Law Discussion - dead ball

In a Heineken Cup match at the weekend, between Leinster and London Irish there was an interesting decision at the dead-ball line, which is worth talking about. and while we are doing it we may as well mention a few other happenings.

We have some incidents from Heineken Cup matches last weekend. We mention them just to stimulate thought about the laws.

1. Dead ball – whose ball?

From just outside his own 22 Rob Kearney of Leinster kicks the ball far downfield. The ball bounces and rolls into the London Irish in-goal, losing momentum as it goes. Peter Hewat, the London Irish fullback runs past the ball and as it is petering out he leans forward, left foot on the dead-ball line and grounds the ball. He does not pick it up but puts out a left hand and presses down on the ball.

He claims a scrum back from where Kearney kicked the ball, and the referee agrees with him, taking play back to a scrum, just outside the Leinster 22.

The commentators approve. One says: “Peter Hewat – very sharp at these things – claims that the ball was still moving.” The other commentator says it was “brilliantly done”.

Is all of that OK?

The ball was moving – just but moving. But is this the ball kicked dead?

22.8 BALL KICKED DEAD IN IN-GOAL
If a team kicks the ball through their opponents’ in-goal, into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead ball line, except by an unsuccessful kick at goal or attempted dropped goal, the defending team has two choices:
To have a drop-out,
or
To have a scrum at the place where the ball was kicked and they throw in.

Kicked dead. Was this ball kicked dead?

22.9 DEFENDING PLAYER IN IN-GOAL
(e) If a player with one or both feet on or behind the dead ball line picks up the ball, which was in motion within in-goal, that player has picked up the ball outside the playing area.

(e) is the nearest to Hewat’s case, but he does not pick up the ball. Therefore the ball is not outside the playing area. Therefore the ball is still in in-goal. Therefore it is made dead by a defender in in-goal.

22.5 BALL GROUNDED BY A DEFENDING PLAYER
(a) Touch down. When defending players are first to ground the ball in their in-goal, it results in a touch down.

In Hewat’s case it is a touch down.

22.7 RESTARTING AFTER A TOUCH DOWN
(a) When an attacking player sends or carries the ball into the opponents’ in-goal and it becomes dead there, either because a defender grounded it or because it went into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead ball line, a drop-out is awarded.

There is obviously the exception if the ball is kicked dead, but in this case it is not kicked dead. It is simply grounded in in-goal. If Hewat had been an attacking player he could have scored a try doing what he did.

In this case the correct decision would have been a drop-out.

This happened at about 52 minutes.

2. Scrums: Leicester Tigers vs Ospreys

In the match at Welford Road between the Leicester Tigers and the Ospreys of Swansea, the scrums were a mess.

Scrums: 18
Resets: 13
Collapses: 26
Penalties: 4
Free Kick: 1
Wheel: 1

That does not leave much room for happy endings to scrums. In fact no scrum in the match went its natural course. Two came close but each of them had a collapse which was allowed to proceed.

Clearly this is not desirable. It is not what rugby envisages, it is dangerous for the players and it is tedious for spectators.

Blame the referee?

Referees do not collapse scrums, but if a referee finds himself in this desperate situation, he needs to act early and should be considering the use of the sin bin if players refuse to get it right.

3. Spectator offside

Leinster are playing with the ball. Onside, Seilala Maposua rushes forward to tackle Leinster scrumhalf Eoin Reddan but Reddan gives him the slip and Maposua ends up beyond Reddan. Reddan then passes back to Gordon D’Arcy of Leinster and Maposua tackles D’Arcy.

There is upset in the crowd as people felt Maposua was offside.

He was not offside.

He started from an onside position and only opponents’ had played the ball. There was nothing to make him offside.

This happened at about 36 minutes.

4. Kicking in the scrum

Leinster put the ball into a scrum and win the ball. The scrum becomes wobbly. The ball is at Jamie Heaslip’s feet at the back of the scrum. As the scrum twists and turns London Irish flank  Chris Hala’ufia sticks out a left foot to kick the ball out of the scrum towards his scrumhalf Paul Hodgson.

The referee penalises Hala’ufia, apparently for kicking the ball out of a scrum.

Right?

Hala’ufia is not a scrumhalf. The law specifically forbids a scrumhalf to kick the ball out of a scrum.

Law 20.9 (g) Scrumhalf: Kicking in the scrum. A scrumhalf must not kick the ball while it is in the scrum.
Penalty: Penalty Kick

Flanks are specifically forbidden to kick the ball while it is in the tunnel.

Law 20.9 (f) Locks and flankers: Staying out of the tunnel. A player who is not a front row player must not play the ball in the tunnel.
Penalty: Free Kick

The ball was not in the tunnel.

Thirdly, is it a scrum?

Heaslip has released his binding and has only two outstretched arms reaching out for his locks whom he grasps. He is not in the scrum any more and the ball is with him which suggests that the ball, is not in the scrum any more.

It is hard to see what Hala’ufia did wrong unless of course he was unbound and so offside while the ball was still in the scrum.

5. Ross’s indiscretion

Chris Hala’ufia of London Irish charges ahead. Johnny Sexton of Leinster tackles Hala’ufia who goes to ground, pushing the ball back from his body. Mike Ross, the Leinster prop is falling back and as he does so the ball from Hala’ufia comes to his feet and he foots it back to his side.

The referee penalises Ross who is mortified.

That penalty is the final score of a match which London Irish won by three points.

Not being either the tackler or the tackled player, the law classes Ross amongst “other players”.

Law 15.6 (d) At a tackle or near to a tackle, other players who play the ball must do so from behind the ball and from directly behind the tackled player or the tackler closest to those players’ goal line.
Penalty: Penalty Kick

Near, according to the law, is within a metre.

Ross was certainly wrong. The referee was certainly right to penalise.

6. After the try

Billy Twelvetrees of Leicester Tigers scores a brilliant try. As he scores if Mike Phillips of the Ospreys comes sliding into him, feet first.

The referee speaks to Phillips and then after the conversion has been taken he penalises Phillips at the middle of the half-way line.

Right?

Yes – perfectly so.

What Phillips did was not calculated to prevent a try. It was calculated only to hurt.

It would be good if this sort of action were always penalised. It is not good if it becomes dangerous to score a try.

7. Tackler tackles

The Tigers play with the ball and Lucas Amorosino darts ahead. Andrew Bishop of the Ospreys brings him down. Bishop holds Amorosino and both go to ground. It is a tackle.

Amorosino pops a short pass to Craig Newby who is just behind him. Bishops then stretches out and tackles Newby.

OK?

No.

Law 15.6 (h) After a tackle, any player lying on the ground must not prevent an opponent from getting possession of the ball.
Penalty: Penalty Kick

8. Illegal genuflection

Dwayne Peel of Sale Sharks lobs a kick over into the Toulouse 22 where Maxime Médard of Toulouse gathers the bouncing ball. Andy Tuilagi of Sale then catches Médard. He holds Médard and Médard’s knee drops to the ground. He then struggles up onto his feet and plays the ball.

The referee penalises Médard.

Right?

Médard is brought to ground and held by Tuilagi.

Law 15 DEFINITIONS
A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and is brought to ground.
A ball carrier who is not held is not a tackled player and a tackle has not taken place.

Law 15.3 BROUGHT TO THE GROUND DEFINED
(a) If the ball carrier has one knee or both knees on the ground, that player has been ‘brought to ground’.

Médard is tackled – held and brought to ground. He is tackled.

Being tackled, there are things Médard is allowed to do – pass, place, push or release the ball and do so immediately.

Getting up with the all is not one of his options.

The penalty was correct, even though the Toulouse fans voiced disapproval.

8. Wrong decision for the wrong reason

Sale Sharks put the ball into a scrum against the much stronger Toulouse scrum.

The scrum wheels and is untidy.

The referee stops the scrum and gives the ball to Sale to put in again.

This puzzles Toulouse.

The referee explains that the scrum had gone up first.

In fact the two front rows and the two sets of locks stayed down perfectly. The front rows did not go up.

It should have been a scrum to Toulouse.

20.11 SCRUM WHEELED
(a) If a scrum is wheeled through more than 90 degrees, so that the middle line has passed beyond a position parallel to the touchline, the referee must stop play and order another scrum.
(b) This new scrum is formed at the place where the previous scrum ended. The ball is thrown in by the team not in possession at the time of the stoppage. If neither team win possession, it is thrown in by the team that previously threw it in.