Clarification 8-2003

Ruling in Law by the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee

Request

IRFU has requested a ruling with regard to Law 15 Tackle & Law 17 Maul:

We would be grateful for clarification of your ruling of 7th June (Ruling 3:2003) in response to the query from S.R.U.

Our understanding is that:
(1) Team A win the ball and the ball carrier is joined by several of his team mates and they move towards the opponents goal line. If a player from Team B grasps an opponent and thus forms a maul, which he then collapses, he is liable to penalty.

(2) However, if the player from Team B instantaneously brings the ball carrier to ground, then, under Law 7 mode of play, he is not liable to penalty, as this constitutes a tackle. Otherwise the defence of certain situations would appear impossible e.g.:
• Players of Team A joined together, breaking away from a maul with the ball carrier (at the front of this group) not being tackleable.
• Player of Team A, in open play, running towards Team B's goal line is joined by a team mate(s), and not being tackleable.

Ruling of the designated members of the Rugby Committee

(1) It is assumed by the wording of the original Law Ruling request from the SRU, and again in this request, that the ball and players had moved off the line of touch. In this scenario, if the player from Team B grasps an opponent who is not the ball-carrier, then a maul has not been formed, and he is playing an opponent without the ball.

If the player was to have grasped the ball-carrier, and did not bind to the ball-carrier as per the definition of binding, then a maul has not been formed. If the grasping player then brings the ball-carrier to ground, there is no penalty as there was no maul formed.

Binding-Definition: Grasping firmly another player's body between the shoulder and the hip with the whole arm in contact from hand to shoulder.

If a player binds on an opposition player who is a ball-carrier (who is already bound to a team mate) from shoulder to hip with at least one arm around the body, by definition he has bound onto the player and therefore any action taken to bring the ball carrier to ground constitutes an illegal collapse of the maul.

If however, the player of the team not in possession of the ball is the first player from his team to make contact with the ball-carrier (who is bound with a team mate), and that player does not bind the ball-carrier around the body from shoulder to hip (i.e grasps the ball-carrier below the hip) he is not bound to the ball-carrier and can complete a tackle in accordance with Law.

(2) It is assumed by the wording of the original Law Ruling request from the SRU, and again in this part of the request, that the ball and players had moved off the line of touch.

In this second scenario, the same issues as noted in Ruling 8.1 above apply, plus the following.

The word 'instantaneously', does not affect the outcomes listed under the Ruling 8.1.

Note: If at a line-out, the catcher of the ball comes to ground (hereafter called the ball-carrier), and then an opposition player immediately brings the ball-carrier to ground, he is not liable to penalty.