Additional Law Changes

(From Peter Watson, Chair of the USARRA Laws Committee, dated >>> August 8, 2004)

In the last couple of years the iRB has inserted a few changes without sending notification to the National Unions. I suspect because they are felt not to be consequential. Maybe so, maybe not. Last year they changed from “voluntary” to “intentional” as in A player must not intentionally charge or obstruct an opponent who has just kicked the ball.

This year there are two:

This one is pretty straight forward.

Law 15.7(d)

Any player who gains possession of the ball at the tackle must play the ball immediately by moving away or passing or kicking the ball. Sanction is now a Penalty Kick (was Free Kick).

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Law 10.4(m) – Late-charging the kicker.

A player must not intentionally charge or obstruct an opponent who has just kicked the ball.

Penalty: The non-offending team may choose to take the penalty kick either at the place of infringement, where the ball lands, or where it was next played.

This change will be most seen in the case of a grub kick.

The question was asked at the CoG: “What if the kicker is hit egregiously after a grub kick? Should we blow immediately for safety or control reasons? Should we wait until the ball is played? Or should we estimate where it would be played if the whistle had not been blown immediately?”

The answer is that if there are safety or control issues, the referee should blow immediately without waiting for the ball to be next played. And in that case, the ball was not played so the options reduce down to spot of foul or where the ball landed. Handle the same way you would a passer who is late-tackled – play advantage only if there are no control issues and there is an obvious and immediate gain for the non-offending team.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IN THE NEW (2004-2005) LAW BOOK, THE CHANGE TO LAW 10 HAS BEEN INSERTED, BUT THE CHANGE TO LAW 15 CAME TO MY NOTICE TOO LATE.