Driving ruck too far

Harry

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In last nights game Saracens were penalised for driving the ruck too far. My guess is that once they have stepped passed the ball, the ruck is over, so, its now open play and the players in the ex-ruck are obstructing the defending team from playing the ball or tackling the ball carrier.

Over to the experts. Thanks Harry
 

Locke


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In last nights game Saracens were penalised for driving the ruck too far. My guess is that once they have stepped passed the ball, the ruck is over, so, its now open play and the players in the ex-ruck are obstructing the defending team from playing the ball or tackling the ball carrier.

Over to the experts. Thanks Harry
Hi Harry, do you know which minute of the game this occurred?
 

Harry

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Hi Harry, do you know which minute of the game this occurred?
No sorry. I didn't see the match but I was asked by somebody who did see it, and said it was more than once.
 

Balones

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At about 5.12-15 on the video clock. No game clock on video, but obviously early in game. I think Luke Pearce was making the point thst there is a limit to how far you can continue to drive a player back past the ruck before it becomes playing a player without the ball and preventing them getting back into the game. In this case Maro Itoje ended up on his back about 4/5M past the ruck. He’d more than been cleared from the ruck.
 

Stu10


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I think it was essentially turning into a case of tackling a man without the ball.
 

Phil E


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It was pingd in the Tigers game yesterday as well.
 

shep

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How far does the offside line follow a player being driven back out of a ruck?
 
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Marc Wakeham


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I'd say it does not follow the player. The offside line remains at the back (hindmost foot) of the ruck .
 

shep

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I'd say it does not follow the player. The offside line remains at the back (hindmost foot) of the ruck .
Sure, but if you are driven back out of the ruck at some point you are in the ruck, and your foot is the back foot.

When does your foot stop being relevant to the ruck?
 

Phil E


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Sure, but if you are driven back out of the ruck at some point you are in the ruck, and your foot is the back foot.

When does your foot stop being relevant to the ruck?

When your no longer bound in, so no longer part of the ruck.
 

didds

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and that query only "works" if you are the rear player in the ruck. if there is anybody behind you bound to you then its their back feet that are the offside line.. obvs etc, but to be pedantically clear :)
 

chbg


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When you are no longer involved in binding over the ball. You, and your driver, may have become separate to the remaining ruck (if one still exists).
 

shep

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When you are no longer involved in binding over the ball. You, and your driver, may have become separate to the remaining ruck (if one still exists).
Thanks all for the repsponses.

Does that mean players on the floor don't set an offside line?
 

crossref


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from Law book --- this is a TWOL, but I assume it would be the same for a ruck

tackle-offside.jpg
 

number11


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Law 15.4 Each team has an offside line that runs parallel to the goal line through the hindmost point of any ruck participant. If that point is on or behind the goal line, the offside line for that team is the goal line.
So, I guess the ball carrier is ok, but anyone else there should be rolling away?
 
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