Better Rugby Coaching / Better Rugby Coaching / The Huddle / Off side at the tackle / Latest Posts

RE: Off side at the tackle

kronfeld7 — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:21:49 GMT

A ruck is formed if two or more players converge over the ball, (iknow not correct rugby language), but I know we all hate him in England, but if you watch Richie McCaw at the tackle, he tackles gets up and then turns his back to opposition and rips the ball or gets hands on it. When opposition plays come in, if he hasn't passed the ball he uses there momentum to rip the play and place it on his side of the ruck.

This is not cheating but playing to the laws of the game.

RE: Off side at the tackle

iolo — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:48:49 GMT

I'm afraid I didn't explain myself very well here. I meant that if defenders can fairly intercept a ball popped or rolled back, then it is difficult to make a clear distinction between this and placing the ball back. Of course a rule about the 'immediate area' would do this, but this is where interpretation comes in.

I'm sorry if I'm seeming obtuse, but if the players on the ground are out of the game, why should it matter that there has been a tackle - surely this situation should just be treated as the ball being on the ground?

Similarly, you will often see the ball pop out of a ruck, and a player dive on it, who is then penalised for not being on his/her feet, when such an action would be acceptable anywhere else on the pitch.

Anyhow, I guess these are my problems!

RE: Off side at the tackle

didds — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:39:01 GMT

[quote][b]iolo (22/09/2008)[/b][hr]This rule annoys me! Is the rule for non-tacklers a law or a directive? If there is no offside line why should they have to enter the ruck in a particualr direction? If the tackled player pops the ball up then there is no offside, and it is difficult to see why there should be a distinction between popping and placing/rolling the ball back.[/quote]

Its the law.

The law requires players within 1 metre [1] of the ball at the tackle to come through the gate. Penalty for not complying is not for "offside" but for not coming from the correct side.

If the ball is played away > 1m from the tackle (popped up, rolled back, thrown away etc) then this requirement does not exist.

For the tackler to pop the ball up to a player that has not come from behind the tackle then it would have to be a forward pass surely anyway?

There WAS an ELV triualled in the SH about the tackle creating an offside line across the pitch but it was reaslised (though was plainly evident beforehand frankly) that this would mean a breakthrough would overly disadvantage the defnding team as it would be almost impossible for them to get onside at a subsequent tackle. The law as it stands permits covering back defenders to still be active in the game once the ball is played away from the tackle (note - NOT a subsequent ruck or maul of course!)

didds

[1] the wording is something like "immediate area" or somesuch but I have read stuff about 1 metre being the general interpretation

RE: Off side at the tackle

Ady — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:06:34 GMT

Thanks for the replys guys.

Ady

RE: Off side at the tackle

Jenko — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:46:39 GMT

[quote][b]iolo (22/09/2008)[/b][hr]This rule annoys me! Is the rule for non-tacklers a law or a directive? If there is no offside line why should they have to enter the ruck in a particualr direction? If the tackled player pops the ball up then there is no offside, and it is difficult to see why there should be a distinction between popping and placing/rolling the ball back.[/quote]

It is a law (15.6)

(c) At a tackle or near to a tackle, other players who play the ball must
do so from behind the ball and from directly behind the tackled
player or the tackler closest to those players’ goal line.
Penalty: Penalty Kick

WRT offside

the definition is

In general play a player is offside if the player is in front of a team mate
who is carrying the ball, or in front of a team mate who last played the
ball.
Offside means that a player is temporarily out of the game. Such
players are liable to be penalized if they take part in the game.
In general play, a player can be put onside either by an action of a team
mate or by an action of an opponent. However, the offside player
cannot be put onside if the offside player interferes with play

whilst the 'offside player will not be penalised unless he interferes with play he cannot take part until he is 'behind' the player with the ball. Hence the law at tackle. This also covers your popping the ball up. again the receiving player has to be behind the tackled player or it would be a forward pass.

As the tackler is not offside at the tackle (if he was then it would be a penalty) he can play the ball from any direction.

Well that's my interpretation anyway!

RE: Off side at the tackle

iolo — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:03:28 GMT

This rule annoys me! Is the rule for non-tacklers a law or a directive? If there is no offside line why should they have to enter the ruck in a particualr direction? If the tackled player pops the ball up then there is no offside, and it is difficult to see why there should be a distinction between popping and placing/rolling the ball back.

RE: Off side at the tackle

didds — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:09:43 GMT

there is no offsaide at thebtackle, though there is a rewquriement for NON tacklers to enter through the gate.

to be a tackler, the tackler needs to have also been on the floor (at least one knee).

a tackler does not need to go through the gate and thus can attack the ball from any direction.

the tackler must be back on their feet in order to do this.

hope this helps

didds

Off side at the tackle

Ady — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:55:20 GMT

Talking after a training session today we were discussing the off side line at a tackle. Myself and one of the other coaches were saying that after a tackle, the tackler can get to his feet immediately and play the ball, in doing so he doesn't have to go round to his own side first because there is no off side line at a tackle until a ruck is formed. Our other 2 coaches said that they thought he did have to get to his feet, go round to his own side of the tackled player before he can play the ball. Can anyone tell me who was right?

Cheers

Ady