Pulling a player from the ruck/tackle

[oldman]

Guys, Some help please. Watching a game on Saturday one side, when defending a ruck after a tackle, would pull the attacking players from the ruck towards the defence's try line ie. through the ruck, to try (I think) and create space for a counter ruck. I was asked after the game by my clubs coach if this was legal. Is it?

 

[Balones]

No. Without referring to any specific laws -not binding, collapsing ruck, playing player without ball. Usually managed rather than penalised depending on materiality.

 

[Taff]

Funnily enough I got pulled up on this last season when I let it happen. One Coach wasn't happy his side weren't given a PK and politely suggested I check. I asked around a couple of Refs and all told me it was a PK offence. A couple suggested it was collapsing the Ruck, but whatever it was for, every one of them seemed to agree it was a PK offence.

 

[beckett50]

Whilst it is specifically mentioned in the current Law book in relation to the Maul (11.11.b) it is no longer mentioned in the current rewrite of the LotG.

IIRC it was specifically mentioned in the previous Laws, but currently you can use 15.16.b

 

[Rich_NL]

Or 15.7 / 15.10

 

[Balones]

There are several that you could apply outside of Law 15. Try law 9 - 9.20c is fairly specific!

 

[Arabcheif]

Collapsing a ruck.... if pulling a player out of a ruck is collapsing a ruck, why do we allow Crocodile rolls to the side. Surely this is the same thing?

 

[Balones]

Collapsing a ruck.... if pulling a player out of a ruck is collapsing a ruck, why do we allow Crocodile rolls to the side. Surely this is the same thing?

When you croc roll you have to bind on. Pulling does not involve binding. Hence my first post on this thread. All I, and other posters, are saying is that it is illegal and there are several laws that you can enforce if required and prove your case if you are asked in the bar afterwards as to why it is illegal. It is illegal entry to the ruck by not binding. If the pulling results in collapsing then use 9.20c. If it doesn’t result in a collapse because you have managed the situation you can argue in the bar that you were using 9.20c because most pulling does result in a collapse so you prevented a penalty. “Thanks. Well done ref”!

 

[SimonSmith]

Collapsing a ruck.... if pulling a player out of a ruck is collapsing a ruck, why do we allow Crocodile rolls to the side. Surely this is the same thing?

"We" allow gator rolls because TPTB have told us.
There is a number of us who believe that they are both illegal and dangerous.

 

[Balones]

They are allowed because, despite the possible dangers if not done correctly, they are deemed to be a positive action to aid fluidity. There is nothing positive that can come out of ‘pulling’. (As far as I can work out!)

 

[Flish]

They are allowed because, despite the possible dangers if not done correctly, they are deemed to be a positive action to aid fluidity. There is nothing positive that can come out of ‘pulling’. (As far as I can work out!)

Yet the kids see Maro Itoje pulling players out of the ruck (Ok TWOL in example below not technically a ruck but first example I found!) on TV and copy (including my son) so until they see it pinged it's a hard sell down in the sticks :-(

https://rugbyonslaught.com/footage-maro-itoje-destroys-leinsters-game-plan-with-one-simple-trick/

 

[Balones]

Yet the kids see Maro Itoje pulling players out of the ruck (Ok TWOL in example below not technically a ruck but first example I found!) on TV and copy (including my son) so until they see it pinged it's a hard sell down in the sticks :-(

https://rugbyonslaught.com/footage-maro-itoje-destroys-leinsters-game-plan-with-one-simple-trick/

Can’t disagree with you. What is not always heard by the spectators is the ‘management’ of the situation or perhaps a downtime warning.

 

[Treadmore]

Yet the kids see Maro Itoje pulling players out of the ruck (Ok TWOL in example below not technically a ruck but first example I found!) on TV and copy (including my son) so until they see it pinged it's a hard sell down in the sticks :-(

https://rugbyonslaught.com/footage-maro-itoje-destroys-leinsters-game-plan-with-one-simple-trick/

Not this again?
http://www.rugbyrefs.com/showthread.php?21468-Shirt-Pulling&p=358978&viewfull=1#post358978