Rugby style catching

brianclown

Is it legal for a player to hoist another in the air rugby lineout style in order to catch a ball?

brianclown

Anyone?

nice_guy80

yes, perfectly legal

Boom__Boom

It might be legal but I'd imagine that it would be almost impossible to actually successfully achieve in a Gaelic football match.

In rugby it's only from a line-out where it's legal and the ball is being thrown a fairly short distance in a straight line and those throwing and catching are both in a static position and both teams are separated by a line and there are incredibly strict rules regarding interfering (basically touching) the jumper or the liftee.

I'm struggling to imagine a situation where it would be even remotely feasible in a football match

- for a throw-in I really can't see the referee timing his throw to suit a midfield pair engaging in this. It's one thing when the person throwing is aiming for the person catching and will have practised their timing hundreds of times; a whole different kettle of fish when the person throwing is aiming to throw it up fairly between four people. I'd imagine any GAA ref faced with a midfield pair engaged in this (if the ref allowed them away with it ) would simply fudge the throw so that it was 1) away from the pair and 2) fudge the throw to mess with the timing

-for a throw ball - all players bar the two contesting the throw-in are supposed to be 13m away so a non-runner here.

- for a big man on the edge of the square I really can't see the team attacking being able to kick it accurately enough so that two players would be able to time their jump to use a rugby lift especially on a consistent enough basis to give an advantage over the 2 individuals jumping on their own.

- maybe for defending 45s it might be a possibility in terms of stopping points in terms of getting someone high enough to maybe block a ball going over the bar. However if they block the ball without catching/try to batt it away, there is the danger that it might fall to a forward. If they catch it I could see them getting fairly surrounded by the time they get back down to ground and I would doubt too many GAA refs would be inclined to give them the usual soft frees that keepers/defenders get when they catch a ball in their own area. In fact I'd imagine most GAA refs would be only itching to blow for steps/illegal handpass/barging or something of that ilk for any player who did this.

Also there is a rule about engaging in play that is dangerous to an opponent, so I could possibly see some refs blowing for this on the basis that lifting one player so high that his feet would be at head-height level (which is what rugby players regularly achieve) is dangerous play. All an opposition player would have to do in this case is run into the catcher's feet and the opposition player would have a legitimate case for a free.

If some side did decide to try to implement this I would imagine that the rules would be implemented very quickly to make it illegal.

Can't help but wonder how high in the sky a combo of Donaghy and Tommy Walsh might be capable of launching someone like Darren Sullivan into the sky.

nice_guy80

I think you'll find its legal for restarts in rugby too.

keeponhurling

I think I remember in a Munster U21 hurling match a few years back, one team built a human pyramid to try to block down a free-in (it was last minute i think)

Hammer Archer

Don't think there's anything specific against it in the rule book. We've a few referees on here, so they can probably clarify that.

If it isn't illegal, surely it would be a good option in the case of a long range free that could drop just over the bar. If the keeper was lifted and caught it, he couldn't then be tackled by opposition players in the small square. Though it would probably require at least 2 lifting players, meaning that there would be two forwards on their own.

Michael8000

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Don't think there's anything specific against it in the rule book. We've a few referees on here, so they can probably clarify that.

If it isn't illegal, surely it would be a good option in the case of a long range free that could drop just over the bar. If the keeper was lifted and caught it, he couldn't then be tackled by opposition players in the small square. Though it would probably require at least 2 lifting players, meaning that there would be two forwards on their own.

Can't be tackled because they will be out of reach you mean?

elefant

Michael8000 wrote: »

Can't be tackled because they will be out of reach you mean?

Because you can't touch a goalkeeper his own square.

Michael8000

elefant wrote: »

Because you can't touch a goalkeeper his own square.

That's a common misconception. You can tackle the keeper in the square they just cannot be charged/shouldered.

elefant

Michael8000 wrote: »

That's a common misconception. You can tackle the keeper in the square they just cannot be charged/shouldered.

Hmmm. Good point. I was one of the misinformed on that one, cheers!

However, from the rules it would seem that contact with the goalkeeper while playing the ball is allowed. I'm not sure a goalkeeper being surrounded and group tackled would fall into this area.

Michael8000

elefant wrote: »

Hmmm. Good point. I was one of the misinformed on that one., cheers!

However, from the rules it would seem that contact with the goalkeeper while playing the ball is allowed. I'm not sure a goalkeeper being surrounded and group tackled would fall into this area.

More than likely as the referee normally gives the goalkeeper the benefit of the doubt on most occasions.

celt262

elefant wrote: »

Hmmm. Good point. I was one of the misinformed on that one., cheers!

However, from the rules it would seem that contact with the goalkeeper while playing the ball is allowed. I'm not sure a goalkeeper being surrounded and group tackled would fall into this area.

Would the goalkeepers team be able to get around him and get a maul going?

elefant

celt262 wrote: »

Would the goalkeepers team be able to get around him and get a maul going?

The other team might avoid engaging the goalkeeper to prevent the maul if this tactic becomes widespread...

fadofado

Boom__Boom wrote: »

It might be legal but I'd imagine that it would be almost impossible to actually successfully achieve in a Gaelic football match.

In rugby it's only from a line-out where it's legal and the ball is being thrown a fairly short distance in a straight line and those throwing and catching are both in a static position and both teams are separated by a line and there are incredibly strict rules regarding interfering (basically touching) the jumper or the liftee.

I'm struggling to imagine a situation where it would be even remotely feasible in a football match

- for a throw-in I really can't see the referee timing his throw to suit a midfield pair engaging in this. It's one thing when the person throwing is aiming for the person catching and will have practised their timing hundreds of times; a whole different kettle of fish when the person throwing is aiming to throw it up fairly between four people. I'd imagine any GAA ref faced with a midfield pair engaged in this (if the ref allowed them away with it ) would simply fudge the throw so that it was 1) away from the pair and 2) fudge the throw to mess with the timing

-for a throw ball - all players bar the two contesting the throw-in are supposed to be 13m away so a non-runner here.

- for a big man on the edge of the square I really can't see the team attacking being able to kick it accurately enough so that two players would be able to time their jump to use a rugby lift especially on a consistent enough basis to give an advantage over the 2 individuals jumping on their own.

- maybe for defending 45s it might be a possibility in terms of stopping points in terms of getting someone high enough to maybe block a ball going over the bar. However if they block the ball without catching/try to batt it away, there is the danger that it might fall to a forward. If they catch it I could see them getting fairly surrounded by the time they get back down to ground and I would doubt too many GAA refs would be inclined to give them the usual soft frees that keepers/defenders get when they catch a ball in their own area. In fact I'd imagine most GAA refs would be only itching to blow for steps/illegal handpass/barging or something of that ilk for any player who did this.

Also there is a rule about engaging in play that is dangerous to an opponent, so I could possibly see some refs blowing for this on the basis that lifting one player so high that his feet would be at head-height level (which is what rugby players regularly achieve) is dangerous play. All an opposition player would have to do in this case is run into the catcher's feet and the opposition player would have a legitimate case for a free.

If some side did decide to try to implement this I would imagine that the rules would be implemented very quickly to make it illegal.

Can't help but wonder how high in the sky a combo of Donaghy and Tommy Walsh might be capable of launching someone like Darren Sullivan into the sky.

What you say makes perfect sense. The one occasion where I think it would be effective is the 45 scenario that you mentioned or indeed any long range frees . I'm surprised some enterprising manager hasn't tried it out.

Clareman

There would be nothing against it in the rules but it would be extremely dangerous as the player holding the jumper could be fairly shouldered while contesting for the ball, also, the "clock" would start for playing the ball as soon as it was caught, so the player would have to catch it, get to the ground and then play it.

As someone who played rugby and operated in a line-out I don't think it could possibly be feasible on a GAA pitch, firstly in rugby you can be guaranteed to only have your opponents in front of you and also players are used to jumping straight up and straight down, it takes years of practise to learn to jump up with your legs straight to stop raking your props

The Lost Sheep

Boom__Boom wrote: »

It might be legal but I'd imagine that it would be almost impossible to actually successfully achieve in a Gaelic football match.

In rugby it's only from a line-out where it's legal and the ball is being thrown a fairly short distance in a straight line and those throwing and catching are both in a static position and both teams are separated by a line and there are incredibly strict rules regarding interfering (basically touching) the jumper or the liftee.

I'm struggling to imagine a situation where it would be even remotely feasible in a football match

- for a throw-in I really can't see the referee timing his throw to suit a midfield pair engaging in this. It's one thing when the person throwing is aiming for the person catching and will have practised their timing hundreds of times; a whole different kettle of fish when the person throwing is aiming to throw it up fairly between four people. I'd imagine any GAA ref faced with a midfield pair engaged in this (if the ref allowed them away with it ) would simply fudge the throw so that it was 1) away from the pair and 2) fudge the throw to mess with the timing

-for a throw ball - all players bar the two contesting the throw-in are supposed to be 13m away so a non-runner here.

- for a big man on the edge of the square I really can't see the team attacking being able to kick it accurately enough so that two players would be able to time their jump to use a rugby lift especially on a consistent enough basis to give an advantage over the 2 individuals jumping on their own.

- maybe for defending 45s it might be a possibility in terms of stopping points in terms of getting someone high enough to maybe block a ball going over the bar. However if they block the ball without catching/try to batt it away, there is the danger that it might fall to a forward. If they catch it I could see them getting fairly surrounded by the time they get back down to ground and I would doubt too many GAA refs would be inclined to give them the usual soft frees that keepers/defenders get when they catch a ball in their own area. In fact I'd imagine most GAA refs would be only itching to blow for steps/illegal handpass/barging or something of that ilk for any player who did this.

Also there is a rule about engaging in play that is dangerous to an opponent, so I could possibly see some refs blowing for this on the basis that lifting one player so high that his feet would be at head-height level (which is what rugby players regularly achieve) is dangerous play. All an opposition player would have to do in this case is run into the catcher's feet and the opposition player would have a legitimate case for a free.

If some side did decide to try to implement this I would imagine that the rules would be implemented very quickly to make it illegal.

Can't help but wonder how high in the sky a combo of Donaghy and Tommy Walsh might be capable of launching someone like Darren Sullivan into the sky.

It might be legal but quite difficult to pull off successfully and in rugby it isn't only legal in a line-out - you will see it in open play though only really off kickoffs and 22 drop outs