Definition
When the referee decides that a player has committed an offence, resulting in a penalty being awarded against that player’s team. "Penalty" and "infringement" mean the same thing. A penalty is given for an infringement.
How to Code
Step 1: Identify that a penalty has occurred.
Method 1) The referee plays advantage.
This is shown by the referee holding one arm out straight to the side. If audio is available, they will often say “advantage”. Keep coding as normal while the advantage is being played. If the referee brings play back for the penalty, the penalty time should be when the advantage starts (when the referee first signals advantage), not when play is brought back.
Method 2) The referee awards a penalty immediately (arm straight up).
Step 2: Label the penalty.
Always time the penalty to the moment the referee awards it (either when they raise their arm for a penalty, or when advantage begins), not when play is brought back after advantage.\
A) Your team has possession and commits the infringement: Press "1" (Your Team Possession) > Press "I". Identify the player who committed the infringement and enter the shirt number.
B) Your team has possession and the opposition commits the infringement: Press "2" (Opposition Possession) > Press "I".
C) Opposition has possession and your team commits the infringement: Press "1" (Opposition Possession) > Press "I".
D) Opposition has possession and the opposition commits the infringement: Press "2" (Opposition Possession) > Press "I".
Important to Remember
Q: How do I identify a penalty infringement?
A: A penalty infringement is identified by the referee either awarding a penalty immediately (arm straight up) or playing advantage (arm out to the side). If audio exists, you may hear "advantage" or "penalty" or "a whistle".
Q: What is the difference between advantage and an immediate penalty for timing?
A: If advantage is played, code the penalty at time is when advantage begins (first signal), not when play is later brought back. If the referee awards it immediately, the time is when the arm goes straight up and the referee blows the whistle.
Q: How do I code penalties during scrums?
A: Record the scrum outcome (won/lost/reset) as normal. If a penalty is awarded, code the penalty separately at the referee’s signal time. Scrum penalties often involve props (1 or 3), but confirm the player if possible.
Q: Are scrum resets penalties?
A: No. A reset is a restart due to safety/technical issues and should not be coded as a penalty infringement.
Q: How do I handle multiple penalty signals for the same offence?
A: Do not double-code the same infringement. If the referee re-signals advantage for the same offence, it is still one infringement.
Q: What if the referee signals advantage but never comes back for the penalty?
A: Still code the infringement/knock on or forward pass at the time advantage begins, even when advantage is not returned to. Unless you misinterpreted the hand signal and it was not a signal for advantage.
Q: How do I code infringements during lineouts?
A: Code the lineout outcome as won/lost/reset based on immediate possession. If a penalty/free kick is awarded during the lineout, that typically makes the throwing team lose the lineout; code the penalty separately at the signal time if it was an Infringement, if it was a free kick then do not code Infringement.
Q: What is the difference between a penalty and a free kick?
A: A penalty is signalled with the arm straight up and can allow a kick at goal; a free kick has a different signal (arm bent at the elbow at 90 degrees) and does not allow a direct kick at goal. Free kicks are not coded as penalty infringements.
Q: How do I code offside penalties vs onside management?
A: Offside penalties involve a clear penalty signal/advantage and usually a stoppage or return to mark. Onside management is the referee directing defenders to stay onside without awarding advantage/bringing play back. Do not code onside management as an infringement.
Q: What if a penalty is awarded then reversed?
A: Only code the final outcome. If the referee changes the decision before play restarts and the original penalty is effectively cancelled, do not code the cancelled one.
Q: Is “infringement” the same as “penalty”?
A: Yes. "Infringement" always means a penalty infringement only. Do not use "infringement" for knock-ons, forward passes, or anything that only results in a scrum.
Q: Are scrum resets penalties?
A: No. Scrum resets are not penalties. Do not code scrum resets as infringements.
Q: What about the timing rule for penalties?
A: Time the coded penalty to when the referee awards it, meaning when advantage begins or when the referee signals the penalty immediately, not when play is brought back after advantage.
Q: Can a team choose to scrum after a penalty?
A: Yes. Make sure you identify whether the scrum happened because of a penalty or because of a normal scrum offence (knock-on, forward pass, etc.).
Q: Are free kicks penalties?
A: No. Free kicks are not penalties. For example, if a team is awarded a free kick because the other team is held up in a maul, do not code it as a penalty infringement.
Q: Is an unplayable ball in a maul or ruck an infringement?
A: No. It results in a turnover, not a penalty. A collapsed maul will eventually become a ruck. All unplayable ball in a ruck must be coded as breakdown turnover.
Q: What about onside management?
A: Onside management is not a penalty. Sometimes the referee will signal for the defence to stay onside. This should not be confused with a penalty infringement.
Q: If the referee re-signals advantage for the same offence multiple times, should you code it as multiple infringements?
A: No. Even if the referee signals advantage multiple times in a clip for the same offence, it is still one infringement. Only code it once.
Q: If the referee re-signals advantage for the same offence multiple times, should you code it as multiple infringements?
A: No. Even if the referee signals advantage multiple times in a clip for the same offence, it is still one infringement. Only code it once.
Q: Should you code onside management by the referee as a penalty?
A: No. Sometimes the referee will signal for the defence to stay onside, but this is not a penalty infringement. You can identify this by using your knowledge of the rules and by noticing that the referee does not bring play back for advantage.
Q: How do you tell the difference between a penalty and a free kick?
A: Look at the referee's arm signal. For a penalty, the referee raises their arm straight up. For a free kick, they do not. You can also tell by how the team plays it: if they kick the ball out but do not gain possession at the resulting lineout, it was a free kick, not a penalty (since a penalty kick to touch gives the kicking team the lineout throw).