[Ruck] When could a #9's digging in ruck become hands in?

[crossref]

Once the ball is clearly won, the scrum half could play it
Instead we are accustomed to watching him reposition it with his foot for a while, until it is in the perfect position

I'd rather watch him get on with it, really

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

Once the ball is clearly won then I have no problem with moving the ball back by hand or foot. When players are stacked in the ruck to provide more depth for the box kick how else is the SH going to move the ball to the hind foot?

C'mon let's just get it back in play.

The players in the ruck could, well dare I suggest, use the skill of rucking as defined in law. And the SH or his teammate acting of his behalf can remain on side.

I understand, let's just it back in play, but it all is already in play, a ruck is play.

 

[crossref]

Repositioning it on the ground with you foot is delaying getting it back into play
That's why I am not a fan

 

[didds]

The players in the ruck could, well dare I suggest, use the skill of rucking as defined in law. And the SH or his teammate acting of his behalf can remain on side. .

I do agree. The issue here though for whatever reason the modern ruck has become less of a method of driving the opposition back and away leaving the ball available but more of a way of protecting tackled ball and hiding it with bodies. Yes - that's down to coaching - but opposition latching and stacking (unpinged) means its often not possible to drive past a ball.

didds

 

[didds]

Put another way... s/halves digging around whether with hands or feet is an outcome not a primary cause.

If refs across all levels of the game were instructed to, and did, blow for tactics that create static rucks rather than dynamic ones and thus promote a drving anc clearing phase of play the ball would appear, and more quickly, far more often.

And no, I don't coach latching (=> standing over and holding onto the tackled player I mean here), stacking and bridging. But other sides clearly do.

didds

 

[thepercy]

Once the ball is clearly won then I have no problem with moving the ball back by hand or foot. When players are stacked in the ruck to provide more depth for the box kick how else is the SH going to move the ball to the hind foot?

C'mon let's just get it back in play.

The new guidance in the USA is below:

When the ball is won:

1. 1. 1. 1. the scrumhalf can move the ball back by using their foot – ball is not out.
         2. If they use the hand to roll the ball back it is considered to be out.

 

[Zebra1922]

Put another way... s/halves digging around whether with hands or feet is an outcome not a primary cause.

If refs across all levels of the game were instructed to, and did, blow for tactics that create static rucks rather than dynamic ones and thus promote a drving anc clearing phase of play the ball would appear, and more quickly, far more often.

And no, I don't coach latching (=> standing over and holding onto the tackled player I mean here), stacking and bridging. But other sides clearly do.

didds

In my experience dynamic rucks are frowned upon. You sometimes get more of these at lower levels of the game, but if I let them go on (all fair play, rucking, counter rucking from inside players, on their feet etc.) I get coached I let the ruck go on too long and should have blown earlier for an offence or unplayable. It seems referee coaches (and coaches in general) don't like long, dynamic rucks even if they are completely in line with the laws of the game.