[Law] Can you have a quick goal line drop out?

[Ciaran Trainor]

Had this scenario yesterday. After my first game, I refereed the second half of a lower grade game that had no appointed ref.
Red v Black. Red generally young and inexperienced, black, good mix of old heads and young players, both teams with very varied levels of fitness and black deserved winners.

Late in second half Red camped on line trying to get a consolation score. Black win ball and break full length of the pitch. By the time we get to the try line, only about 4 players from each side and me in the half of the field.
As black go to touch down, they lose it forward and it is then grounded.
So, new law, goal line drop out.

Red 9 gets the ball and spots his winger on other side of pitch completely unmarked so attempts a quick one.
He assumes it has to be taken from under the posts so runs there and kicks, hits the post and ball does not travel 10M, he picks it up, not many around so I award scum 5 to black.
This made me think of a few questions/clarifications.

1. Can you take a quick GLDO if your players are retreating and in no way interfering? My gut reaction is yes, same as quick line out.
2. The ball has to travel 5 or 10M, I'm not sure and difficult to judge a close 10 with no pitch markings.

P.S. I had the urban myth, you cannot take a 2nd quick tap also with one guy after the match telling me he got penalised for doing just that the week before!

 

[chbg]

Good fitness!

The easy one - the GLDO has to cross the 5m line ('the sanction line'). Thus it may have to travel more than 5m to achieve that if not kicked directly up the field.

Normal offside rules for a Restart Kick: team-mates of the kicker must be behind the ball when it is kicked (there IS offside in In-Goal!); those in front may be sanctioned unless they retire and do not interfere with play until they are put on-side by the actions of a team-mate (only). 12.18

 

[crossref]

this was discussed at our society meeting

- a GLD do is like a 22m , it can be taken quickly

- but in the first couple of games may be sensible to slow things down as people will be confused

- and in the case of one of those held-ups that involve a pile of numerous bodies, letting them go quickly might not be appropriate, so perhaps peep and check for injuries etc as they get up.

 

[tim White]

A fabulous scenario that no-one could have imagined. Scrum 5 is fair, option to retake kick by receiving team? I bet no-one queried your decision.

 

[lawsons]

Agree with all the above.

In answer to the final point. Yes that is an urban myth much like the “you’ve got to let him up”. You can take a quick penalty as many times as you like. The only proviso is the ref has to make a mark and the tap happens at the mark. If you walk slowly to the mark, everyone has sufficient time to get into place. Rarely do teams ever want to tap and go twice anyway.

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

Agree with all the above.

In answer to the final point. Yes that is an urban myth much like the “you’ve got to let him up”. You can take a quick penalty as many times as you like. The only proviso is the ref has to make a mark and the tap happens at the mark. If you walk slowly to the mark, everyone has sufficient time to get into place. Rarely do teams ever want to tap and go twice anyway.

My bold added to text

Is the bold correct? We do not want to start another myth.

 

[thepercy]

Sanction for ball not crossing the sanction line (5m) is option of scrum on the 5m line, or re-kick.

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

My bold added to text

Is the bold correct? We do not want to start another myth.

Agree not Kurt The second tap can be anywhere directly behind as long as the ref sees you take it which is usually the problem.