Touch decisions made clearer
1. It's about jumping to catch the ball at the touchline and landing and who gets the throw-in.
The law which World Rugby has now made clear is a definition in Law 19.
Law 19 DEFINITIONS
If a player jumps and catches the ball, both feet must land in the playing area otherwise the ball is in touch or touch-in-goal.
There was a difference in how this was applied. Some concentrated on landing, others on where the ball was caught in relation to the plane of touch.
The plane of touch has won.
Law 19 The plane of the touchline is the vertical space rising immediately above the touchline.
Here are some examples which will make the principle clearer.
Red play Blue
a. Blue kick the ball. Red jumps in the field, catches ball before it has crossed plane of touch and lands in touch: Blue ball, because Red took it out.
b. Blue kick the ball. Red jumps in the field, catches ball after it has crossed plane of touch and lands in touch: Red ball, because the ball was out when he caught it and Blue had put it out.
c. Blue kick the ball. Red is in touch. The ball crosses the plane of touch and Red jumps, catches the ball and lands in the field. The ball was out and Red have the throw-in.
d. Blue kick the ball. Red is in touch. Before the ball crosses the plane of touch, Red jumps, catches the ball and lands in the field. Play goes on. The ball was not in touch.
It was easier when the landing was the criterion!
2. This is about the ball going into touch outside the 22 and rolling on.
a. Blue kick a rolling kick into touch just outside the Red 22. The ball rolls in touch beyond where the 22-metre line would be if it continued in touch. A red player gets the ball and throws in quickly to a team-mate who kicks the ball out directly into touch on the Red 10-metre line.
Line-out to Blue on the Red 10-metre line.
b. Blue kick a rolling kick into touch just outside the Red 22. A Red player picks up the ball outside of what would be his extended 22, runs back to behind what would be the extended 22 and throws in quickly to a team-mate who kicks the ball out directly into touch on the Red 10-metre line.
Line-out to Blue opposite where the Red player kicked the ball.
