I see so many occasions (and I use my words carefully) where a defending player brings the attacker to ground and has hold of the player but remains on his feet. The attacker is 'tackled' and hence governed by law 15. All too often the defender is called to release or roll away etc even though he never went off his feet. Why is this?
1. Poor referee understanding of the definition of a tackler?
2. Referees trying to reward attacking play?
3. I'm missing something?
Its #3, you're missing something...
[LAWS]LAW 15 DEFINITIONS
A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and is
brought to ground.
A ball carrier who is not held is not a tackled player and a tackle has not taken
place.
Opposition players who hold the ball carrier and bring that player to ground, and
who also go to ground, are known as tacklers.
Opposition players who hold the ball carrier and do not go to ground are not
tacklers.[/LAWS]
We now have a situation where there has been a tackle, but there are no tacklers. These players who remain on their feet after bringing the ball carrier to ground are often called a "Tackle Assist". They are governed by Law 15.6 OTHER PLAYERS
[LAWS]LAW 15.6 (c)
Players in opposition to the ball carrier who remain on their feet who bring the ball carrier to ground so that the player is tackled must release the ball and the ball carrier. Those players may then play the ball providing they are on their feet and do so from behind the ball and from directly behind the tackled player or a tackler closest to those players’ goal line.
Sanction: Penalty kick[/LAWS]
In summary, there are three types of players at the tackle...
The tackled player (there is only one)
The tackler (there may be more than one, or there may be none at all)
The other players, which includes Tackle Assists and arriving players.
