Harlequins v Leicester

[harlequins1970]

Early in the 2nd half a tackle situation occurs. Harlequins have the ball Botica is then tackled by a Leicester player who then releases and gets to his feet to try and get the ball (no problem there). The ball comes loose and goes backwards with which the Leicester player dives over Botica and whilst off his feet grabs the ball and attempts to play it back to his side, which he now cannot as there are bodies everywhere. The whistle blows for the ball then becoming unplayable (i think that is what it was blown for as a scrum was awarded to Leicester). The referee said that the Leicester tackler was allowed to "go off his feet to get the ball" as it had come away from the tackle. I have never come across this before or seen it.

Has anyone else come across this scenario before

 

[Davet]

Law 14 - a player may go to ground to gather a loose ball.
If he does so then he must either get up with it, pass it or release it - immediately.

Players are not allowed to dive on the ball actually at the tackle, or as it emerges from a ruck, but if the ball is outside that zone (and the ref's comments you report indicate that for him it was, then Law 14 operates.

Sounds like the ball then became unplayable, Tigers deemed to be going forward, their put-in.

 

[Dixie]

Sounds like the ball then became unplayable, Tigers deemed to be going forward, their put-in.

I agree with Davet, even though he's a rabid Tiger and hence conflicted. The thing that is nagging at you is law 15.6(f):

[LAWS](f) Any player who first gains possession of the ball must not go to the ground at the tackle or near to it unless tackled by an opposition player.
Sanction: Penalty kick[/LAWS]

There are perhaps doubts as to whether the original tackler was still in possession, or had lost it backwards. For me, it was the latter. In that case, the question then becomes whether the ball is still within the tackle zone, or whether that had disappeared when the ball moved out of it. I haven't seen the play, but both your description and the ref's comment suggests that had happened.

 

[harlequins1970]

Dixie,

A bit more info was that as the ball went backwards a so called ruck occured as they didn't know where the ball was as it happened so quickly then the Leicester player dived on it and tried to play it back towards his side but couldn't due to the pile up that happend previously. with regards to the tackle zone it I would have said it was out and it was certainly loose.

 

[Dixie]

Dixie,

A bit more info was that as the ball went backwards a so called ruck occured as they didn't know where the ball was as it happened so quickly then the Leicester player dived on it and tried to play it back towards his side

Tha nk you for that. Then we need to be clear about the sequence of things. If the "so called ruck" occurred at the original tackle zone while players were unsure about the location of the ball, and then it squirted out and was fallen on by the player who had been the original tackler, then all is good. But if the original tackler fell on it while it was still in the "so called ruck", then that may have been problematic - depending on whether the so-called ruck was, in fact, a ruck or just a melee of players in proximity to each other.

 

[harlequins1970]

Dixie,

it was never a ruck due to the fact the ball went backwards before everyone went in, it was more of a melee but with that in mind the Leicester player in trying to release/pass back played it back into the melee and that is where it became unplayable.

 

[Davet]

So the ref got it right?

 

[Browner]

Dixie,

it was never a ruck due to the fact the ball went backwards before everyone went in, it was more of a melee but with that in mind the Leicester player in trying to release/pass back played it back into the melee and that is where it became unplayable.

Well done that ref

 

[harlequins1970]

I was never questioning that the ref didn't get it right although it was wayne barnes! I suppose my main question was did the Leicester player have the right to do what he did and dive on the ball after a tackle situation as I was under the impression that players had to be on their feet when they next played the ball after a tackle including the tackler which he wasn't. Therefore was the ball out of the tackle area and in open play which having a look at it mr barnes raises both arms stating it was and play on. It was probably the only thing he gave them all night :booty:

 

[Davet]

Therefore was the ball out of the tackle area and in open play which having a look at it mr barnes raises both arms stating it was and play on.

I think that's your answer, right there.