Couple of things

Jonakin

Theres a couple of rules im wondering about.

When someone kicks the ball down the field how come the kicker sometimes has to run after the ball and why not another player and why? And how do i know when i can run after the ball instead of the person who kicked it

Sometimes when you get tackled and your holding the ball on the ground you're aloud to but sometimes you get a penalty?

I have more but i cant remeber..

smashey

Regarding the kicking of the ball, I got lazy and copied this from the BBC.

If one of your team-mates is about to kick a high up-and-under or a cheeky little grubber kick for you to run onto, make sure you are level or just behind them when they kick.
If you are not, the referee will award your opponents a penalty because you are offside.
The rules say that to be onside at a kick, an active player, not in possession of the ball, must be behind the player who kicks the ball.
If you are in front of the kicker, make sure you don't get involved with open play.
You can do this by raising your arms and running back to an onside position.
This shows the referee you have no intention of joining play because you know you are offside.
However, if you make no attempt to move back to an onside position as play continues, the referee will award a penalty to the opposition.

Regarding holding the ball after being tackled, you have to release it. Again, BBC

When a ball carrier has been tackled to the ground, they have to let go of the ball.

No excuses - the laws say so, so you've got to release the ball.

But often players purposely hold onto the ball when they have gone down in a tackle.

This is to stop the other team getting hold of the ball and starting a quick attack.

But if the referee sees a player holding onto the ball on the ground, he will immediately award a penalty to the opposing team.

Diamondmaker

:mad:

Jonakin wrote:

Theres a couple of rules im wondering about.

Sometimes when you get tackled and your holding the ball on the ground you're aloud to but sometimes you get a penalty?

I have more but i cant remeber..

This also more complex because the tackler is obliged to roll away 1st.
An example occured last night where a Leimster player made a huge tackle on an Osprey, driving him back and into the gound.

At this point the tackler should roll away and then the ball carrier release the ball- in that order.
Obviously its never that clear cut and often the tackled player holds on til he has support or the tackler like wise to turn over the ball.
In this example another Leinster player arrives to this ruck to try and turnover the ball - simultaneously an Ospey defender is trying to help his man out too.
The Leinster tackler seems to have rolled away but- seems o have one arm still there- deliberately or becuase he is under a pile of bodies.

Often in a sitution like this, where a ball carrier is so effectively shoved back and put under pressure by follow up defenders, the penalty goes to the defender for holding. Seems to make sense....

In this case-frustratingly enough IMO, it was called as tackler NOT rolling away. He also got binned they got a converted penno and won the game and possibly the league.

It is so intricate at times the difference and interrpretation of the 2 sides and the result of the call obviously can have huge consequences.

It is understandable to hear your sometimes penalty sometimes not statement! confusion above

Tim Robbins

Diamondmaker wrote:

:mad:

This also more complex because the tackler is obliged to roll away 1st.
An example occured last night where a Leimster player made a huge tackle on an Osprey, driving him back and into the gound.

Spot on that is what that is the first thing the ref is looking for the tackler to roll away.
Refs fairy how long they let the tackled played hold before the release it. Usually if the third man (i.e. no ruck) is on his feet and goes for the ball with both hands the tackler must release, if he holds it for a split second longer it's a penalty.
It's all about being first to the break down. The qucker you get to breakdown, the more likely the law will go your way.

Diamondmaker

Tim Robbins wrote:

Spot on that is what that is the first thing the ref is looking for the tackler to roll away.
Refs fairy how long they let the tackled played hold before the release it. Usually if the third man (i.e. no ruck) is on his feet and goes for the ball with both hands the tackler must release, if he holds it for a split second longer it's a penalty.
It's all about being first to the break down. The qucker you get to breakdown, the more likely the law will go your way.

Apply that to last night where jack was grabbing at the ball nearly before the Ospreys guy hit the deck and tell me how JH was binned.:mad: Also take into account the rate of knots backwards that the ball carrier was going.

Ill leave that incident now, this thread was too good an opportunity to pass up to moan about it:D

Jonakin

So about the kicking thing.
Does that mean if im behind the kicker and the kicker stays back i can run after the ball?

marco_polo

Jonakin wrote:

So about the kicking thing.
Does that mean if im behind the kicker and the kicker stays back i can run after the ball?

Yeah you can chase the kick down in that instance. Just think of O'Gara cross kick against england for example. He didn't follow the kick himself for obvious reasons. Horgan starting behid O'Gara (just about) did chase the kick and scored a fantastic try.

I am pretty sure that if you in an offside position when the kick is taken, once the kicker overtakes you you are onside again and can start to chase the kick. Perhaps someone could confirm this?

Snickers Man

marco_polo wrote:

I am pretty sure that if you in an offside position when the kick is taken, once the kicker overtakes you you are onside again and can start to chase the kick. Perhaps someone could confirm this?

In most cases yes. If you are in front of the kicker you can stand still until he runs past you as part of his follow up and then you are onside again and may pursue the ball.

The exception comes if you are ahead of your own kicker and within 10m of the opposition player who is likely to catch the ball. In such circumstances you MUST retreat. If an opposition player catches the ball and you are within 10m of him having been in front of your kicker when he kicked, you are immediately and automatically off side and will be penalised.