Law Discussion: Simultaneously

Big Grant Hattingh of the Bulls charges for the goal- line, as Brad Barrett of the Hurricanes covers in desperation. Barrett does not tackle Hattingh, who has the ball in his right arm. The big man then dives for the ground just in from the left corner post. He has the ball in his right hand and stretches out his left hand to break the fall. With three minutes to go, this could be the winning score.

The referee consults the TMO, whose advice is that the fingers of Hattingh's left hand had touched touch-in-goal at the same time as he had grounded the ball and so it should be no try but a drop-out from the 22.

In 2009 South Africa asked the International Rugby Board, as World Rugby was then called, for a clarification of exactly such an occurrence, when there is simultaneous grounding and contact with the touch-in-goal line or the dead-ball line and the designated members who decide on such thins, decided that it should be a drop-out.

This is not written into law.

Law 22.3 (b) When an attacking player who has possession of the ball grounds the ball in in-goal and simultaneously contacts the touch-in-goal-line or the dead-ball-line (or anywhere beyond), a 22m drop-out is awarded to the defending team.

This, correctly, led to a drop-out from the 22 and victory for the Hurricanes.

The full text of the clarification explains the reasoning.

Ruling in Law by the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee

Date: 16 October 2009

This Clarification was incorporated into Law in 2009

Request

The Designated Members and Rugby Committee have reviewed Ruling 2 2009 and have revised it on the basis that a player touching a touch line is out of play and it should be the same in in-goal.

Law 22 – In goal.

Simultaneous grounding the ball in in-goal whilst making contact with the touch-in-goal line or dead ball line.

Scenario

A player carrying the ball attempts to score a try. In the process of grounding the ball in the in-goal according to the law, he simultaneously (at exactly the same time) touches the touch-in-goal line with an arm, leg or any part of his body.

Questions from above

1. Is a try scored?

2. Is the player in touch-in-goal?

3. Is an attacking scrum 5m from the goal-line awarded?

Arguments:

In (1) above, we believe this is incorrect but await IRB ruling. The TMO is undecided and therefore a try cannot be awarded.

In (2) above, we believe this will be correct – to draw a parallel with a similar incident in the field of play, but await IRB ruling.

In (3) above, we believe this will be incorrect as law 22.14 is only applicable when players from both teams are involved and there is doubt as to who grounded it first. In this scenario, there is no opposition player involved.

Ruling in Law by the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee

The player has touched the touch-in-goal line in possession of the ball and therefore the Referee will award a 22 metre drop-out to the defending team.

By Paul Dobson

@rugby365com