OVER-RULED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 143, 19 June 1922, Page 4

OVER-RULED.

■ i ■ LINE UMPIRE WALKS OFF.

A passing contretemps between line umpire and referee occurred in the course of the College Rifles v. Mariet Old Boys game at Eden Fark on Saturday afternoon. One of the wing threequarters made a side-line run on the attack, and went very close to the sideline in playing the 'ball on. The line umpire, Mr. M. Lenihan, was close to tne play, with a clear view, but notwithstanding that the referee (Mr. W. J. Meredith) whistled the game back and ruled that the three-quarter had gone out of bounds, though the line umpire had not signalled to that effect. The line umpire resented the over-ruling by throwing down his Hag and walking off the field, and another line umpire was sent out. at the referee's request! According to Rugby law the referee has full control of the game, and is within his rights in over-ruling a line umpire when he is of opinion the latter has made a mistake. Earlier in the gs\me the referee had over-ruled a decision of the other line umpire. On the second occasion it was quite apparent to those iv a position to see the line, which was plainly whitewashed, that it was the referee and not the line umpire who had made a mistake in fact. Both referee and line umpire are members of the Referees' Association, and no doubt the incident will be officially discussed to avert any future misunderstanding of the kind.