WoodyOne
Coach / Referee
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2016
- Messages
- 40
- Post Likes
- 4
- Current Referee grade:
- Level 10
Hoping a few more experienced heads can help with this question.
The prior 20.6(d) states "The scrum half must throw in the ball straight along the middle line, so that it first touches the ground immediately beyond the width of the nearer prop’s shoulders."
The new states "The scrum-half must throw the ball in straight, but is allowed to align their shoulder on the middle line of the scrum, therefore allowing them to stand a shoulder width towards their side of the middle line."
No mention of "first touches the ground". I've taken the prior Law to mean that the ball needs at least a little air-time as it passes under the props. And faced with a 9 who was rolling it with nothing of the sort I FKed against him. (Might seem harsh, but this was about 5 seconds after I'd clearly told him what I expected, having seen a full-on roll at the prior scrum).
Are you assuming that the "first touches the ground" point is either still in place, or gone? Or do you regard this as immaterial under both prior and new laws (it does feel to me like I FKed something a little minor, and maybe was being a little pedantic).
The prior 20.6(d) states "The scrum half must throw in the ball straight along the middle line, so that it first touches the ground immediately beyond the width of the nearer prop’s shoulders."
The new states "The scrum-half must throw the ball in straight, but is allowed to align their shoulder on the middle line of the scrum, therefore allowing them to stand a shoulder width towards their side of the middle line."
No mention of "first touches the ground". I've taken the prior Law to mean that the ball needs at least a little air-time as it passes under the props. And faced with a 9 who was rolling it with nothing of the sort I FKed against him. (Might seem harsh, but this was about 5 seconds after I'd clearly told him what I expected, having seen a full-on roll at the prior scrum).
Are you assuming that the "first touches the ground" point is either still in place, or gone? Or do you regard this as immaterial under both prior and new laws (it does feel to me like I FKed something a little minor, and maybe was being a little pedantic).
