Lineout maul not contested

[breako]

Reds have a lineout and do a classic lineout maul.
Blues back off so there is no maul. By this stage Reds have transferred the ball to the back.
Then Reds transfer back up to the top of their attempt at the maul, drive forward and score.

Ref says transfer forward, scrum blue.

Reds say hey we didn't transfer it forward, the person in front just grab it from person behind, there was no forward motion from person behind.

Thoughts????

 

[crossref]

11.6.(b)

When a player hands the ball to a team-mate in front of the first player, the receiver is offside. Unless the receiver is considered to be intentionally offside (in which case a penalty kick is awarded), the receiver is accidentally offside and a scrum is formed with the opposing team throwing in the ball.


They should have used it.

 

[The Fat]

Two things.
OP says blue "back away" so as not to form a mail. Ref needs to make sure they haven't left the line-out early.
The action by red in transferring/handing the ball i.e. returning the ball, to the front man is deliberate and is a PK offence

 

[OB..]

Definitions

Pass: A player throws the ball to another player; if a player hands the ball to another player without throwing it, this is also a pass.

11.1 (a) [...]A player who receives an unintentional throw forward is not offside.[...]

12.1 (f) Intentional knock or throw forward. A player must not intentionally knock the ball forward with hand or arm, nor throw forward. Sanction: Penalty kick.

Technically this is therefore an intentional throw forward.

19.8 (d) When the ball is in touch, every player who approaches the line of touch is presumed to do so to form a lineout. Players who approach the line of touch must do so without delay. Players of either team must not leave the lineout once they have taken up a position in the lineout until the lineout has ended.
Sanction: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

I beleive WR expects players to move sideways if wanting to avoid forming a maul.

I think that is overkill. I would accept a small step away. Merely touching does not form a maul - it has to be a binding action (as distinct from tackling).

 

[Browner]

Two things.
OP says blue "back away" so as not to form a mail. Ref needs to make sure they haven't left the line-out early.
The action by red in transferring/handing the ball i.e. returning the ball, to the front man is deliberate and is a PK offence

I agree, its to be wholly discouraged. & even if the guy at the back is 'cutely' squeezed to the front ( merely to avoid and ball 'transfer' pass ) I'd penalise them for obstruction whilst they constructed this player repositioning.

The blind eye ignoring of their blocking expires when they chose not to UI.