Clarification 8-2014
Clarification in Law by the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee
| Clarification | 8-2014 |
|---|---|
| Union / HP Ref Manager | FPR |
| Law Reference | 13 |
| Date | 2014-11-26 |
Request
The Federação Portuguesa de Rugby seeks clarification on the following scenario relating to the Laws of the Game, concerning the Seven-a-side game in which there appears to be some confusion or ambiguity.
Scenario
Team A are awarded a 22 drop-out. The kick is correctly executed and the ball enters the opposing team's in-goal area without having touched or been touched by a player in the process. A defending player picks up the ball within this area and touches down, making the ball dead.
What should the referee's decision be?
Law 13 Definitions state:
"The kick-off occurs at the start of each half of the match and at the beginning of each period of extra time. Restart kicks occur after a score or a touchdown."
Law 13.10 Definitions state:
"Drop-out: A drop-out is a drop kick taken by the defending team. The drop-out may be taken anywhere on or behind the 22-metre line. A drop-out is used to restart play after an attacking player has put or taken the ball into the in-goal, without infringement, and a defending player has made the ball dead there or it has gone into touch-in goal or on or over the dead ball line."
Law 13.15 Drop-out goes into the opponent's in-goal states:
"a) If the ball is kicked into the opponent's in-goal without having touched or been touched by a player, the opposing team has three choices:
b) If the opposing team grounds the ball, or makes it dead, or if the ball becomes dead by going into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead ball line, they have two choices:
c) If they opt to ground the ball or make it dead, they must do so without delay. Any other action with the ball by a defending player means the player has elected to play on."
Further to this, the Seven-a-side Variations state:
The Laws of the Game apply to the seven-a-side game, subject to the following variations.
The variations presented for Law 13 end at Law 13.9. In the fifteen-a-side game, that Law refers to (Kick-off) ball goes into the in-goal. Thus, if no variations are presented for the incidents surrounding the drop-out, the "normal" Laws should be applied.
Hence, our understanding is that in the seven-a-side game, in the event of a 22 drop-out travelling into the opposing team's in-goal area without touching or having been touched by a player in the process and a defending player grounds the ball without any delay, the referee's decision should be to apply Law 13.15. (option between a scrum on the 22 where the kick was taken or ask to repeat the drop-out).
In other words, the Free Kick sanction applied in the seven-a-side game for infringements surrounding the kick-off does not apply to the restart kick ("22 drop-out"). Similarly, this would apply to a drop-out being incorrectly taken (Law 13.12), not crossing the 22-metre line (Law 13.13) or kicked directly into touch (13.14).
Is this interpretation correct?
Clarification of the designated members of the Rugby Committee
This interpretation is correct. For drop-outs normal 15 a-side sanctions apply.
Law 13.15: Drop-out goes into the opponents in-goal
"(b) If the opposing team grounds the ball, or makes it dead, or if the ball becomes dead by going into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead ball line, they have two choices: