Feeding the ball into the League scrum - Union style

[fatscally]

Hi.

With UNION players having a go at playing LEAGUE a few common mistakes happen.

When it comes to feeding the ball into the scrum they sometimes roll it into the middle between the two hookers (Instead of back through the legs of his own team). Now what has happened is the ball bobbed about inside and came back out the way it went in.

What's the call?

Is there a problem passing the ball into the middle?
Is there a problem if the ball pops back out?

Cheers,

:chin:

 

[4eyesbetter]

There's nothing wrong with it, it's just a mighty stupid thing to do. If it pops back out: reset the scrum, same put-in, but give the halfback a clip round the ear first, possibly while humming Mungo Jerry.

 

[pwhaling]

Hi.

With UNION players having a go at playing LEAGUE a few common mistakes happen.

When it comes to feeding the ball into the scrum they sometimes roll it into the middle between the two hookers (Instead of back through the legs of his own team).

:chin:

I assure you if a converted scrum half does this, it's entirely by accident.

 

[OB..]

According to the RLIF website the latest law book is from 2010

Law 6 (a) The ball shall be put into the scrum from the Referee’s side by holding it in a horizontal position with a point in each hand and rolling it along the ground into the tunnel formed by the opposing front row forwards.

Law 8 When the ball is in the scrum it can only be played with the foot.
The front row forwards shall not advance their feet into the tunnel or have one foot raised before the ball is put in or strike for the ball before the hookers.
A hooker may strike for the ball with either foot once it has contacted the ground in the tunnel.
After the hookers have struck for the ball the other forwards in the scrum may kick or heel the ball.

Note to Law 8 Hookers striking prematurely is one of the more common scrum offences. If one hooker strikes prematurely and escapes penalty the other hooker will be tempted to commit the same offence. Referees should endeavour to detect and punish the initial offender.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league_gameplay#Scrum

The scrum was traditionally used as a mechanism where the two teams compete for possession of the football; however this has since changed with the introduction of fair, but uncontested[SUP][7][/SUP] scrums, where the ball is fed into the second row, instead of the first, all but eliminating an effective competition for the ball. Because of these changes the scrum serves to simply remove the forwards from the play for a period, thus creating more space for the backs to attack the depleted defensive line. This is intended to give advantage to the side that is awarded the scrum. It is very rare (but not completely unknown) for a team to win possession of the ball, despite not having the feed, though in such situations the referee may restart the scrum.

So Union is not the only sport to have a mismatch between Law and Reality epper:

 

[fatscally]

That's very interesting. So competing for the ball and pushing is fruitless because the feeding team are awarded it anyway.

 

[crossref]

That's very interesting. So competing for the ball and pushing is fruitless because the feeding team are awarded it anyway.

bit like a ruck in the elite game in union :wink:

 

[4eyesbetter]

That's very interesting. So competing for the ball and pushing is fruitless because the feeding team are awarded it anyway.

Well, when you said "pops back out" I assumed you meant "pops back out of the tunnel". If the defenders push them off the ball, or it bounces off a leg and they hook it, or whatever, and the ball then exits through their second row: sure, that's A-OK and play on.

 

[fatscally]

Well, when you said "pops back out" I assumed you meant "pops back out of the tunnel". If the defenders push them off the ball, or it bounces off a leg and they hook it, or whatever, and the ball then exits through their second row: sure, that's A-OK and play on.

He fed the ball into the tunnel, it bopped about as they hooked for it and came straight back out of the tunnel where he put it in. i.e. the fella that put the ball in ultimately got it back.

 

[4eyesbetter]

Yeah, just give him a smack and make him put it in properly next time.

(If you were feeling really mean, or his team were leading by lots and you wanted to give the other team the ball for a bit, you could always ping a differential penalty for offside at the scrum, since it sounds like he's been hanging around next to the tunnel to watch what happened next instead of retreating immediately like he's supposed to...)

(Don't do that.)

(Well, not unless it would be really funny.)