Line ball, Rob Debney's call!

[Jacko]

Potentially important call by RD on the line for LV cup semi this evening. 72 minutes gone if anyone's videoed it.

Restart after a score is kicked close to the touch line. Ball has NOT crossed the plane of touch when a receiver who has a foot in touch fumbles the ball forward.

What's your call??

 

[Jacko]

PS. Not important at all - Falcons scored a last play winning try regardless!!

 

[ddjamo]

knock on.

 

[Phil E]

Potentially important call by RD on the line for LV cup semi this evening. 72 minutes gone if anyone's videoed it.

Restart after a score is kicked close to the touch line. Ball has NOT crossed the plane of touch when a receiver who has a foot in touch fumbles the ball forward.

What's your call??

As long as the ball didn't cross the plane, and the player didn't hold the ball, it's not in touch.
So if the ball is not in touch, it's a knock on.

 

[Davet]

Depends what you mean by "fumbled"

If the player knocked it back into play, but it went forward -Knock on

If it was a catch that was then dropped, touch.

 

[Jacko]

A full blown knock on!

I agree with everyone that it should have been a scrum - just wanted to stimulate a bit of debate.

 

[andyscott]

Nah straight out

 

[Dickie E]

here's my summary. Blue player attempts to catch ball that has not crossed plane of touch and Blue player has foot in touch. If Blue drops the catch:

1. and it goes forward either into fop or touch - knock on; Red scrum
2. and it goes backward into fop - play on.
3. and it goes backwards into touch - lineout; Red throw

 

[AlanT]

Surely as soon as the ball touches a player with a foot in touch the ball is out. Regardless of what happens after the ball was touched.

 

[ddjamo]

Surely as soon as the ball touches a player with a foot in touch the ball is out. Regardless of what happens after the ball was touched.

drum roll.........

 

[Dixie]

Surely as soon as the ball touches a player with a foot in touch the ball is out. Regardless of what happens after the ball was touched.

drum roll.........

Alan T! Where you been! Good to have you back on the board.

I have great sympathy with your view. We simplify this in all other scenarios by saying that a player with a foot in touch IS touch - so when the ball touches him, it touches something on or beyond the touchline, and so has gone into touch. So how to square that with the provision that allows a player standing in touch to knock - but not hold - a ball that hasn't yet crossed the plane of touch (final definition, Law 19)?

Given that a kick or knock is acceptable but a hold is not, it looks like an accidental kick or knock is OK - no touch. So our simplification appears to be unreliable - useful in most cases, but not this one.