Was this ball correctly dropped?

[kudu314]

I’ve seen a short video of Crawley’s first drop and it doesn’t look like the ball is dropped, it looks like he kicks the ball before it bounces off the ground. What would the implication be if the ball is kicked before it bounces back off the ground?
View attachment 307ad92b-9720-493d-a13e-a8065b2edbde.mov

 

[Nilo]

It is always very fine margins with drop kicks, especially because the reality is the sooner you kick it from the bounce the more control you will likely have of an egg-shaped ball. Overall you'll never tell from this video, but did it hit a blade of grass? More than likely - hence I wouldn't be splitting hairs.

As for the implication, it would carry on the same as if a player has kicked it in open play, so play continues - if the ball goes dead over through the in-goal area, then it is a 22m drop out or scrum from where it is kicked. Or in this case, probably game over and SA win. You could say in this case it is specifically a 22m dropout as an unsuccessful dropped goal attempt - but for me this wasn't an unsuccessful dropped goal attempt, it was an open play kick.

21.11 Ball kicked dead through in-goal
If a team kicks the ball through their opponents’ in-goal from the field of play into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead-ball line, the defending team can choose:

1. To have a drop-out anywhere on or behind the 22-metre line; or
2. To have a scrum at the place where the ball was kicked.

Exception: An unsuccessful kick at goal or attempted dropped goal. In these cases, the defending team restarts with a 22-metre drop-out.

In short for me, the kick is fine, but if it wasn't, I'd be calling 22m dropout or scrum from point of kick and therefore game over.

EDIT: I was ignorantly thinking this was the drop kick at the end of the game, not one part way through (I missed the second half of the game so only knew about the drop kick to win the game...)

 

[chbg]

I’ve seen a short video of Crawley’s first drop and it doesn’t look like the ball is dropped, it looks like he kicks the ball before it bounces off the ground. What would the implication be if the ball is kicked before it bounces back off the ground?
View attachment 4789

A standard television refreshes the image 60 times a second (60Hz), which is quick enough to deceive our eyes. The video camera will do the same. It is unsurprising that continuous images are not captured e.g. when the ball hits the ground. Rest assured, the TMO would have checked it.

 

[SimonSmith]

A standard television refreshes the image 60 times a second (60Hz), which is quick enough to deceive our eyes. The video camera will do the same. It is unsurprising that continuous images are not captured e.g. when the ball hits the ground. Rest assured, the TMO would have checked it.

Not being an ass here, but if the TMO gets the same images at the same refresh rate we do, how does that help?

 

[Marc Wakeham]

Three Points:
1: I t looks like it was a punt to me.
2: In real time, what ref is likely to pick that up? Was it C&O? Same goes for the TMO (To examine the kick smothing needs to " sow the seed of doubt" in his mind)".
3: Had it been ID'd as a punt the 21.11 applies.

 

[Marc Wakeham]

In short for me, the kick is fine, but if it wasn't, I'd be calling 22m dropout or scrum from point of kick and therefore game over.

With nearly 12 minutes on the clock? Now that would be a critical error!

 

[Nilo]

With nearly 12 minutes on the clock? Now that would be a critical error!

Sorry yes, I inadvertently was referring to the drop kick at the end of the game, didn't really pay attention to the time of the particular clip!
Else I hand back my referee certificate...

 

[kudu314]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! It snaps so quickly that it gave me enough doubt to question and want to find out what the implication would be. Appreciate the clarity you all provided!

 

[Volun-selected]

Not being an ass here, but if the TMO gets the same images at the same refresh rate we do, how does that help?

On a note of TMO tools, is this a situation where the “smart” ball would be able to detect the drop kick by say detecting a change in direction and either a moderate acceleration followed by a rapid acceleration (bounce then booted) vs. a change in direction with only a rapid acceleration (straight to boot)?

 

[NatalShark]

I’ve seen a short video of Crawley’s first drop and it doesn’t look like the ball is dropped, it looks like he kicks the ball before it bounces off the ground. What would the implication be if the ball is kicked before it bounces back off the ground?
View attachment 4789

I looked at this drop kick multiple times at super slow speed. For me it is a perfectly timed and executed kick. Boot struck the ball as it hit the ground. Cannot get a more perfect drop kick. Francios Steyn from South Africa has done the same a few times.

 

[Ian_Cook]

Yes, it was correctly drop kicked

Go to 4:30 in the video and slow the playback speed to 0.25 - you can see the ball strike the ground before his foot strikes the ball

 

[BikingBud]

On a note of TMO tools, is this a situation where the “smart” ball would be able to detect the drop kick by say detecting a change in direction and either a moderate acceleration followed by a rapid acceleration (bounce then booted) vs. a change in direction with only a rapid acceleration (straight to boot)?

Absolutely on the head, if the technology is not exploited fully then it is pointless adding it.

Forward passes is another area where resolving the forces would determine, travelled forward ie continuing with the same momentum or passed forward, additional force applied.

What I find difficult is the messy mid ground, we still have humans interpreting too much. We don't get all the angles for a piece of action, despite there being multiple cameras at every corner of the pitch, touch line runners with cameras, in the stands at the mid point and frequently a spider cam as well, to judge the evidence and make the correct decision.

Or we could consider if we actually prefer the variable and inconsistent performance of humans and retain it as a unsolvable part of the game, after all the players make many errors throughout the game.

 

[BikingBud]

Yes, it was correctly drop kicked

Go to 4:30 in the video and slow the playback speed to 0.25 - you can see the ball strike the ground before his foot strikes the ball

I was concerned that with the recording of a tv screen and at full speed that the resolution could not be used as a reasonable source to determine.

But nope watching the first angle I also could not say that hit the floor and bounced before it was kicked:

Drop-kick: After being intentionally dropped to the ground from the hand or hands, the ball is kicked as it rises from its first bounce.

The behind the post camera, just a few seconds later, however does tend to support a correctly taken drop goal.

Technology eh!