Dixie
Referees in England
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- Oct 26, 2006
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I have a lot of sympathy with this. It's not dissimilar to catching the ball that has crossed the plane if you yourself remain infield. The logic is surely that the ball never hit anything in touch, so was itself not in touch. If the diving player has not yet touched the deck, he's not in touch (just like the hands that catch beyond the plane while the feet remain infield). So the ball is not in touch either, not having touched anything in touch.Irrespective of whether the decision was correct or not ( see LBYC). I think its time that RU law rewarded personal agility skills ..... If you can keep it from hitting the ground ( even if youre in tbe air), then let's never stop play.
Like marauder and Browner, I'd also allow a player in touch to bring the ball back into play as long as he was in the air at the time. Why not - surely a tap'n'go in such situations is better than yet another long drawn out lineout?