Referee signals tell you the decision, the restart, and why play stopped.

Signals communicate decisions

A referee signal does not create the law decision by itself. The referee first judges what happened, then uses the whistle, arm signal, card, voice, or consultation with other officials to communicate it. In sevens, that communication has to be clear because teams often want to restart immediately.

The most useful habit is to separate three questions: has play stopped, what restart has been awarded, and why was it awarded? A penalty arm tells you the sanction. A secondary signal, such as not releasing or offside, explains the reason.

What the whistle means

The referee carries a whistle and uses it to start and end each half, stop play, indicate a score or touch down, caution or send off a player, confirm that the ball is dead, stop for an unplayable ball, award a penalty, free-kick, or scrum, and stop when continuing would be dangerous or a serious injury is suspected.

In practical terms, a whistle usually means players must stop and look for the restart signal. If the referee calls advantage and does not whistle, play is still live. If the referee has stopped play for management, players cannot restart just because the ball is nearby.

The first signal shows the outcome

World Rugby groups the main referee outcomes as primary signals. These include scrum, free-kick, penalty, advantage, try and penalty try, no try, and drop-out. They tell everyone the broad decision before the referee gives more detail.

• Penalty: a stronger sanction for offences such as offside, foul play, illegal tackle or breakdown actions, or repeated infringements.
• Free-kick: a lesser technical sanction, often linked to scrum, lineout, mark, or timing offences.
• Scrum: the usual restart for knock forwards, forward passes, some unplayable balls, and other scrum outcomes.
• Advantage: play continues while the referee sees whether the non-offending team gains a clear and real benefit.
• Try, no try, or drop-out: the official's decision after in-goal or dead-ball events.

The second signal explains the offence

Secondary signals answer the "what for?" question. A referee may award a scrum, then show knock forward or throw forward. A referee may award a penalty, then show not releasing, tackler not releasing, offside at a ruck, joining from the side, high tackle, obstruction, collapsing a maul, or dissent.

This matters because two plays can end with the same restart for different reasons. For example, a scrum after a knock forward is different from a scrum after an unplayable ruck. A penalty for offside is different from a penalty for not rolling away, even though both give the attacking team penalty options.

Why signals matter more quickly

The signal language is the same as rugby union, but sevens changes the tempo. Seven defenders cover the full field, restarts are valuable, and a hesitation after a penalty can turn into a try. Players therefore react to the referee's first signal as soon as they understand the mark and sanction.

That speed does not remove the referee's control. Quick taps still need the correct mark, a visible kick, and legal support runners. If the referee has not finished dealing with safety, foul play, a card, an injury, or the correct restart mark, players must wait.

Penalty signals lead to the widest choices

A penalty signal gives the non-offending team the strongest ordinary restart. In sevens, the team may tap quickly, kick to touch, choose a scrum where available, or attempt a drop-kicked penalty goal. Opponents must immediately retreat 10 metres, or to their own try line if it is closer.

Listen for the verbal call and watch the secondary signal. "Offside", "not releasing", "high tackle", "side entry", or "holding on" all explain why the penalty was awarded. The reason can also affect whether the referee gives a warning, shows a yellow card, or escalates for repeated or dangerous play.

A free-kick is not just a small penalty

The free-kick signal shows a technical sanction with narrower attacking value than a penalty. A team can tap or kick, but it cannot score directly from the free-kick and does not get the same touch-line reward as a penalty kick to touch. Opponents must still retreat, and a free-kick can be charged once the kicker starts the kicking movement.

Because quick taps from penalties and free-kicks can look similar, the signal matters. The team with the ball must know whether a shot at goal, kick-to-touch outcome, or charge risk is available under the actual sanction.

Scrum signals often follow handling errors

In sevens, scrums use three players from each team, but the referee signal still tells you that the restart is a scrum. The most common secondary reasons are knock forward, throw forward, unplayable ball in a ruck or tackle, or a scrum technical issue.

The referee may also play scrum advantage instead of stopping immediately. If the non-offending team gathers the ball cleanly and can attack, play continues. If no clear benefit appears, the whistle brings play back for the scrum.

An outstretched advantage signal means play is live

When the referee signals advantage, the ball is still in play. The referee is delaying the whistle because the non-offending team may gain more by continuing than by taking the formal restart. The call is usually identified as scrum advantage or penalty advantage.

In sevens, advantage can be short because space opens fast. If the team gets clean possession, territory, or a clear attacking chance, the referee may call advantage over. If the benefit does not happen, the referee whistles and returns to the original infringement.

Try, penalty try, no try, and goals

A try signal confirms that the referee has awarded the score. A penalty try signal means foul play by the opposition prevented a probable try, and in sevens it is worth seven points with no conversion attempt. A no-try signal tells everyone the grounding or scoring requirement was not met, or that another law outcome applies.

Assistant referees or touch judges judge kicks at goal by standing at or behind the posts. If the ball goes over the crossbar and between the posts, they raise their flags. In sevens, conversions are drop kicks and must be taken quickly, so this flag signal helps the referee restart without unnecessary delay.

Assistant referee and touch judge signals

Assistant referees and touch judges signal touch, touch-in-goal, and successful kicks at goal. For touch, the flag goes up, then the official stands at the place of the throw and points toward the team entitled to throw in.

An authorised assistant referee can also signal foul play by holding the flag horizontally and pointing infield. The referee may consult and can alter a decision after a flag for touch, touch-in-goal, or foul play. The referee remains the final decision-maker.

Cards and time signals manage discipline

A yellow card in sevens means a temporary suspension of two minutes. A red card means the player is sent off. The card signal communicates discipline, but the restart still depends on the offence, where it happened, and whether a penalty try or other law outcome applies.

Other official signals can include time off, timekeeper stop and start, doctor or physiotherapist needed, bleeding wound, head injury assessment required, and TMO consultation where a competition uses a television match official. Local and lower-level sevens matches may not have every support official, but the referee still manages safety and time under the law.

Where spectators get caught

• "The whistle always means a penalty": no. The whistle may stop for a scrum, free-kick, score, dead ball, injury, unplayable ball, or another law outcome.
• "A card tells you the restart": not by itself. A card is discipline; the restart comes from the underlying offence and location.
• "Advantage means the next mistake is free": no. Once the referee decides advantage has been gained, normal play resumes.
• "The touch judge awards the lineout": the touch judge signals touch and direction, but the referee controls the match and may overrule or consult.
• "Sevens has different hand signals": generally no. Sevens uses the same World Rugby match official signals, with sevens law variations affecting some outcomes.
• "A quick tap is allowed after every whistle": no. It depends on the sanction, the correct mark, and whether the referee has allowed the restart.

A simple viewing checklist

1. Did the whistle stop play, or is advantage being played?
2. What is the primary signal: penalty, free-kick, scrum, advantage, try, no try, or drop-out?
3. Which team is receiving the restart or score?
4. What secondary signal or verbal call explains the offence?
5. Is there a card, warning, injury, time-off signal, or consultation that changes when play can restart?
6. For touch or goal kicks, what did the assistant referee or touch judge flag?

Source material

• World Rugby Law 6: Match officials
• World Rugby primary referee signals
• World Rugby secondary referee signals
• World Rugby other signals
• World Rugby assistant referee signals
• World Rugby Sevens variations