I agree with Didds. A knock on needs to be judged on its own merit (ie not what the ball was doing prior to the contact) and is relative to the ground only.
As opposed to the forward pass which is relative to the passer.
Not quite, "Thrown Forward" is not relative to the passer, my emphasis:
Throw forward: When a player throws or passes the ball forward i.e. if
the arms of the player passing the ball move forward.
Knock-on: When a player loses possession of the ball and it
goes forward, or when a player hits the ball forward with the hand or arm, or when the ball hits the hand or arm and goes forward, and the ball touches the ground or another player before the original player can catch it.
Forward: Towards the opposition’s dead-ball line
So the ball is caught cleanly and the catcher whilst facing their own goal line throws the ball over their shoulder, this is "thrown forward" as defined above.
In the query about what occurs before contact, the OP, we all know rugby balls bounce in mostly random manner, hence "don't let it bounce". But if it bounces "forward" hits the player and then travels towards their own DBL then play on.
I imagine the players & spectators would expect a whistle so whistle it is.
Similar to this. Blue #9 passes ball to Blue #10 at a 45 degree angle. It is not a good pass and Blue #10 is only able to get a fingertip on the ball such that ball is still traveling towards Blue goal line but at a reduced angle. Knock on?
Do you whistle because people expect it or to control the game when infringements of law have occurred?
That's an incomplete scenario. What happens next?
- Did 10 catch it or was the dynamic and athletic open side who was looking for the pop anyway, and covering just outside the 10, catch the fumbled pass and carry it over to score?
- Did the blue 12 have to pick it off his toes and twang his hamstring?
- Or did it go to ground?
- If it went to ground closer to the oppo's DBL than where the 10 touched it, peep, knock on.
- If it went to ground farther away from the oppo's DBL crack on.
- Or if the oppo's 7 was having a stormer, putting the Blue 10 through all kinds of hell, sneak in to intercept the poorly controlled ball and stroll in under the posts to score the BP try and win the day? Good on you mate, well played.
Do you have any more scenarios you want to try?
Still absolutely clear to me.