Ball carrier repeatedly getting to his feet and playing the ball

[Locke]

I had this happen in a U19 game I reffed on Saturday.

Blue ball carrier, strong runner, gets tackled, releases ball, gets to his feet, picks up ball, goes again. I don’t ping because he releases and got back to his feet before playing the ball again. This happened 3 times in probably 15 seconds before he makes it across the goal line and touches down. I award the try.

That happens to be the end of the first half. After the conversion, I whistle for half time and then scurry to my phone to try to research what I’ve missed because it doesn’t feel right to me. Before the second half starts, I have a word with him and let him know I need him to make sure he gets back on his own side of the ball before he picks up again. I took this language from the tackled player getting to his feet but it felt like a way to help manage it. Basically, I was making it up.

I feel that I’ve made a mistake here, or more than one. When the ball carrier gets back to his feet, does the ruck still form? Should the ball carrier then be treated as an arriving player? When can the ball carrier no longer pick up the ball after getting back to his feet? “When a ruck has formed” seems like the obvious answer but the element of it being the ball carrier instead of standard “arriving players” is adding confusion for me.

Any insight or clarification is welcome and appreciated.

 

[crossref]

Sounds to me like you got it right ?

Unless, as you say, a ruck had formed and then the ball carrier once on his feet is just like any other player

 

[chbg]

Was each situation just the ball carrier and the tackler? In which case it would be (relatively) simple and, as you describe, 'play on'. If there are 'other players' from the tackler's side, do they engage, from the direction if their goal-line, the ex-ball carrier on his feet before he picks the ball up? In which case a ruck has formed and the ball carrier is then not allowed to pick up.

 

[Locke]

Thanks to all for the input. So as long as he picks up the ball before an opponent makes contact and the ruck is formed, he is fine.

Final clarification, do his feet need to be on his side of the ball or does it not matter?

 

[Jarrod Burton]

Thanks to all for the input. So as long as he picks up the ball before an opponent makes contact and the ruck is formed, he is fine.

Final clarification, do his feet need to be on his side of the ball or does it not matter?

Not for mine. Provided he's released the ball before getting up and was not impeding another player on their feet from picking it up its something I'd let slide.

 

[chbg]

Thanks to all for the input. So as long as he picks up the ball before an opponent makes contact and the ruck is formed, he is fine.

Final clarification, do his feet need to be on his side of the ball or does it not matter?

Law 14.7 places no such requirement on them (as long as a ruck has not formed).

 

[Phil E]

Technically, as soon as he stands up over the ball, he has created a tackle with offside lines. Law 14.10

 

[Rich_NL]

Tacklers and arriving players have to approach from "their" side of the ball, per the laws; tackled players have no such requirement. As long as they release the ball and get back to their feet before picking it up, they're good to go.

As to Phil's point, technically yes... Are you going to penalise the chasing tackler who tackles the player picking up the ball and about to run on to score because he's offside at the TWOL?