Penalty tries

[Noggs]

The France/Scotland game showed yet another example of a player suffering foul play in the process of scoring a try. Barnes asked for the grounding to be checked and if there was a problem he would award a penalty try giving an automatic 7 points. In the event the grounding was good but the conversion was missed resulting in 5 points being scored.

To my mind, the player scoring the try is potentially 'punished' for a achieving good completion of the score. Surely it would be more fair that in a situation where a penalty try would be given it is given regardless of where or not the try is scored.

[mol2]

Agree.

Once the decision has been made that the sanction is going to be a penalty try, just blow the whistle & give it.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Agree.

Once the decision has been made that the sanction is going to be a penalty try, just blow the whistle & give it.

Yep that's got to be the right thing to do...

Imagine being 6 points down clock in the red in that situation, not being given a penalty try because you managed to still score despite foul play...

[Noggs]

The problem is, it would need a law change:

'A penalty try is awarded between the goal posts if foul play by the opposing
team prevents a probable try from being scored, or scored in a more
advantageous position. A player guilty of this must be cautioned and
temporarily suspended or sent off. No conversion is attempted.'

In the case illustrated the try was scored so not only do we see (in this case) only 5 rather than 7 points being taken but the person responsible for the foul play avoids the automatic sanction of a yellow or red card.

[GB72]

The sanction was my bigger concern. It was a clear case of foul play attempting to prevent what would be a definite try. That should have been a red card and we would have been faced with a far different end to the match I suspect.

[DeadlyDunc]

Tough for the attacking player to know what to do - don’t attempt to score and hope the officials give a penalty try + card (how confident will they be that the decision will go their way given general standards of officiating)

Or do they score it and accept there is a chance the conversion will be missed and the offending player gets off Scott free.

It doesn’t seem right really

[Scott1]

Yes said it at the time,regardless of the try being scored it was a deliberate act of trying to stop a try being scored. Just because the player had the wherewithall to still dot it down makes no difference imo,penalty try and yellow all day. Poor decison for me!

[johnthegriff]

A penalty try is awarded when in the opinion of the referee an illegal action " probably " prevents a try being scored or being scored in a better position, as the try was scored and was scored in the same or similar position then no penalty try can be awarded. However if the unsuccessful illegal act merited a yellow card then I see no reason why one should not have been issued, too often we see a penalty advantage for foul play which may have merited a yellow and the offence being forgotten because of the subsequent score.

[Scott1]

A penalty try is awarded when in the opinion of the referee an illegal action " probably " prevents a try being scored or being scored in a better position, as the try was scored and was scored in the same or similar position then no penalty try can be awarded. However if the unsuccessful illegal act merited a yellow card then I see no reason why one should not have been issued, too often we see a penalty advantage for foul play which may have merited a yellow and the offence being forgotten because of the subsequent score.

Spot on!

[tjs10inOz]

It used to be the law that, if an act of foul play was committed by the defending team during the act of a try being scored, the referee is still entitled to restart the game with a penalty to the attacking side on the halfway line...effectively giving the opportunity for a 10 point try.

However that Law (22.17) appears to have now been downgraded from a penalty kick to a free kick.

2017 version

Current version

[Noggs]

It used to be the law that, if an act of foul play was committed by the defending team during the act of a try being scored, the referee is still entitled to restart the game with a penalty to the attacking side on the halfway line...effectively giving the opportunity for a 10 point try.

However that Law (22.17) appears to have now been downgraded from a penalty kick to a free kick.

2017 version

Current version

5's beach rugby

[JP14]

It used to be the law that, if an act of foul play was committed by the defending team during the act of a try being scored, the referee is still entitled to restart the game with a penalty to the attacking side on the halfway line...effectively giving the opportunity for a 10 point try.

However that Law (22.17) appears to have now been downgraded from a penalty kick to a free kick.

2017 version

Current version

In a school game I once shoved into an opponent after he scored out of frustration and the ref gave them the penalty from the restart. I think that law should be fully reinstated and officiated properly.

[mol2]

If the the ref has decided that a penalty try is going to be awarded, what possible advantage is gained by the side by permitting play to continue?

[Scott1]

Good job we had Hamish Smales outstanding performance in the Bristol v Quins game to restore our faith in officiating because Barnes and Dickson had shockers! Dickson has took CMK title as the league's worse ref for me now!

[Freebird]

It used to be the law that, if an act of foul play was committed by the defending team during the act of a try being scored, the referee is still entitled to restart the game with a penalty to the attacking side on the halfway line...effectively giving the opportunity for a 10 point try.

However that Law (22.17) appears to have now been downgraded from a penalty kick to a free kick.

2017 version

Current version

In a school game I once shoved into an opponent after he scored out of frustration and the ref gave them the penalty from the restart. I think that law should be fully reinstated and officiated properly.

Happened in a Tigers game a few years ago. I might be wrong on those involved but I think Andy Goode (playing for Wasps) dropped on a try scorer after the try had been scored and we had a penalty from the restart that Toby Flood kicked for 3 points from the halfway line.