[Law] Tripping?

[bellnier]

Had a brain cramp on Saturday. Defender grabs ball carrier with both hands, stopping his advance, and then sweeps his leg across the ball carriers legs to bring him to ground. Ball carrier complained after that is was either illegal under 10.4(d) (I have always considered a 'trip' as being leg-on-leg only, i.e., without any grasping) or a dangerous play (these were club men, so no). I guess the issue here is that I'm unsure of the definition of a 'trip'. Please advise...

 

[didds]

sounds like a judo throw?

dangerous play?

didds

 

[TheBFG]

If it looks like a judo throw i'd have an issue, that said dragging the ball carrier towards the leg and using it to bring them down would normally be OK.

 

[DocY]

So wrestling with the BC and using a leg to bring him to ground? I can't see how it would make it necessarily dangerous. All you might get that you wouldn't get in a more normal tackle is the tackler kicking the legs of the BC.

 

[OB..]

Unless the play actually looked dangerous, I would suggest warning the player not to do it again as next time you might well decide it was dangerous play.

 

[bellnier]

Unless the play actually looked dangerous, I would suggest warning the player not to do it again as next time you might well decide it was dangerous play.

Yes, I agree. Not necessarily a penalty, but a flashpoint to be managed.

 

[ChuckieB]

Isn't this effectively the situation of a "dump tackle" with knobs on. I would have assumed this would have been deemed dangerous play.


..........I am here to learn.

 

[Decorily]

So wrestling with the BC and using a leg to bring him to ground? I can't see how it would make it necessarily dangerous. All you might get that you wouldn't get in a more normal tackle is the tackler kicking the legs of the BC.

I hope you are not implying that it would be OK to "kick" the ball carrier - legs or otherwise!

 

[Decorily]

Isn't this effectively the situation of a "dump tackle" with knobs on. I would have assumed this would have been deemed dangerous play.


..........I am here to learn.

I'm presuming the tackler in this scenario held the ball carrier as and until he was brought to ground.

 

[Elpablo73]

You seem to be describing De Ashi Barai, a judo technique, and requires you to "kick" your opponents leg(s) to get them to the ground. 10.4(c) covers this.

 

[L'irlandais]

Quick question, if it were more of a* "Tai Otoshi" body drop, would that make it acceptable?
(*No kicking action, ball carrier held with "both tackler's arms" when brought to ground.)
I don't think it would, if it looked wrong then it probably was an infringement.

 

[ChuckieB]

You seem to be describing De Ashi Barai, a judo technique, and requires you to "kick" your opponents leg(s) to get them to the ground. 10.4(c) covers this.

My belief is that a foot, or leg sweep in this instance, is not a kick.

 

[TigerCraig]

Sounds like what used to be called a Cumberland throw in the old days. Ray Price was a master of it

 

[DocY]

I hope you are not implying that it would be OK to "kick" the ball carrier - legs or otherwise!

No. Just highlighting that there's more likelihood of it happening in this type of tackles than others.

 

[Elpablo73]

ChuckieB, we could argue about the semantics of whether a foot, or leg sweep, requires a kick or not. It looks wrong to do it on a rugby field and if you were to want a law to justify a penalty 10.4 (c) would be plausible to put forward.

 

[Phil E]

If he pushes the ball carrier over his leg I would usually be ok with that.
If he sweeps his leg to take out the ball carriers legs, I wouldn't.

Of course, you cant give a definitive answer without seeing it, but the above is my rule of thumb.