August Bulletin – Day 10

During the month of daily posts I will show some of the Law questions that have been answered, usually on Facebook. I know there are questions regarding tackle heights, as soon as we know the ‘full details’ they will be posted here.

With today’s weather I thought this was a good one to start off with

Lineout question:

 
Hooker throws the ball both straight and beyond the 5 metre line but it is blown back by a gust of wind and the hooker, who has advanced into the field of play, catches his own throw.

Any issues?

Society response:

Unusual but play on: The throw has complied with Law 18. 23 (b) by reaching the 5 metre line and subsequently when it then enters the area between the 5m line and the touchline, the lineout has ended despite not having been played by a participating player – before the hooker catches it. If the wind was up/down the pitch (rather than across it) as long as it was straight for the first 5 metres, then we would play on.  Elsewhere in law, kick offs, restarts and 22m dropouts explicitly state that play continues when the ball has reached a specific “plane”. However, for a kick at goal if it crossed the bar before being blown back, the goal is awarded.