High Tackle Protocol Selling

The absorbing 2019 Rugby World Cup moves into its knockout phase this weekend.

One key feature is the latest revision of the high tackle laws. It is a contact sport yes, but there shall be no contact with your opponent’s head.

The protocol that the match officials must follow is now well-known to viewers. It has three steps;

Was there ball carrier head/neck contact?
What is the degree of danger – high or low?
Are there clear and obvious mitigating factors?

The games’ lawmakers provide the flowchart seen below.

I do like these sporting three-stage adjudicators.

Football has similar. When considering foul play, the referee can view through grades of whether it was careless, reckless or dangerous. A rough outcome for each being free-kick, caution, dismissal.

Indeed, almost reminiscent of the classic ‘traffic-light’ assessments well-known to solution sellers. Green is Go, Red is No, Amber let’s talk more….

Although be wary of the classic “orange card” syndrome, where a yellow card could’ve been a red  – on any given day, a half-booking, half-sending off – and vice versa.

What’s relevant to anyone engaged (dare I say, ‘crouch, bind and setting’) in the action from Japan, is the applicability of adapting this to both our qualification and forecasting, as well as a prospect’s key decision flow.

In the latter case, bringing up the current rugby protocol which protects the head seems like a neat way of getting closer to deal likelihood and introducing a gauge of the level of any specific prospect requirement, pain or desire.

& the pool stage red card of Argentina – as also pictured up top from the other side – for this high tackle versus England as seen on a pub tv as the Television Match Official review takes place;