The defending team puts the ball into their own in-goal. An attacking player gains possession, dives, and simultaneously grounds the ball in the in-goal and places his foot on the touch-in-goal or dead-ball line. What's the result?
22.3(b) is more specific but gives a stupid result - if you as an attacker make the ball dead you get a 5m scrum, unless you also grounded it.
Why does 22.3(b) even exist, rather than a generic "if the ball is grounded at the same time as it is otherwise made dead, the making-dead takes precedence"? Presumably we have no idea what to do if a defender simultaneously grounds the ball and steps dead.
Law 22.3(b) said:When an attacking player who has possession of the ball grounds the ball in in-goal and simultaneously contacts the touch-in-goal line or the dead-ball-line (or anywhere beyond), a 22m drop-out is awarded to the defending team.
Law 22.11(b) said:When a player carrying the ball touches the touch-in-goal line, the dead ball line, or touches the ground beyond those lines, the ball becomes dead. If the ball was carried into in-goal by the attacking team, a drop-out shall be awarded to the defending team. If the ball was carried into in-goal by the defending team, a 5-metre scrum shall be awarded and the attacking team throws in the ball.
22.3(b) is more specific but gives a stupid result - if you as an attacker make the ball dead you get a 5m scrum, unless you also grounded it.
Why does 22.3(b) even exist, rather than a generic "if the ball is grounded at the same time as it is otherwise made dead, the making-dead takes precedence"? Presumably we have no idea what to do if a defender simultaneously grounds the ball and steps dead.