Lonestar Rugby Referee Society
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  • Home
  • Become a Ref
  • Conference
    • Conference Website
    • Contacts
    • Teams
  • Training and Education
    • 7s Training
    • Law and Training Videos
    • Law Refresher Quizes
    • Training Resources
    • Wednesday Ref Chats
  • Media
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  • Match Assignments
    • Assignments Calendar
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  • Contact Us

7s rugby

Key Points to Remember

Mindset: Calibrate to the increased speed of 7s play. You need to be the third person at every breakdown to see a fair contest or first infringement. Scrums and lineouts are a simpler, quicker restart than in 15s. Keep the game moving, but in the high pace of the game, you need to be present, decisive and calm.


Prepare yourself: Find a technique that works for you to get your head in. Visualize yourself in the game, watch a couple of games before yours, watch 7s in the days before your tournament. College level 7s will likely be closer than international 7s to what you will officiate. (FloRugby has USARugby’s College 7s.)


Contest: Good teams are fast, open and will hotly contest the ball. Look for players kicking high and sprinting at the kick off to jump for the ball, lightning quick penalty kicks, players not retreating at penalty kicks, quick throw in at lineouts. Many teams avoid contact, and players at speed and under pressure may be prone to failing to wrap or tackle correctly. Maintain strict standards against foul play.


High Standards: There is no time to “get the feel” of the teams, so start strong. Teams may be moving on to a higher level competition, and you aren’t doing them any favors by relaxing the standard. Do your best to referee to the expected outcome of the contest. If you are new and unfamiliar with this term, stick to the basics for now; you’ll learn more about expected outcomes as you get more comfortable in the middle.

Resource Links

  • Transitioning from 15s to 7s
  • Laws of 7s variations (World Rugby)

World Rugby 7s Technical Video

2020 World Rugby Sevens Series Referee Technical Video

Cheat Sheet

  • 7 min halves for all games, 2 min Yellow Card (YC), usually 2 min halftime
  • Subs: 5 changes, same player can go off and come back. Special for blood subs - ask the head ref.
  • Time off if substitutions are taking too much time or are within the last few minutes of the game.
  • In front of kicker at kick off/restart: FK
  • Kick off/restart not 10: FK
  • Ball directly into touch from kick off/restart: FK
  • Kick off/restart kicked (without being touched) into in-goal/touched down, touch-in-goal or dead ball line: FK at 50m to non-kicking team
  • Rule of thumb -- if it’s a scrum in 15s, it’s probably a free kick in 7s except at lineouts (ie, not straight, not 5 - still LO/scrum option) and 22-meter drop-out that doesn’t cross the line or goes directly into touch or touch-in-goal (see Law 12). Forward passes and knock ons are still scrums. 
  • 15 sec to form a lineout or be ready for scrum: FK (but manage first)
  • Intentional knocks (disruptive) or intentionally throwing the ball away: PK plus YC
  • Finishing off on ball carrier in-goal after try is scored: YC, restart with PK
  • Conversions are drop kicks only, taken by a player who was playing on the field when try scored
  • 30 sec to take conversion or kick disallowed - manage this by informing kicker of time left if need be
  • 30 secs to take restart kick after a try/conversion: FK to other team
  • Team that did not score moves to their 10 (don’t remain under posts)
  • Restarts after a try is scored are kicked by the team that scored.


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