Law discussion: Lost in in-goal
The world has been shown several times what happened to Owen Farrell, outstanding rugby player, in the Champions Cup match between Saracens and Toulouse.
Saracens attacked down the left and Michael Rhodes is tackled near touch. But Saracens get the ball back and come right. Mako Vunipola passes to Farrell who smoothly breaches the Toulouse defence and is over the goal line. With nobody near him he swerves right to score under the posts but suddenly the ball squirts out of his hands. He falls on the ball and stands up covered in embarrassment.
The referee awards a five-metre scrum to Toulouse.
Is it as simple as that – drop the ball in the opponents' in-goal and they get a five-metre scrum?
Not really.
Law 22 deals with in-goal. There is nothing in that law or any other law that says it is an infringement to drop the ball in your opponents' in-goal. What is does say is that it is an infringement to drop or throw the ball forward in your opponents' in-goal.
Law 22.16 INFRINGEMENTS IN IN-GOAL
All infringements in the in-goal are treated as if they had taken place in the field of play.
A knock-on or a throw forward in the in-goal results in a 5-metre scrum, opposite the place of infringement.
Sanction: For an infringement, the mark for a penalty kick or free kick cannot be in the in-goal.
Dropping a rugby ball or throwing a rugby ball or passing a rugby ball is not an infringement.
A knock-on is an infringement.
Law 12 DEFINITION: KNOCK-ON
A knock-on occurs when a player loses possession of the ball and it goes forward, or when a player hits the ball forward with the hand or arm, or when the ball hits the hand or arm and goes forward, and the ball touches the ground or another player before the original player can catch it.
‘Forward’ means towards the opposing team’s dead ball-line.
Throwing/passing the ball forward is an infringement.
Law 12 DEFINITION THROW FORWARD
A throw forward occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward.
‘Forward’ means towards the opposing team’s dead-ball line.
A knock-on in in-goal is an infringement.
A throw forward or pass forward in in-goal is an infringement.
The common word in each case is forward.
If the ball is dropped backward or even straight down, it is not forward.
If a throw or pass is straight or backward, It is not forward.
If it is not forward, it is not an infringement.
If the ball is dropped or thrown in in-goal but not forward, a try may still be scored if it is grounded by the attacking team, including the player who dropped or threw the ball.
In the Farrell case, he fell on the ball, grounding it properly.
Law 22.1 GROUNDING THE BALL
(b) Player presses down on the ball. A player grounds the ball when it is on the ground in the in-goal and the player presses down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player’s body from waist to neck inclusive.
It could have been a try. But only if the throw was not forward.
Presumably in this case the referee decided that it was forward.
Could he have consulted the TMO?
Very definitely.
Imagine the consternation if the referee had awarded a try! It is somehow an erroneous part of rugby lore that dropping the ball in in-goal nullifies the possibility of a try.
It is not the case.
By Paul Dobson
