Ball hit post

[Deeps]

I think I got this right this afternoon however I would appreciate views.

A long kick ahead saw the ball bounce gently onwards until it hit a goal post and bounced back into the field of play by a foot or two. A desperate defender, with attackers on his heels, picked the ball up and touched it down over the goal line. I awarded a 5 metre scrum to the attacking side.

Howls of protest from the defenders about the post being part of the goal line to which I replied that had the attacker grounded the ball against the post instead of carrying it over the line the outcome would have been a 22 metre drop out.

In hindsight I am not so sure. If the ball had been resting against the goal post when it was subsequently grounded by a defender then that would have been a touchdown with the ball already 'in goal' and a 22 metre drop out would result but voluntarily moving the ball back a couple of feet in the field of play to ground it on the post is surely the same as carrying it over the goal line to touch it down?

Any thoughts?

 

[Ian_Cook]

A desperate defender, with attackers on his heels, picked the ball up and touched it down over the goal line. I awarded a 5 metre scrum to the attacking side.

The right decision IMO, however...

I replied that had the attacker grounded the ball against the post instead of carrying it over the line the outcome would have been a 22 metre drop out.

As you say in the post, this would only have been correct if the ball had been resting against the base of the post.

If the ball bounced off the post into the FoP then its not in-goal, and grounding it against the post would be carried back.... scrum 5m

 

[Dixie]

If the ball had been resting against the goal post when it was subsequently grounded by a defender then that would have been a touchdown with the ball already 'in goal' and a 22 metre drop out would result but voluntarily moving the ball back a couple of feet in the field of play to ground it on the post is surely the same as carrying it over the goal line to touch it down?

As often happens, second thoughts turn out to be moer reliable than first ones.

 

[ex-lucy]

how about these scenarios...

it rebounds off post and defender reaches foot out to touch try line ... and picks up ball (still rolling) ...and then touches ball against base of post
decision?

it rebounds off post and defender reaches foot out to touch try line ... and picks up ball (not rolling) ...and then touches ball against base of post
decision?

 

[Phil E]

how about these scenarios...

it rebounds off post and defender reaches foot out to touch try line ... and picks up ball (still rolling) ...and then touches ball against base of post
decision?

it rebounds off post and defender reaches foot out to touch try line ... and picks up ball (not rolling) ...and then touches ball against base of post
decision?

1st one = 22 drop out (kicker put it in)
2nd one = 5m attacking scrum (defender took it in)