That pass on Saturday that led to a Leeds try did land forward of where the player released the ball, but that is irrelevant; if you look at the players hand when he flicks the ball you'll see that he flicks it backwards (level at worst).
The reason so many passes are deemed forwards by spectators is because they generally don't (and can't) see the direction in which the player has released the ball. Teams like Saints and Leeds appear to make at least one forward pass in each set, purely because they play so fast that a flat pass travels forward. It's legal though.
Referee's and touch judges undoubtably miss things in matches from time to time but with the speed of play as it is will miss forward passes.
What should the officials do though? Should they:
1) Give everything that looks like it might be forward (i.e. how the spectator in the crowd sees it).
OR
2) Just give the ones that they definately know, without any shadow of a doubt, was forward?
In my opinion, and I suspect this is how it is being applied, it should be the second option.
forward passes
Re: forward passes
That depends on where play is though... if it's further than 20 m from the touchline and not within 10m of either try-line then the touch judge follows the defensive line.ancientnloyal posted:
...That (the forward pass) is the linesmans job who should be stood parellel to play to judge a forward pass or not.
Then you have to consider the inside pass from the winger to his centre (or any player playing it in-field for that matter). You are less likely to be able to see his hands, so if the pass is flat but the ball travels forwards he can't call forward because he wasn't 100% sure. He can't just make it up.
Then there is the referee, unless there is a break he is stood back from play with the defence so hasn't really got the best angle on the pass either. All he can look at are the players hands and receivers position as the ball is thrown.