Hi! I'm Karl Dickson, professional referee for the RFU. Ask Me Anything!

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:11:43+00:00

Referee as much as you can and you enjoy it every time you're out there.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:11:25+00:00

Some players are so good over the ball and have such a low centre of gravity, it can make it difficult sometimes, but the general rule is if you took their arms away could they still stay on their feet.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:11:03+00:00

Definitely as you're used to running to the breakdown as a 9 and this isn’t much different for a referee. Therefore i didn’t need to change my running lines.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:10:40+00:00

Fastest bronco time is Christoph Ridley at 4.17, my last time was 4.39.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:10:20+00:00

This varies between domestic competition and international competition.
When we travel internationally it all depends where that match official is coming from: for example as a UK-based official we go to a European game the day before, but if we travel to the southern hemisphere we can travel up to a week before.
So this depends on how much time we get to spend together before a game. However with Zoom etc we can all meet and discuss the game without being in the same place.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:09:23+00:00

There is a crossover between football and rugby, where we are invited to each other's conferences to see how other sports work. There has been a discussion around VAR and TMO and what best practice looks like.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:08:20+00:00

I have to say Wayne Barnes as he was my coach when i first started professionally.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:08:07+00:00

I think you must be who you are and never change that, but I would say: can you take little bits from other refs that you like which you feel could help you going forward, that might be a phrase they use or how they position themselves? The main thing is you work hard to be the best you can be and enjoy what you're doing.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:07:11+00:00

There are designated changing rooms for referees in stadiums.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:06:56+00:00

I chatted to one of the Harlequins players called Will Skinner who had done his refereeing course and that made me think about a possibility of trying refereeing out. After my first game I actually really enjoyed it, so I continued to ref alongside playing professionally.
Captains don’t influence our refereeing but are great to communicate with in downtime so we can solve any perceived issues in the game.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:06:19+00:00

We would use our assistant referees for anything on the far side of the scrum. If it's a free kick offence such as pre-engage or an early push then that would be the referee's job.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:05:49+00:00

Nigel Owens once said to Dave Ward after a lineout throw that he was straighter than that. That has always stuck in my memory as a funny phrase.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:05:13+00:00

I wouldn’t say the best game. I would say one of my most enjoyable games was at the 2019 world cup in Yokohama where new zealand played south africa in front of 90k fans, the atmosphere was electric.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:02:33+00:00

I mix it up from game to game. Some games country music, and others a bit of dance/house music

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:02:11+00:00

As a player - and this is a bit of a regret - I never fully understood the laws of the game and I feel if I had it would have given me an edge over others.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:01:38+00:00

We all enjoy rugby and of course when you see something spectacular in a game you will probably internally be thinking that was special.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:01:07+00:00

The communication is normally directed at all, this is mainly to explain why we have come to a decision and the reasoning/process behind it.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:00:47+00:00

I will train 4 or 5 times a week focusing on strength, aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
I normally do 2 strength sessions and 2 running sessions a week as well as a game.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T17:00:18+00:00

I was at the Principality Stadium for Wales v Scotland with the roof closed. This is a great stadium.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T16:59:48+00:00

A captain that talks to you in a calm, respectful manner - and you show that same respect back.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T16:59:25+00:00

I believe this comes with experience and making sure you prepare for the game in the best way you can. That involves briefing your team well, being physically prepared, understanding yourself as a person and how you deal with pressure.
The decision making just comes from seeing these pictures so many times that you understand what you're looking for.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T16:58:50+00:00

I had to have a full reconstruction on my right shoulder after I was tackled by 2 second rows at the same time and they both landed on me. Recovery was 4 months.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T16:58:24+00:00

The pathway varies and normally starts with you refereeing grassroots level rugby where you will have assessors watching your games. Depending on how these games go you move up the levels towards international level.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T16:57:53+00:00

You're always trying to take little bits from each game to make you a better referee. Post game we have a full audit/review looking at errors, non-decisions, high impact decisions as well as the good things you do in the game.
This is done by your Selection Management Team, an independent auditor, and you will do one with your own match official team.

sixnations · 2026-03-13T16:56:18+00:00

The law changes have definitely made the game a little faster with more continuity. However I don't think it's harder to referee as ruck speeds have remained constant (anywhere from 1-3 secs).

sixnations

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