Free Kick or Penalty

Your New Year's resolution was to know the laws better - to make you a better referee or a better coach or a better player or a better spectator or a better commentator or a better journalist - anyway just better. It's satisfying to be better at something.

To kick off the New Year we are going to have an easy test - simple situations in which you, the referee, are going to give either a free kick or a penalty. All you have to do is say which.

The match is between the Yuletide Grubs and the New Year Grogs, played all over the world.

We have suggested answers at the end to ease any headaches you may develop.

You can do all of this in your own time and only you will know if you got anything wrong. But really you should get them all right.

1.  It's the time for substitutions and you find the New Year Grogs have 16 players on the field.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

2.  Lefty Ovah, the Yuletide Grubs hooker, throw in to the front of the line-out where prop Turkey Cocks of the Yuletide Grubs stretches forward and catches the ball four metres from touch.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

3. Paddy Tullemore, the New Year Grogs flyhalf, is to drop out from the 22. Lefty Ovah, the Yuletide Grubs hooker, waits on the far side of the 22 but before Tullemore kicks he charges over the 22 and charges down the kick.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

4. Paddy Tullemore has the ball to drop out from the 22. He wants to do so quickly but Lefty Ovah, the Yuletide Grubs hooker, who has not yet reached the 22, knocks the ball from his hands to stop him.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

5. The Yuletide Grubs win a ruck. The ball comes out but their scrumhalf Plum Pudd realises that his backs are not in position and that he is under pressure from lurking New Year Grogs forwards. with his toe he nudges the ball back into the ruck.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

6. There is a maul and the New Year Grogs have the ball. The maul is slowing down when Scotty Dewar, the New Year Grogs scrumhalf, turns, without the ball, and goes through the motions of passing the ball back to Paddy Tullemore, his flyhalf, thereby drawing Turkey Cocks of the Yuletide Grubs off-side.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

7. The New Year Grogs are to throw into a line-out but only Turkey Cocks of the Yuletide Grubs lines up in the line-out. He grabs the throw-in.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

8. Before Lefty Ovah of the Yuletide Grubs throw in at a line-out, Turkey Cocks, the Yuletide Grubs prop, bends down and grips the thighs of lock Vince Pize to lift him.

You award:

a. a free kick
b. a penalty

9. As Whitey Shennin of the New Year Grogs puts the ball into a scrum the New Year Grogs No.8 Beau Jollay breaks off and moves to the side to receive a pass when the ball emerges from the scrum.

10. Whitey Shennin of the New Year Grogs puts the ball into a scrum. The ball is trapped in the tunnel of a scrum at n New Year Grogs put-in. Still bound Red Meddock swings his left leg round and strikes the ball to hook it back.

To see the answers, click here.