Non-involved players deliberately obscuring camera angles?

Melodeon

It struck me a few times over the last couple of weekends, that in situations where the attacking team were laying siege on the goal line and the action eventually ground to a halt in the goal area, when the ref went to the TMO for a decision, there was a defending player 'inconveniently' lying on the ground obscuring the view leaving the TMO with no option but to declare it inconclusive and thus award a 5 meter scrum.
These players didn't appear to have been immediately involved in the action crossing the line, but yet, there they were on the ground close to where the TMO would be likely to be looking.
Am I imagining things and this was just a few co-incidences, or might it be a possibility that players are being coached to block goal area camera angles if the circumstances arise?
Perhaps I've just got my tinfoil hat wound on too tight.

lawred2

Melodeon wrote: »

It struck me a few times over the last couple of weekends, that in situations where the attacking team were laying siege on the goal line and the action eventually ground to a halt in the goal area, when the ref went to the TMO for a decision, there was a defending player 'inconveniently' lying on the ground obscuring the view leaving the TMO with no option but to declare it inconclusive and thus award a 5 meter scrum.
These players didn't appear to have been immediately involved in the action crossing the line, but yet, there they were on the ground close to where the TMO would be likely to be looking.
Am I imagining things and this was just a few co-incidences, or might it be a possibility that players are being coached to block goal area camera angles if the circumstances arise?
Perhaps I've just got my tinfoil hat wound on too tight.

yes

bilston

Melodeon wrote: »

It struck me a few times over the last couple of weekends, that in situations where the attacking team were laying siege on the goal line and the action eventually ground to a halt in the goal area, when the ref went to the TMO for a decision, there was a defending player 'inconveniently' lying on the ground obscuring the view leaving the TMO with no option but to declare it inconclusive and thus award a 5 meter scrum.
These players didn't appear to have been immediately involved in the action crossing the line, but yet, there they were on the ground close to where the TMO would be likely to be looking.
Am I imagining things and this was just a few co-incidences, or might it be a possibility that players are being coached to block goal area camera angles if the circumstances arise?
Perhaps I've just got my tinfoil hat wound on too tight.

I'd be surprised that if in the heat of battle players were able to work out where the all the cameras where and where best to stand or lie to block their view.

irishbucsfan

Yes it absolutely does happen. As in players lying around the ball, rather than being specifically coached to do so.

You don’t know where the cameras are but you know where they are not (on the pitch) and you have a fairly natural instinct of where the useful ones will be.

realhorrorshow

At any level, if the grounding is not clear cut players will flop in and around to try obscure the refs view. I doubt players are specifically thinking about camera locations but they know if they can get their body somewhere in the vicinity it may make it harder for the officials. After the first couple of guys target the ball you will often see players coming in from further away sliding into a position where they could not possibly assist in holding the attacker up.

Melodeon

That's what had me wondering if this sort of thing was deliberate.
The ground-level cameras behind the goal line are almost always over in the corners somewhere, so their general field of view is pretty well defined most of the time.
The free-roaming sideline cameras will usually be down in that area too while all this is going on.
Throwing yourself on the ground between the far corner/sideline and the melee, as close as you can get without illegally interfering, stands a pretty good chance of blocking the views for the TMO.
Marginal gains and all that

sydthebeat

id be shocked if players arent told to cover as much area as possible in a tight push over try

durkadurka

This definitely happens. You see players sliding in pointlessly to obscure the view.

The Rape of Lucretia

And so they should. ANy coach worth his salt at least instructs that they do so, the best will include it as past of the practice drills. The more people around the ball the better. Warming up subs being aware of the ground level camera angles is also important and positioning themselves accordingly in those situations is also beneficial.