November Tests - Week 4, incidents
We begin with a binding problem
There were six incident-filled matches, and we shall look at just a few incidents as a way of refreshing our knowledge and understanding of the laws of the complicated game.
We have already given some statistics. (Click here.) We have also discussed three tries and a non-try. (Click here).
1. Bad binding in the scrum
England are putting the ball into a scrum towards the touch-line on their left. The referee takes up a position on the England tighthead side, that is where the England tighthead Julian White is. The scrum falls down three times and each time is reset.
Then as scrumhalf Peter Richards puts the ball in the scrum goes down again with White's right elbow to lead the collapse.
The referee touches White and says: "Binding."
Penalty or free kick?
Law 20.3 (a) Binding by all front-row players. All front-row players must bind firmly and continuously from the start to the finish of the scrum.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
(d) Binding by tight-head props. Tight-head props must bind on the opposing loose-head props' by placing their right arm outside the left upper arm of the opposing loose-head prop. The tight-head prop must grip the loose-head prop's jersey with the right hand only on the back or side. The tight-head prop must not grip the chest, arm, sleeve or collar of the opposition loose-head prop. The tight-head prop must not exert any downward pressure.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
Wrong binding by a front row player is a penalty, not a free kick.
2. Baulking to feint
Lee Mears of England is about to throw in at a line-out. He takes the ball back, brings it forward as if throwing, stops, and then moves the ball forward again and completes the throw. He put his left leg well into the field of play as he does so and his right foot is also in the field of play.
Commentator 1: That was a dummy there by Lee Mears and he stepped into the field of play.
Commentator 2: Everybody steps into the field of play. It seems to be de rigeur nowadays.
Commentator 1: That is the law like scrumhalves putting the ball in the second row instead of the front row.
Law 19.6 (b) (b) The throw-in at the line-out must be taken without delay and without pretending to throw.
Penalty: Free Kick on the 15-metre line
That covers the dummying/baulking/feinting. Free kick.
Stepping into the field of play?
Law 19.5 HOW THE THROW-IN IS TAKEN
The player taking the throw-in must stand at the correct place. The player must not step into the field-of-play when the ball is thrown. The ball must be thrown straight, so that it travels at least 5 metres along the line-of-touch before it first touches the ground or touches or is touched by a player.
Law 19.6 INCORRECT THROW-IN
(a) If the throw-in at a line-out is incorrect, the opposing team has the choice of throwing in at a line-out or a scrum on the 15-metre line. If they choose the throw-in to the line-out and it is again incorrect, a scrum is formed. The team that took the first throw-in throws in the ball.
For stepping into the field of play – in this case it was a long way – the sanction is an option to the other side.
This is one of those cases when the touch judge is expected to act.
Law 6.B.5 (d) When to lower the flag. When the ball is thrown in, the touch judge must lower the flag, with the following exceptions:
Exception 1: When the player throwing in puts any part of either foot in the field-of-play, the touch judge keeps the flag up.
Exception 2: When the team not entitled to throw-in has done so, the touch judge keeps the flag up.
Exception 3: When, at a quick throw-in, the ball that went into touch is replaced by another ball, or after it went into or it has been touched by anyone except the player who takes the throw-in, the touch judge keeps the flag up.
No touch judge wants to be accused of being a pedant but it is still a part of the laws and he would have been entitled in this case to keep his flag up.
3. Mark on the ground?
England bash on their left at the South African line. The ball comes back to Andy Goode who kicks diagonally across the field. The ball dips towards François Steyn, the South African fullback. He dives forward and gathers the ball, claiming the mark. The South Africans pause in expectation of the free kick, but the referee does not give the mark. They recover and when play is stopped the referee explains: "The ball clearly went to the ground there. That's why there was no mark."
Law 18 Definition To make a mark, a player must be on or behind that player's 22-metre line. A player with one foot on the 22 metre line or behind it is considered to be ‘in the 22’. The player must make a clean catch direct from an opponent’s kick and at the same time shout “Mark!”.
If the ball hit the ground before Steyn caught it, it was not a catch "direct from an opponent's kick", and therefore no mark.
4. In front of the kick-off
François Steyn attempts a long drop. The kick is accurate but the ball dips under the crossbar and England dot down.
Andy Goode takes the drop out but England players are in front of the ball. The referee blows his whistle and says to John Smit, the South African captain: "Option."
Smit opts for the scrum.
OK?
Law 13.16 THE KICKER'S TEAM
(a) All the kicker’s team must be behind the ball when it is kicked. If not, a scrum is formed at the centre of the 22-metre line. The opposing team throws in the ball.
There is no option. It's just a scrum.
5. Counter-rucking
Wales play New Zealand on a haka-less afternoon in Cardiff. Alix Popham of Wales is tackled and a ruck forms. The ball is on the Welsh side, but Andrew Hore of New Zealand comes shoving though with ardent intent.
The referee calls out: "He's legal. Counter-rucking."
What on earth is counter-rucking?
It means that a player may come from behind and shove his way into the ruck in an effort to counter his opponents who look to be getting the ball.
Provided he does so from his side, gets himself bound and does not do anything illegal with his hands or feet, he is allowed to counter-ruck in an effort to get the ball or to slow down the opponents' possession – for there are legal ways to slow down opponents' ball.
6. Dying on the edge
Italy play Canada under the Dolomites. The Italians are on the attack. and the Canadians are penalised to the right of the Canadian posts as the Italians face them.
Italy then kicks a diagonal to the left into the Canadian in-goal areas, a remarkably small in-goal are. The ball bounces near the dead-ball line. Josh Sole, the Italian flank, is first to the ball. He grabs it going forward, jumps in the air to avoid the dead-ball line and acrobatically places the ball behind himself as he tumbles forward and in in-goal.
The referee consults the television match official who sees that Sole had his left foot on the dead-ball line when he got possession of the ball, before his acrobatic leap that is.
And so it became a 22.
Had hi left foot not been on the dead-ball line and he had leapt from the in-goal area, placed the ball in in-goal while airborne and then gone to ground over the dead-ball line, would it have been a try?
Yes.
9. In touch
Italy pass the ball to their right and not too far from touch but wing Marko Stanojovich cannot catch the ball and it bounces away from him towards touch where the young Canadian DTH van der Merwe, runs to the ball and, as it bounces beyond the plane of the touch-line, flykicks it with his left foot infield and hares after it.
OK?
Yes, provided that his right foot, which is on the ground when he flykicks the ball, is not touching the line.
What if his right foot is on the touch-line when he flykicks the bouncing ball?
Then he is a player in touch and the ball has crossed the place of the touch-line. It is in touch.
Whose ball?
Canada's – because Italy last played the ball.
Law 19 Definitions The ball is in touch when it is not being carried by a player and it touches the touch-line or anything or anyone on or beyond the touch-line.
If Van der Merwe's right foot is on the touch-line, the ball is out.
A player in touch may kick or knock the ball, but not hold it, provided it has not crossed the plane of the touch-line. The plane of the touch-line is the vertical space rising immediately above the touch-line.
It had crossed the touch-line.
10. Show me your receiver
The Pacific Islands are to throw into a line-out. They have four players in the line-out and no receiver. The Irish have four players in the line-out and no receiver.
The referee says: "No receiver."
He insists on having a receiver.
Must teams have a receiver?
The laws do not say so. They do say that each team is allowed only one receiver. They also say that the team not throwing in may not have more players in the line-out – that is standing along the line of touch – than the team throwing in.
Each team at this line-out then withdraws a player to play receiver. Ireland have Simon Easterby as their receiver. As hooker Aleki Lutui throws in, Easterby steps into the line-out. The Pacific Islands' receiver does not step in.
The referee awards a free kick to the Pacific Islands, because by stepping into the line-out Easterby had given Ireland four to the Islanders' three.
