ELV changes at touch and line-out

They have, it seems, not gone the whole proposed hog for line-out changes in the Experimental Law Variations to be introduced in the Super 14 in February.

What is not going to be included apparently is doing away with numbers in the line-out.

That they have not gone the whole hog is understandable because June Tests are to be played under currently laws. Then the Tri-Nations could be played under the curtailed ELVs and then the IRB could introduce the full changes. All of which could lead to confusion. By introducing curtailed ELVs into the Super 14 the SANZAR countries have not greatly altered the actions players make in situations – somewhat altered but not fundamentally.

The line-out changes are fourfold. They concern kicking directly into touch from the 22 and whether ground should be gained or no, the quick throw-in from touch, supporting and the positioning of the receivers and the spare hooker at the throw-in.

What follows is not law – just an attempt to express the ELVs in law terms.

1. From the 22

The kicking to touch from the 22 has been further restricted to encourage counterattack. If a player plays the ball back to a team-mate who then kicks directly into touch the line-out is opposite where the team-mate kicked the ball. But there are complications should a maul or a ruck ensue. Either way it puts pressure on the team taking the ball back into its 22.

This concerns Law 19.1, which could read something like this:

Law 19.1 1 THROW-IN

NO GAIN IN GROUND

(a) Outside a team’s 22. A team member kicks directly into touch. Except for a penalty kick, when a player anywhere in the playing area who is outside the 22 kicks directly into touch, there is no gain in ground. The throw-in is taken either at the place opposite where the player kicked the ball, or at the place where it went into touch, whichever is nearer that player’s goal-line.

(b) Player takes ball into that team’s 22. When a defending player gets the ball outside the 22, takes or puts it inside the 22, and then kicks directly into touch, there is no gain in ground.

(c) A defending team puts the ball back into that team’s 22 When a defending player plays the ball from outside the 22 and it goes into that player’s 22 or in-goal area without touching an opposition player and that player or a team-mate kicks the ball directly into touch there is no gain in ground.
This applies at a quick thrown in taken outside the 22 and passed back inside the 22. If the defending player, still in touch, takes the ball back behind his 22 and from there takes a quick throw-in and the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the line-out will be formed where the ball went out.
This also applies when a defending team wins the ball from a scrum, ruck, maul or line-out outside their 22 if the ball is then worked back to emerge inside the 22.

Exception: If after the defending team has played the ball back into their 22, a tackle or a ruck or a maul takes place and the defending team then kick the ball directly into touch from within their 22, the line-out will be formed where the ball went out.

GAIN IN GROUND

(d) Player inside his team’s 22. When an attacking player last played the ball or after a tackle, ruck or maul has taken place inside the 22 and a defending player kicks directly into touch from the ball inside the 22 or his in-goal , the throw-in is where the ball went into touch.

(e) Kicks indirectly into touch. When a player anywhere in the playing area kicks indirectly into touch, so that the ball bounces in the field-of-play, the throw-in is taken where the ball went into touch.

When a player anywhere in the playing area kicks the ball so that it touches or is touched by an opposition player and then goes indirectly into touch so that the ball bounces in the field-of-play, the throw-in is taken where the ball went into touch.

When a player anywhere in the field of play kicks the ball so that it touches or is touched by an opposition player and then goes directly into touch, the throw-in is taken in line with where the opposition player touched the ball of where the ball crossed the line if that is nearer the opposition player’s goal-line.

2. Quick-throw-in

This no longer need be straight. It must not be forward but it may be backwards.

The law could possibly now read as follows:

Law 19.2 QUICK THROW-IN

(a) A player may take a quick throw-in without waiting for a line-out to form.

(b) For a quick throw-in, the player may be anywhere outside the field of play between the place where the ball went into touch and the player’s goal-line.

(c) A player must not take a quick throw-in after the line-out has formed. If the player does, the quick throw-in is disallowed. The same team throws in at the line out.

(d) For a quick throw-in, the player must use the ball that went into touch. If, after it went to touch and was made dead, another ball is used, or if another person has touched the ball apart from the player throwing it in, then the quick throw-in is disallowed. The same team throws in at the line-out.

(e) At a quick throw in, if the player throws the ball in the direction of the opposition’s goal-line or if the ball does not travel at least five metres along or behind the line of touch before it touches the ground or a player, or if the player steps into the field of play when the ball is thrown, then the quick throw-in is disallowed. The opposing team chooses to throw in at either a line-out where the quick throw-in was attempted, or a scrum on the 15-metre line at that place. If they too throw in the ball incorrectly at the line-out, a scrum is formed on the 15-metre line. The team that first threw in the ball throws in the ball at the scrum.

(f)) At a quick throw in, a player may come to the line of touch and leave without being penalised.

(g) At a quick throw in, a player must not prevent the ball being thrown in 5 metres.
Penalty: Free Kick on 15-metre line

(h) If a player carrying the ball is forced into touch, that player must release the ball to an opposition player so that there can be a quick throw in.

3. Support

This concerns Law 19.9 OPTIONS AVILABLE IN A LINE-OUT

The changes would affect Law 19. (f) onwards. This allows for support and lifting and makes what is now de facto de jure. Some of the existing laws will now fall away. Not that you would notice!

(g), and (i) now go and a new (g) comes in to negate the old (j). Numbering of the sections will need to change.

(f) Lifting and supporting. Players may assist a team mate in jumping for the ball by lifting and supporting that player providing that the lifting and/or supporting players do not support the jumping team-mate below the shorts from behind or below the thighs from the front.
Penalty: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

(g) Pre-gripping is permitted. Players who are going to lift or support a team mate jumping for the ball may pre-grip that team mate providing they do not pre-grip below the shorts from behind and below the thighs from the front.
Penalty: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

(h) Jumping, supporting or lifting before the ball is thrown. A player must not jump or be lifted or supported before the ball has left the hands of the player throwing in.
Penalty: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

4. Receivers and a spare hooker

The relevant definitions are:

Line-out players. Line-out players are the players who form the two lines that make a line-out.
Receiver. The receiver is the player in position to catch the ball when line-out players pass or knock the ball back from the line-out. Any player may be the receiver but each team may have only one receiver at a line-out.

Players taking part in the line-out known as participating players. Players taking part in the line-out are the player who throws in and an immediate opponent, the two players waiting to receive the ball from the line-out and the line-out players.

Teams need not have a receiver but if they do he will now be required to stand two metres from the line-out, presumably from the line of players on his side.

The hooker not throwing in is also required to stand two metres back from the line-out, which will prevent him from standing in the five-mere tramlines and lifting his front jumper, thereby getting him in front of the thrower’s front jumper who would be one place back.

Law 19.7 deals with the forming of a line-out.

It could well have the following additions:

Law 19.7 (m) If a team at a line-out has a receiver he must stand two metres from the line-out players on his side of the line-out and between five metres from touch and the 15-metre line.
Penalty: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

Law 19.7 (n) The immediate opponent of the player throwing in the ball must remain within the area made up by the touch-line and five metres from touch. In addition he must be two metres nearer his goal-line than the line-out players on his side.
Penalty: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

Referees are going to have to practise gauging distance in these ELVs.