents, but no one from the ball carrier’s team has bound in. 
Not a Maul, not a tackle, but it is open play and the referee needs to encourage play to develop – Players may join from any direction, the ball carrier or defenders may bring the ball/ball carrier to ground which then becomes a tackle, and then all defenders must release the ball carrier.

Ball carrier on their feet with at least one player from each team bound in 
(Maul) – Players joining the maul must come through the gate (no side entry), neither side may collapse/pull down the maul (including the attacking side), and if the maul goes to ground legally, nobody is required to release the ball or their opponents.

Once a player from both sides binds in on the ball carrier, the maul is not over until (1) the ball or a player with the ball leaves the maul, (2) the ball is on the ground, or (3) the ball is on or over the goal line. Binding in and then releasing does not end the maul

EXTRA ROLL IN PRESENTATION
Witnessed at several recent Sevens tournaments, where a ball carrier is tackled and has done an extra 360-degree roll to basically buy some time for his/her support to arrive. There will be instances where the momentum of the tackle can cause the ball carrier and often the tackler, to roll around legally. What we need to identify is when the ball carrier has become isolated, and the intention is to stall until the cavalry arrives (like a “squeeze” ball not being available immediately, or a “double movement”). Remember, “Ball over body is good; body over ball is no good” (TH). Penalty kick for not releasing the ball.


LINE OUTS AND THE RECEIVER
We are still getting questions about the receiver in a Sevens line out, and when can they “join” the line out. The simple answer is after the line out begins (when the ball leaves the thrower’s hands). When teams form a line out, the team throwing in set the numbers (number of jumpers on the line-of-touch ONLY). At this time, they need to establish and keep the number they will have in the line out. If a team chooses to have a receiver, that player must be back at least 2 meters.

Law 19.8:

(b) Maximum. The team throwing in the ball decides the maximum number of players in the line out.

(d) When the ball is in touch, every player who approaches the line of touch is presumed to do so to form a line out. Players who approach the line of touch must do so without delay. Players of either team must not leave the line out once they have taken up a position in the line out until the line out has ended.

The attacking team needs to establish numbers in the line out “without delay”, and stick with that number until the line out has started. For referees, make sure you know if a team has a receiver (not required), and if so, back them up at least 2 meters. You’re either in or you’re out.

We will not allow players to enter the line out once numbers have been set (no playing number games – unfair to the defending team), until the line out has started.

30 SECONDS FOR A CONVERSION KICK, AFTER THE TRY HAS BEEN SCORED.
This is currently an Experimental Law Variation (ELV), enforced on the Sevens World Series, that sets a new time limit on conversion kicks – 30 seconds after a try has been scored. We will be enforcing it this summer at our National Club Championships, and our Territorial Qualifiers. We instructed our referees in Philadelphia and Houston to manage this situation, let kickers know when they have 10 seconds left, but do not disqualify a kick because it was kicked within 32 or 33 seconds. However, if a try scorer throws the ball away after scoring, and it cannot be retrieved in time, the kick will be disallowed. While the Law still states that a conversion kick must be taken with 40 seconds of a try being scored, we feel that we should be working to meet the international standard. It also makes for playing time.

SLOW BALL IS NO BALL!
The quality of Sevens matches will almost always depend on how accurately and how consistently the Referee sorts out the breakdown. It’s a dynamic, high-speed contest for possession that we need to get right. One of the highest priorities for a Sevens referee is to ensure “lightening quick ball”. In Sevens, the ball should be made available immediately (defined loosely as the time it takes to say the word “immediately”); if it does not come out quickly then something is wrong.

As a Sevens Referee, you must approach the break¬down as soon as possible and locate the ball quickly. Analyze and resolve the situation immediately by letting play continue, penalizing offenders promptly, or declaring the ball unplayable (scrum up). You can only spend two to three seconds on these decisions at most. You should not allow long disputes over the ball at the breakdown as they nearly always end in penalty kicks (nobody really wins).

Recognize who benefits from slow ball and deal quickly and decisively with deliberate infringements and negative play. Keep verbal exchanges to a minimum – if you have to talk about it at tackle time in Sevens then the negative affect has already occurred.  

HANDS OFF
We received notice this week that some local referee societies are insisting the scrum half wait to put the ball into a Sevens scrum, until they have received permission from the referee to proceed. We have tried to be very clear from last year, that we would NOT tie up the scrum half in Sevens, from getting the scrum started and the ball back in play.

We will not be saying “Yes 9”, or tapping the scrum half, or nodding; this is a directive, not law. Fifteens scrums are very different from Sevens scrums, and we do not want to slow down the scrum in Sevens which is basically a quick restart. As opposed to Fifteens where the teams are trying to establish dominance, maintain possession, and direct attacking play.

The scrum engagement for Sevens will be like Fifteens, CROUCH – BIND – SET. The referee will make sure that all 4 props have a proper bind on their opposite number (up high on the back or arm), before they call “Set”. Then the attacking scrum half will put the ball in on his/her own accord (However, be sure not to tolerate any overly long delaying tactics).

Please do not slow the game of Sevens down, by being overly controlling of the scrum. Do not make the scrum half wait for a signal from you, the referee, before restarting play.

PLAYER ON THE GROUND
Any player may go to ground for the ball in open play, but must immediately do one of three things, (1) Get up with the ball, (2) Pass the ball, or (3) Release the ball. 
However, those players already on the ground must not lie on, over, or near the ball to prevent opponents getting possession of it, or tackle or attempt to tackle an opponent. Be clear on whether a player has gone to ground for the ball or were they already on the ground when the ball/ball carrier came their way. The Game is to be played by players who are on their feet.  

It was another beautiful weekend, and another entertaining tournament. This weekend Cincinnati, Kansas City, Sacramento, Springfield, and Columbia and others are hosting some serious Sevens and I hope you get a chance to catch some of the action.