Clarification 4-2004

Ruling in Law by the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee

Answers 1, 2 & 4 are still valid and covered by existing laws - see Laws 18.17, 18.18 and 18.29. 

Answer 3 is no longer valid as the law was changed in 2005 - allowing either receiver to enter and participate providing the ball has been thrown. (Law 18.29) 

Answer 5 was covered by a law change in 2009 (now law 18.16) meaning the receiver must be 2m away from their teammates in the lineout

Request

The RFU has requested a ruling with regard Law 19 Touch and Line-out Law 19.10

Exception 2-The Receiver may run into the gap and perform any of the actions available to any other player in the line-out. The receiver is liable to penalty for offences in the line-out as would be other players in the line-out.

(1) When can the receiver enter the line-out to jump or support a team-mate? After formation of the line-out and before the ball is thrown OR when the ball is thrown in. i.e. when it leaves the throwers hands?
(2) Can the receiver change places with any other player in the line-out prior to the ball being thrown in?
(3) Can the non-throwing team’s receiver enter the line-out to perform any action available to other players independently of the throwing receiver entering the line-out? i.e. does he have to wait for the throwing receiver
to enter the line-out before he can?
(4) Similarly does the receiver still have to receive the ball if he enters to jump for the ball?
(5) Is there any set distance the receiver must be from the line-out to be deemed the receiver?

Ruling of the designated members of the Rugby Committee

The answers to the abovementioned questions are:

(1) The receiver can enter the line-out when the ball leaves the throwers hands.
(2) Yes. The receiver can change places with any other player in the line-out prior to the ball being thrown-in.
(3) The non-throwing teams receiver cannot enter the line-out unless the throwing in team’s receiver has done so. If this occurred the non-throwing team would have more players in the line-out, and would be subject to penalty. The non-throwing receiver can only enter the line-out after the throwers receiver has done so. This would not apply if the non-throwing team had fewer players in the line-out, as there would not be a ‘numbers’ issue. The receiver can do anything that other players can do in the line-out.
(4) The receiver may run into the gap and perform any of the actions available to any other player in the line-out.
(5) There is no restriction on how close the receiver can stand to the line-out.