Tree interfering!

[taff426]

Had a wierd one today in my game.

Blues have a PK, opt for posts. The kick goes wide, however, the ball hits the branches of a overhanging tree, preventing the ball from going dead (very short in goal area). The ball lands in play. Defending team (green) then touch the ball down.

I awarded a 22 to greens. Looking back now I'm sure I should have awarded a 5m scrum to green due to outside interference.

Any ideas Gents??????

 

[scarletjack]

think you made the rite call . had the ball not hit the tree it would have gone dead and a 22 drop out would have been the decision

 

[Adam]

The tree is in touch-in-goal/touch/dead so the branches are there as well. Apply the laws from there.

 

[Phil E]

When the ball touched the tree it was dead (the ball, not the tree).

So 22 was the right decision.

 

[Jabba]

As per Phil E. 22 for me. Tree is dead so to speak as above.

 

[Toby Warren]

Think you handled well. With hindsight agree with Skippers the interpretation before the game. Home club will be used to it I'm sure

 

[SimonSmith]

we have this at Lafayette park in Norfolk.

Local ground rules: if it hits the tree/branches, it's treated as dead as though it had gone out the back

 

[the magpie]

When it comes to trees, just think about it as if a player standing in touch/dead catches the ball - the ball is out.

You made the right call - as one of my mentors said, your first instinct is often the correct one.

 

[Dickie E]

When it comes to trees, just think about it as if a player standing in touch/dead catches the ball - the ball is out.

What happens if the tree knocks the ball back into play????

You made the right call - as one of my mentors said, your first instinct has as much chance of being the correct one as any other.

Fixed :biggrin:

 

[beckett50]

we have this at Lafayette park in Norfolk.

Local ground rules: if it hits the tree/branches, it's treated as dead as though it had gone out the back

We have this at Henley.

In your pre-match preparations this should be obvious as a potential issue. Let the Captains know how you we treat any 'tree interference'

Saves any blushes later.

 

[Whistleblower]

Had very similar at different grounds with trees close to the pitch and quite often home captain will point this out so away team are aware.
What are your thoughts about power cables over the pitch when a ball hits these? I have had it once and it was agreed with both captains prior to kick off that it was carry on as if the ball had not made contact.

 

[PaulDG]

What are your thoughts about power cables over the pitch when a ball hits these? I have had it once and it was agreed with both captains prior to kick off that it was carry on as if the ball had not made contact.

The Law is that the cables are attached to pylons that are in Touch, therefore if the ball hits them, the ball is in Touch.

But the only precedent in a significant game happened in France a couple of years back when the ball hit the TV camera that flies over the pitch on wires and, since none of the officials apparently saw it happen, "play on".

 

[crossref]

The Law is that the cables are attached to pylons that are in Touch, therefore if the ball hits them, the ball is in Touch.

hmm-- where would you have the LO? if the ball was caught by a player, would you allow a quick throw from where he was standing?

I would have thought a ball hitting a cable (or camera or roof) over the pitch is more like ball hitting a referee -- in general look to play on, but if one side gets a clear advantage from it, stop play and and restart with a scrum.

 

[Dixie]

The Law is that the cables are attached to pylons that are in Touch, therefore if the ball hits them, the ball is in Touch.

Agree with Crossref. It's also possible that the cables may run longitudinally instead of latitudinally, in which case the ball has gone dead, either beyond the opponents' DBL (option: 22 or scrum) or beyond the kicker's DBL (5m scrum). How to decide which is which? Do we measure the distance of each pylon from the point where the ball hit the cable? OR ask whether the kicker was in his own half? Or whether the ball was in one half or the other when it touched a cable? Can of worms!

 

[Rit Hinners]

I'm a proponent of the scrum restart at the point the kick was taken when ever the ball, hitting cables/camera/roof over the pitch comes back down into the field of play. The ball that hit the camera at Stade Francias was from a kick straight down the pitch, deciding where to have a line out would be too difficult.

Trees along the sides/ends usually generally do not extend far over the playing surface and often any ball hitting them would go into touch if it didn't hit them and a lineout is appropriate.

 

[chopper15]

When it comes to trees, just think about it as if a player standing in touch/dead catches the ball - the ball is out..

But the tree knocked the ball back into in-goal. Wouldn't the ball have to be held in forked branches for it to be considered out?

 

[B52 REF]

come on guys -trees "interfering", "knocking" the ball back into play -a tree is an inanimate object !!!
berkhamstead have same problem overhanging tree branches treated as out of play.

 

[PaulDG]

But the tree knocked the ball back into in-goal. Wouldn't the ball have to be held in forked branches for it to be considered out?

Not according to the Law, no. The Tree is in TIG hence so is the ball.

(Some clubs have "local rules" that are used in friendlies, of course.)

 

[Account Deleted]

Tree interfering is a perverted practice that needs to be stamped out now. What sort of example does it set for the children? Why will none of you think of the children?

 

[Account Deleted]

On a more serious note. The ball is in touch.