[Law] Ball hits the spider cam

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
This is new in 2018 , isn't it ?

[LAWS]6.9 The referee will deem the ball to be dead when:
[...]
F) The ball hits anything above the playing area.[/LAWS]

This means that if the ball hits the spider cam ref must blow whistle and restart with a scrum

I think that's new in the Law (?) , Previously we have discussed treating it like ball hitting referee .. if it's an inconsequential touch and no one gets an advantage then play on. Only stop if one team gets an advantage.
 

Taff


Referees in Wales
Joined
Aug 23, 2009
Messages
6,942
Post Likes
383
While it's tempting to think this will not affect us, this law will apply to overhead electricity pylons etc.

I can think of at least one local pitch where pylons cross the field.
 
Last edited:

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
So who gets the restart? kicking or non kicking team.

Good question

I think it would be this

The referee awards a scrum for any other reason not covered in law.

In the scrum zone at the point closest to the place of stoppage.

Who puts in ? The team that was last moving forward or, if neither team was moving forward, the attacking team.

Apart from some weird event the kicking team would be the one moving forward.


It would be interesting if it was a kick at goal
.. which may then miss but potentially might still go over

Dead ball and scrum or kick again ?
 
Last edited:

Camquin

Rugby Expert
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
1,653
Post Likes
310
So kick to touch and hit a pigeon landing in touch.
Do you give a scrum under 6.9 or give the line out?

Similarly, kick for goal hits pigeon and goes through posts - what do you give.
 

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
Yes, this seems to be an ill thought out addition to the Laws.
And replace pigeon with drone and ask the same question

It would be better to say
.. if no team gets an advantage play on. So in your examples give the lineout and the three points
.. if some one gets an advantage then for a kick at goal , I think retake the kick . Otherwise scrum .
 

VM75

Player or Coach
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
442
Post Likes
92
Current Referee grade:
Select Grade
In an effort to keep Laws slimmer, i'd favour

If the ball hits anything above the playing area - consider it rare, react quickly & play on.
 

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
Eng v SA ball hits spider cam !

Angus gives a scrum to the kicking team, at the place where he kicked it (moved out 5m into scrum zone)

Correct ?
 

Decorily

Coach/Referee
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
1,556
Post Likes
423
Current Referee grade:
Select Grade
Eng v SA ball hits spider cam !

Angus gives a scrum to the kicking team, at the place where he kicked it (moved out 5m into scrum zone)

Correct ?
Is it incorrect? ?
 

chbg


Referees in England
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
1,479
Solutions
1
Post Likes
439
Current Referee grade:
Level 7
Well, I would say it's definitely a scrum
Laws don't say who gets put in or where
I would have thought : under the spider cam
That's where I was expecting it to be. It drove me to the Lawbook, where I couldn't find anything under Law 19 (which covers most causes of a scrum). Perhaps a past Clarification? Anyway, no-one in the playing area contested it!
 

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
The Lawbook is silent . The only thing there is 6.9.f

  1. THE BALL BECOMES DEAD
  2. The referee will deem the ball to be dead when
  3. The ball hits anything above the playing area.
After that nothing

One of the players does query it, I heard AG say confidently "that's the law"
 

oldman


Referees in England
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
291
Post Likes
38
Is this not the same as the ball hitting an overhanging tree branch? The ball has touched something outside the FoP, therefore is in touch hence a line out?
 

Volun-selected


Referees in America
Joined
Jun 11, 2018
Messages
548
Post Likes
301
Location
United States
Current Referee grade:
Level 8
I’d be interested if there is any clarification around this (or precedent from pre-simplified laws). My gut would be to award at the point where the kick was taken.
 

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
Is this not the same as the ball hitting an overhanging tree branch? The ball has touched something outside the FoP, therefore is in touch hence a line out?
See law 6.9.f .. it doesn't say touch. It says the ball is dead
 

tim White


Referees in England
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
1,996
Post Likes
254
You could fall back on 19.1
The referee awards a scrum for any other reason not covered in law.In the scrum zone at the point closest to the place of stoppage.The team that was last moving forward or, if neither team was moving forward, the attacking team.

Scrum where the camera got twatted!

Was there also a point of law where the ref gets to decide what would probably have happened next and apply accordingly -but this only appears to be actually in-goal now? There was one instance of a ball-boy at Twickenham catching a PK for goal in the in-goal area before it went dead. Alert defender asked for the ball and grounded it, everyone played on.
 
Last edited:

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
You could fall back on 19.1
The referee awards a scrum for any other reason not covered in law.In the scrum zone at the point closest to the place of stoppage.The team that was last moving forward or, if neither team was moving forward, the attacking team.

Scrum where the camera got twatted!
that would have been my call. AG went for a scrum where last played
 

DocP


Referees in England
Joined
Dec 20, 2018
Messages
148
Post Likes
96
Location
SE London/Kent
Current Referee grade:
Level 10
that would have been my call. AG went for a scrum where last played
I saw that and thought of this thread and it was material as it ended up being a 5m scrum rather than the same about 10m further upfield.
 

didds

Resident Club Coach
Joined
Jan 27, 2004
Messages
12,032
Post Likes
1,775
I'm sure that is correct in law but would seem a tad unfair if eg
red on own 5m line under no pressure kicks for touch clearance and as its heading for the oppo 10m line it hits the spidercam over half way line and it ends up as a scrum on their own 5m line with oppo right on top of them...
 

crossref


Referees in England
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
21,804
Post Likes
3,145
I'm sure that is correct in law but would seem a tad unfair if eg
red on own 5m line under no pressure kicks for touch clearance and as its heading for the oppo 10m line it hits the spidercam over half way line and it ends up as a scrum on their own 5m line with oppo right on top of them...
that's pretty much what happened in Eng SA
 
Top