Law Discussion: late tackle option
Not that it's new, but an incident in the match between Bath and Exeter Chiefs aroused interest, because it was surprising.
Some five minutes into the match the Bath scrumhalf Chris Cook kicked ahead about a metre from the right touchline. After he had done so and had started to run after his kick Chiefs' centre Henry Slade leant across and shouldered Cook who fell to ground.
The referee penalised Slade and the reason he gave was that the tackle was late.
After Cook had kicked the ball, it came to ground about 10 metres downfield from where he kicked it and about three metres in from touch. The ball rolled ahead.
The referee gave Bath the option of a penalty where the late tackle/obstruction took place or a penalty where the ball alighted, Bath chose the penalty where the ball alighted, as most often happens.
Bath were then awarded the penalty downfield a three metres in from touch.
The option of where the tackle took place or where the ball alighted, is not a silly one. If a player id midfield is tackled after he has kicked across the field, it may well be better if his team chose the place where the late tackle happened.
Two questions about the option of Bath's choice – where the ball alighted. Is the mark then where the ball hit ground or where it was played further downfield?
The place is where the ball comes to ground or is caught. The term used in the current law is 'landed'. In this case the ball landed about 10 metres ahead of where Cook kicked, about two metres on the goal-line side of the Chiefs' 10-metre line. It then bounced on but the referee was correct in going to the place where the ball landed.
But that is not enough in terms of the law.
Law 10.4 (o) Late-charging the kicker. A player must not intentionally charge or obstruct an opponent who has just kicked the ball.
Sanction: The non-offending team-may choose to take the penalty kick either at the place of infringement, where the ball lands, or where it was next played.
The non-offending team-may also choose to take the penalty where the ball lands or is next played before landing and at least 15 metres from the touchline.
at least 15 metres from the touchline.
Because the ball landed between the touchline and the 15-metre line, the mark for the optional penalty had to be on the 15-metre line.
The difference is important if a team is considering kicking at goal.
This is not new law – not at all.
It was first proposed in 1920 by New Zealand and New South Wales, except that instead of 15 metres in from touch the proposal said 10 yards. The proposal was not accepted. In fact it did not become law till 1948.
The relevant part of the law then read: If the ball alights within 10 yards of the touch line, the mark shall be at a place ten yards from the touch line on a line parallel to the goal lines through the place where it alighted.
This applied to the 1970s when 10 yards became 15 yards and then, at metrification, 15 metres from touch with broken lines parallel to the touch lines on each side of the field.
It is certainly not new law – certainly not new to the 46 players and five match officials in the match between Exeter Chiefs and Bath.
