Please let me know if you are any the wiser for these new directives.
The reduction of kicking in the Tri Nations seems appealing on the face of it, but are we getting closer to League?
And will that happy band of refs that we love so much actually do something with any degree of consistency anyway?
This is just Wales supposing that they will benefit and the SH trying to make the point that their game is better than the NH.
If, as is claimed, Tri Nations sides kicked the ball less it is because the coaches told them not to kick - it has absolutely nowt to do with what the tackler and his "assistants" were allowed to do or not do by the referees.
If there were less penalties it is because there were fewer offenses (unlikely, particularly since we are told the refs were being tougher) or the refs were blind to most of them (interpreting the laws and managing the game).
Remember Paddy O'Brian demanding that refs blow up for crooked feeds into the scrum? What happenned - nothing!
"Under the old directives, an 'assister' in a double tackle was able to play the ball provided they stayed on their feet.
Now, that player has to release the ball carrier and can only then enter the breakdown through the 'gate' - from the assister's team's side, directly behind the ball and tackled player.
To further muddy the waters, in a one-on-one tackle, if the ball-carrier is put down but the tackler does not follow him or her to the floor then the defender is deemed an 'assister' - meaning there is no 'tackler'!"
So if you tackle someone one on one, and don't go to ground, can somebody explain what you are allowed to do? You have to release the tackle, but cannot play the ball unless they have moved to your side of the ruck and in a direct line with the ball. is that right?
Bill W (2) wrote:If there is only you and the tackled player there ain't no ruck and there ain't no gate!
I think what it means is:
You must release the tackler,
You cannot pick up the ball from an offside position.
i.e. as the laws are!
I was just wondering about this scenario which in the past has enabled me to turnover the ball. If I was a defender and the attacking player with the ball came towards me, say in a pick and go situation, and I grabbed the ball (not the player) and tried to rip it, and the ball carrier goes to ground still holding the ball, but I manage to stay on my feet and also still have hold of the ball, am I allowed to keep trying to rip the ball (since they are on the floor and have to release) or would I have to let go so they can place the ball, having been considered an 'assister'? The key point is that in the situation, I have kept hold of the ball throughout (having not even tried to tackle the player), but have also stayed on my feet throughout.
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I don't think the rules explain this particularly clearly...
TigerAlex wrote:I was just wondering about this scenario which in the past has enabled me to turnover the ball. If I was a defender and the attacking player with the ball came towards me, say in a pick and go situation, and I grabbed the ball (not the player) and tried to rip it, and the ball carrier goes to ground still holding the ball, but I manage to stay on my feet and also still have hold of the ball, am I allowed to keep trying to rip the ball (since they are on the floor and have to release) or would I have to let go so they can place the ball, having been considered an 'assister'? The key point is that in the situation, I have kept hold of the ball throughout (having not even tried to tackle the player), but have also stayed on my feet throughout.
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I don't think the rules explain this particularly clearly...
I think that provided that you have not stepped over the player you may rip the ball and indeed he must let you have it.
If you have stepped over the player then you must release the ball and allow him to play it.
TigerAlex wrote:I was just wondering about this scenario which in the past has enabled me to turnover the ball. If I was a defender and the attacking player with the ball came towards me, say in a pick and go situation, and I grabbed the ball (not the player) and tried to rip it, and the ball carrier goes to ground still holding the ball, but I manage to stay on my feet and also still have hold of the ball, am I allowed to keep trying to rip the ball (since they are on the floor and have to release) or would I have to let go so they can place the ball, having been considered an 'assister'? The key point is that in the situation, I have kept hold of the ball throughout (having not even tried to tackle the player), but have also stayed on my feet throughout.
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I don't think the rules explain this particularly clearly...
You have to release.
Depending on where you are positioned in respect to the ball carrier, you may then need to come back around and through the gate before competing for the ball.
jgriffin wrote:In the instance Tiger Alex mentions, no tackle has occurred, it's just the normal rip situation. If you can retain the ball, or deny it to the ripper by simply falling to the deck then the interpretation is total :censored:.
Don't shoot the messenger, and don't be surprised if you are pinged for not releasing.
On a broader level, this is another example where the majority of the Welford Road crowd will berate the referee for correctly applying the law.
jgriffin wrote:In the instance Tiger Alex mentions, no tackle has occurred, it's just the normal rip situation. If you can retain the ball, or deny it to the ripper by simply falling to the deck then the interpretation is total :censored:.
Interestingly, if the "new" law interpretation is as advertised then the ripper of the ball should go to ground because then his opponent (though still on his feet) would have to release it.
Bill W (2) wrote:One man lying on floor with ball. One man on his feet.
There is no gate.
there is no ruck "gate" but there is a tackle "gate" which is different in definition to that of the ruck" the width of the tackle "gate" is the complete width of the tackle ....so if the tackle is horizontal across the field the "gate" would be very wide (until it became a ruck) where as if they were vertically pointing down the field the "gate" would be incredibly small.
as for the new directives. Anyone bound to the ball or the ball carrier when he goes to ground must release, even if they are on their feet. If they have gone to ground the laws of the game deem them to be tacklers and they may get to their feet and play the ball from any direction providing a ruck has not formed. If they remain on their feet the laws of the game deem them not to be tacklers (even though they committed a tackle) and as such do not have "tacklers rights" and as such must enter the tackle area in the same way as an arriving player has before they can play the ball.
