Lineouts

[alistu]

Can someone clarify the law for me. On watching Saturdays game, Wales v Oz both hookers were standing inside the field of play when throwing in at the lineout.

[longlivethecrumbie]

As time has moved on the hookers have moved further and further from one side of the line to the other. There have been a couple of instances that have shown up from the camera angles used in the tournament where the hooker, as you say, has no part of his boots touching the line. I'd imagine that the TJ is more concerned with the gap closing/lineout being squint etc than to worry about the hooker doing what they should do and stay in contact with the whitewash instead of trying to steal a few inches and get the throw to their target.

[Rugbygramps]

As time has moved on the hookers have moved further and further from one side of the line to the other. There have been a couple of instances that have shown up from the camera angles used in the tournament where the hooker, as you say, has no part of his boots touching the line. I'd imagine that the TJ is more concerned with the gap closing/lineout being squint etc than to worry about the hooker doing what they should do and stay in contact with the whitewash instead of trying to steal a few inches and get the throw to their target.

Agree with this and certainly they are picking up more squint throws. That being said it would take nothing for the AR to look down at the hookers feet and get them to take a step back.
To answer the opening question the thrower in has to have some part of his boots on the touch line as he is then technically in touch

[TigerFeetSteve]

Hi Alistu

My understanding is that the law dictates that a Hooker must have both feet "in touch" at the point of release.

Traditionally this interpreted as both feet behind the line.

HOWEVER in the rest of the laws "in touch" is actually defined as touching the line, so therefore the actual wording of the law means that at the point of release part of each of the hooker's feet must be touching the line, so toes can be in field.

A lot of Hookers now just put their heels on the line and throw, and with them going onto toes actually means their heels lift before the ball is released, thing is as longlivethecrumbie states the TJ is stood behind not at ground level so spotting this while focusing on straighteness of the throw. This over time had led to some inching forward and not touching the line as LLTC states and in fact standing in field.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

There was a long "discussion" about this very topic sometime ago on here...

I think it's safe to say it isn't officiated at all.

[longlivethecrumbie]

There was a long "discussion" about this very topic sometime ago on here...

I think it's safe to say it isn't officiated at all.

Along with several other long standing laws...

[Rugbygramps]

I’m going to put it out there that it isn’t the officiating that has got worse, quite the reverse imo, more that the number of cameras, reviews, social media postings has increased so much that every small mistake is caught and over analysed

[Robespierre]

I noticed this on one of the earlier games and am now scrutinising each line out and yelling at the touch judge/assistant ref to yank the hooker back onto the touch line!
Maybe when this law is adhered to, we may get straight feeds in the set scrum

[johnthegriff]

Quite simply if the thrower is not in touch when he throws the ball.it should be ruled the same as not straight. The touch judge should be in perfect position to see where the hooker is standing as he prepares to throw the ref in position to judge the not straight. As somebody else said in the past it was accepted that the throwers feet were behind the line, now it seems to be on the line but it seems when that can be the very back of the heel it often results in the hooker standing in the field of play when he throws. You cannot throw in if you are not outside the field.

[Rugbygramps]

It’s going to remain the same until a hooker gets pinged for it then they’ll all be looking for it.

On the subject of scrum feeds, remember it’s only the tip of the ball that has to pass down the middle of the tunnel, not the middle of the ball.
I do agree however that we appear to be going back to the days of feeding into the 2nd row, even though the hooker is supposed to strike it.
They appear to be able to pick up the lack of a brake foot but not a squint feed

[PJM]

The actual law states

The player throwing in the ball stands on the mark of touch with both feet outside the field of play. The thrower must not step into the field of play until the ball has been thrown.

I have spotted a couple of throws that have been legal but most of them are not. I did have to laugh when one of the refs, may have been WB, called them back because the throw was not straight, but no mention of 2 receivers within 5 metres of the line out and the hooker standing in field. It may not be a biggie but this nibbling away at the boundaries results in bigger issues not being called out too.

Referees and assistants should enforce the laws of the game not pick and choose.

[Rugbygramps]

The actual law states

The player throwing in the ball stands on the mark of touch with both feet outside the field of play. The thrower must not step into the field of play until the ball has been thrown.

I have spotted a couple of throws that have been legal but most of them are not. I did have to laugh when one of the refs, may have been WB, called them back because the throw was not straight, but no mention of 2 receivers within 5 metres of the line out and the hooker standing in field. It may not be a biggie but this nibbling away at the boundaries results in bigger issues not being called out too.

Referees and assistants should enforce the laws of the game not pick and choose.

Surely if their feet are on the touch line they are in touch I.e outside the field of play. Ball hits the line it’s out

[TigerFeetSteve]

The actual law states

The player throwing in the ball stands on the mark of touch with both feet outside the field of play. The thrower must not step into the field of play until the ball has been thrown.

I have spotted a couple of throws that have been legal but most of them are not. I did have to laugh when one of the refs, may have been WB, called them back because the throw was not straight, but no mention of 2 receivers within 5 metres of the line out and the hooker standing in field. It may not be a biggie but this nibbling away at the boundaries results in bigger issues not being called out too.

Referees and assistants should enforce the laws of the game not pick and choose.

Surely if their feet are on the touch line they are in touch I.e outside the field of play. Ball hits the line it’s out

Correct that is the accepted interpretation

[Big Dai]

I preferred lineouts when the winger threw in and a fight broke out.

None of this aerial ballet!

Like the scrum it should be a means of getting the ball back into play. Not a guarantee of possession or a source of penalties.

Harrumph!

[ABClub]

It's one of my pet peeves. An even bigger one is the lineout being set. Then the hooker taking a step between his jumpers. He'll then throw 'straight' but straight to his side rather than down the gap. The lineout version of scrum feeds.

SA actually called Kelleher out on it early in the Ire vs Boks game. The touch judge confirmed with the ref that Kelleher had moved and the ref made him go back.