Ask the Law Expert!

When is a maul over? What’s the definition of ‘latching’. Who gets the ball these days when it’s kicked out of the field of play?

This page is for all those tricky law questions that you always wanted to ask, but didn’t want to appear ignorant! Our resident Law Expert is on hand to give you guidance on anything that’s come up in one of your games, or that you’ve seen as a spectator or a TV viewer.

Below you’ll find some questions and their answers provided by the Law Expert, the most recent of which is first. If you have a burning question on any aspect of interpretation of the law, or think that you should have made a different decision, please complete the short form at the bottom, and we’ll try and help you out!

(February 2023)

Question: a high ‘seatbelt’ tackle rides up to the head/neck area, penalty awarded, ball carrier needs treatment. On entering field of play, physio shouts angrily ‘Sir that should be a card!’ What would you do?

The Expert says: Our individual management style should reflect our personality and will have evolved through life experience (family, friends, education, neighbourhood, other sports, work etc.) not just our rugby experience. Our younger referees will have experienced much less than our older referees.

No coach, player or spectator is standing in the same place as the referee is standing when he/she makes his/her decision. The fact remains that whenever any coach, player or spectator decides that there should have been a different decision made (based upon where they are standing – line of sight, distance etc.) they automatically assume that that means that the referee is wrong! This isn’t necessarily the case. There is no single position a referee can stand and have an unobstructed view of all thirty players and the ball. With the movement of players, the ball and the referee, occasionally a referee’s view can be obstructed. We should (mentally) acknowledge this fact even if we don’t articulate it. We also know that if the best place from which to referee a match was standing on the touchline, we wouldn’t have to run around the field of play!

We all have the responsibility of reminding everyone who wishes to criticise our refereeing decisions about the core values of rugby: in this case respect. Hence when reminding anyone of those core values, we need to do so in a respectful manner. We may choose to state that we’re unpaid volunteers doing this job for the benefit of others. We may point out that elite referees are not appointed to this level of rugby. We may have other expressions we find appropriate and relevant to our character and personality. Find what suits you.

In this case, the referee should STATE his/her observation (i.e. not expressed as an opinion) e.g. “I saw a seatbelt tackle which subsequently rode up and hence have awarded a penalty only. I don’t need your opinion. Please honour our core values.” The referee may decide to include the captain of the tackled player when dealing with this issue and make the captain realise that the conduct of the physio is unacceptable and reflects badly on the team. If the physio is also the designated first aider for that team, then it would be inappropriate to have them removed from the playing enclosure, but the Referee has the authority to order others away.

Question: Midway through first half Red 10 gets YC-ed for a tip tackle. After this sin-bin period during the same half, Blue awarded pen about 10m out from Red try line, quick tap and go by Blue 9. Red 10 who has only retreated 2m tackles Blue 9 (probably instinctive/inexperienced rather than cynical). Advantage is played, from which Blue quickly score. How would you deal with Red 10?

The Expert says: After awarding the try and allowing the conversion attempt, the Referee should call “Time off”, call the Red 10 and his/her captain to him/herself and explain that the current status of Red 10 is that a second YC would automatically invoke a RC so that player personally needs to improve their discipline. Emphasise that the game is to be played only by players who are onside and that penalties within the defending 22m “red zone” or cumulative team penalties will be dealt with more severely.

(January 2023)

Question: An attempted drop goal by red is charged down by blue defender in the field of play, but is just deflected so that it misses, and goes ‘dead’ in goal without touching another player. Given that in open play, a charged-down kick is not treated as a knock-on, what is the decision for the restart of play?

The Expert says:

A charge down is a deliberate act of playing of the ball.*  Hence the defending (blue) side is responsible for taking the ball through its own in-goal and making it dead so the restart is a 5m scrum to the attacking (red) team

Most of us automatically decide that if a kick towards touch hits an opponent before going into touch, then the kicking side get the throw in at the lineout even if that opponent didn’t intentionally play the ball.   A charge down should be considered in the same way.

NB This scenario does not meet one of the three criteria for a Goal Line Dropout (knocked on in in-goal by the attacking side, taken into in-goal by the attacking side and held up, or kicked into in-goal by the attacking side and made dead by the defending side)

(December 2022)

Question: What is the decision when a player, outside the touch line (out of play)  hits the ball back into the field of play whilst the player in the air. Is the ball out or not?

The Expert says: In keeping with the terminology within the Laws, the ball is either in play or in touch (or in touch in goal). Law 18.2 states: “The ball is not in touch or touch-in-goal if:

a The ball reaches the plane of touch but is caught, knocked or kicked by a player who is in the playing area.

b A player jumps, from within or outside the playing area, and catches the ball, and then lands in the playing area, regardless of whether the ball reached the plane of touch.

c A player jumps from the playing area and knocks (or catches and releases) the ball back into the playing area, before landing in touch or touch-in-goal, regardless of whether the ball reached the plane of touch.

d A player, who is in touch, kicks or knocks the ball, but does not hold it, provided it has not reached the plane of touch.

Hence in the scenario outlined in the question posed, the ball IS in touch as the scenario doesn’t comply with either a, b, c or d UNLESS the player had jumped from the playing area immediately prior to knocking the ball back into the playing area and hadn’t leapt from an in-touch position.

It is a quirk of the law that a player who is in touch can dribble the ball down the pitch providing it doesn’t touch the touchline or cross the plane of the touchline (as d above).

Question: At a scrum, when ‘crouch’ is called, the No 8 of the side not putting the ball in grasps the waistband/shorts of his second row and remains standing. At the ‘Bind’ call, the No 8 crouches and leans back so his arms are fully stretched but his hips are roughly the same height as his second row. At the ‘Set’ call the No 8 springs forward and binds fully onto his second row. Is this a PK, FK, or reset?

The Expert says: This is also known as a “slingshot” engagement by the No 8 and should be penalised – although proactive game management by the referee may justify a warning/explanation on the first occasion and only penalising a repeat offence. Law 19.5 articulates that ALL players in the scrum are fully bound prior to commencing the C-B-S engagement sequence as per Law 19.10. Law 19.7d covers all backrow players including the No 8. Referees certainly wouldn’t start the scrum engagement sequence if any of the front five were not bound and the same obligation applies to all three back row members i.e. bound onto a lock’s body with at least one arm – not just via a hand grip. PK applies.

(November 2022)

Question: Refereeing in a gale force wind blowing down the pitch. A Goal Line Dropout into the wind ends up back over the dead-ball line. What is the correct law decision?

The Expert says: If the ball failed to reach the sanction line (in this case the 5m line) then Law 12.13c refers and the non-kicking team has the option of the kick being retaken or a scrum. If the ball did cross the sanction line, but is then blown back, play continues as per Law 12.16. In the above case, as the ball has then gone dead and the kicking team has effectively made it dead, then the non-kicking team gets the scrum put-in on their 5m line.

Underlying principle: Any kick off or restart kick requires that the ball be brought into the field of play – so kicks that go directly into touch, into touch-in-goal or over the dead-ball line provide the non-kicking team with options.

Question: In a recent game, red were attacking and a loose pass went over head height to a red player running forward. A blue player was facing him and in a position to make a tackle. If the red player had caught the ball his ribcage would have been exposed to the blue tackler. Rather than catch the ball, the red receiver pushed the ball one-handed over the blue potential tackler, ran round, caught it and headed off up field. Blue did not tackle as red was never in possession. However, I blew the whistle for a deliberate ‘throw-forward’, to howls of outrage from the crowd. I did not consider the red player’s action to be a re-adjustment during an attempted catch. What do you think?

The Expert says: Law 11.3 refers: A player must not intentionally knock the ball forward with hand or arm. Sanction: Penalty. Hence the correct decision was made.

Question: In a recent televised game, a player running forward received a pass at about shin height. He got his hand to the ball but couldn’t cling on. The ball was then dropping forward, towards the ground, but before it could contact the ground the same player kicked it forward with his boot. As this resulted in a possible try the action was reviewed by the TMO, who ruled it a knock-on. Is this correct?

The Expert says: The definition of a knock-on refers: ‘When a player loses possession of the ball and it goes forward, or when a player hits the ball forward with the hand or arm, or when the ball hits the hand or arm and goes forward, and the ball touches the ground or another player before the original player can catch it.’ Hence from an accidental knock forward (unlike the deliberate act above) unless the player who knocked the ball forward regathers it (as a catch) then it is a knock-on. Again the correct decision was made.

(October 2022)

Question: I am standing the wrong side of a scrum and I know there has been a possible infringement: all the players’ body language tells me something has happened but I haven’t seen it and would be completely guessing as to what’s gone on. Players have listened to the pre match chat and there hasn’t been a “knock on ref” shouted by any player to guide me. What do I do?

The expert says: Firstly, there is no “wrong side” of the scrum as a referee may need to stand on the “non-putting- in” side in order to address a specific issue on that side. However, simply guessing is not a viable option – especially if that guess proves to be wrong – as it undermines credibility of the referee. No matter where a referee stands in either static play or is positioned in dynamic play, they cannot have an uninterrupted view of all 30 players and the ball. A referee can only referee what they can see. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it” is more credible (and ‘sellable’ to the players as a decision), than a decision players and coaches cannot comprehend.

(September 2022)

Question: Time is expired, green have a penalty and kick to touch. From the lineout and resultant maul, black collapse 2 metres out, green awarded another penalty. Green tap and go results in a try, green are now up by 3. Green player taunted tackler with unpleasant behaviour, not for the first time in the match. Yellow card issued, penalty restart to black. No further score and green win. Was I correct?

The Expert says: The referee has decided not to issue a Penalty try, thereby Law 5.7b is invoked: Even if time has expired, if a free-kick or penalty has been awarded, the referee allows the ball to be brought back into play.

We often see a team that was awarded a penalty when time was up take different options dependent upon whether they were leading or trailing at that point e.g. a losing team may kick directly to touch and take a lineout (thereby bringing the ball back into play) or a winning team may tap the ball (thereby bringing it back into play), then kick it into touch and the game is over. An attempted kick at the posts is also an option. As usual, at any FK or PK, a side may opt for the scrummage. In this case Respect, Discipline and Sportsmanship standards were being challenged. As we reinforce all core values this season, all of us have an obligation to drive the message home

Question: At Under 15s level (2022/23 season), can a player hand off to the face? The experts (in this case 2 experts were consulted) say: For Age Grade rugby in England, we have the Laws of the Game (including any U19 Variations) and RFU Regulation 15 with its various Appendices for each Age Group. Referees and Coaches should familiarise themselves with the Appendix relevant to any specific Age Group. All of these allow the hand off in Age Grade rugby.

However, player safety must also be paramount. Within Law 9.11 (Foul Play), “players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others…….”

Therefore any “straight arm” hand offs, “spread fingers” hand off (risking contact with the eye area) and “heel of the hand” hand off must be sanctioned. Player safety has to be at the top of every Referee’s agenda.

In addition, even with a bent arm, consideration should be taken with regard to the force used, the frequency which it occurs, the quality/level of both teams and players: If a referee deems it a potential issue between teams, he/she may wish to discuss it with both coaches.

(At all levels of rugby we currently have the anomaly whereby a ball carrier is allowed to make contact with a tackler above the height at which the tackler is sanctioned for similar contact)

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