Ruling: 6 : 2009

David J.


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Ruling: 6 : 2009

Ruling Request from ARU Under-19 Variations – Law 20 1 (f)

Australian Rugby Union (ARU) seeks a ruling in respect of the following matters relating to the Under 19 Variations to Law 20.1 (f):

1. The Under-19 Law Variation refers to a team having fewer than eight players in its scrum when “…the team cannot field a complete team, or a player sent off for Foul Play, or a player leaves the field because of injury.” Does this Law Variation also apply if a player is cautioned and temporarily suspended (yellow card)?

2. The Under-19 law Variation refers to both teams using reduced numbers of players in the scrum formation if “…a team is incomplete…” because it is without one, two or three players. No distinction is made between forward players and back players. If a No. 15 is sent off early in a match, must both teams play with seven players in the scrum, even though both teams still have eight players suitably trained and capable of playing in the scrum?

3. If a team cannot field a complete team because it is short one or more forward player, but that team is able to provide from the available players suitably trained players to contest scrums, may the game proceed/continue with eight player scrums per team?

Ruling of the Designated Members

The complete team is a reference to having eight players who can play in the scrum. If a forward leaves the field of play for any reason and cannot be replaced because of injury, sending off, temporary suspension or any other reason then both teams must reduce the number of players in the scrum so that there are equal numbers.

If any player other than a forward has to leave the field for any reason and cannot be replaced there will be no reduction in the players playing in the scrum.

This will be referred to the Chairman of the Rugby Committee for the Law to be amended to provide clarity.
 

nealed


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now thats interesting
i yc a SH or verbal last year u16 game
then asked the team who they were replacing the scrum half with and would they have 7 or 8 in the pack, they put 7 in the pack and i asked the other team to take out their no 8 which annoyed them
afterwards i felt i was wrong in giving choice as should have gone down to 7 in scrum automatically as that was my interpretation of the law
was i wrong then, or is this a law change?
 

OB..


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This is a law change in effect but not yet in name.
 

Phil E


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now thats interesting
i yc a SH or verbal last year u16 game
then asked the team who they were replacing the scrum half with and would they have 7 or 8 in the pack, they put 7 in the pack and i asked the other team to take out their no 8 which annoyed them
afterwards i felt i was wrong in giving choice as should have gone down to 7 in scrum automatically as that was my interpretation of the law
was i wrong then, or is this a law change?

Last year you would have gone down to 7 in both packs, lsoing the No 8.
This is a Law Change.

Anyone else getting the feeling of Deja Vu?
 

nealed


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yes law change
i dont think i like it
seems to me that they have completely changed the definition of the word team!
blimey anyone can play in the back row whether trained or not
what a load of nonsense
 

Simon Thomas


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It's all around the word "team", the IRB have made the Ruling and we will apply it.

BTW the RFU can't do anything for a week at least about formally announcing this change, as the Referee Manager is on leave - pmsl ! It appears delegation and initiative haven't got to TW1 as yet :D

Also a RFU Referee Development Manager is of the opinion that very few Societies or Referees applied the Law to a reduction in the backs and hence to 14 and so make a forward drop out from both sides. Well we did - ON RFU INSTRUCTIONS !
 

beckett50


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Sorry but I fail to follow the arguments here.

Previously the only requirement at U-19 was to match numbers in the scrum. Ergo if you carded a forward then the oppo would have to drop a player in the scrum. Card a back and there is no change to the pack.

Please clarify how this ruling clarifies the issue?
 

David J.


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Card a back and there is no change to the pack.

That's not the way the law is written.

"A team must have fewer than eight players in its scrum when either the team
cannot field a complete team, or a player is sent off for Foul Play, or a player leaves the field because of injury. "
 
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