crossing the plane

[David J.]

I know this has been discussed before, but the threads are long and divergent and I can't tell if there's any consensus, except that the law isn't crystal clear.

This is the scenario I encountered on Saturday.

Green 10 kicks from inside his 22. Ball heads towards touch, and Red 14 jumps over the touch line and bats it back into the field of play landing in touch. AR flags. No problem at this point, our understanding is that's in touch.

But who's lineout is it? Is it Red's or Green's?

And, as a corollary, if the Green 10 had been in front of the 22...where would the lineout be?

The AR (a more experienced ref than I) called it for Red, which I agreed with, but had some reservations in my mind.

 

[OB..]

It is not clear in the laws, and different countries appear to rule differently. Some say what matters is where the player lands. Others say a player is out if his torso (aliter feet) have crossed the plane of touch.

My own view in this case is that the ball had crossed the plane and so had the player, thus when he played it, the ball was in touch and it was a throw to Red.

 

[Phil E]

1. But who's lineout is it? Is it Red's or Green's?
   
2. And, as a corollary, if the Green 10 had been in front of the 22...where would the lineout be?

1. Red lineout.
   
2. In line with where he kicked it.

 

[dgilks]

I've just checked the ARU 'Line Ball, Your Call' booklet.

Assuming the Red player was outside the plane of touch when he batted the ball back, it is a lineout. Red to throw in. If Red player had not crossed the plane (eg his feet were still inside the field of play) then the ball was not in touch, play on.

 

[Padster]

As OB says there are different interpretations of this. On my development touch judge award it would have been play on as it depends where the red player starts from. If he starts from the field of play then the plane of touch does not matter. If he starts from outside the field of play he must not be in contact with the ground and the ball must not cross the plane of touch.
In rugby I was taught that it does not matter if the ball goes over the touchline when in the air but if it blows or curls back into play, you play on. In soccer it is that the whole of the ball must break the plane of the line.