Date: July 23, 2008
Re: ELV Ruling 1, 2008
The RFU requested the following ruling:
Can the following summary of Law 17 please be confirmed by the IRB.
Law 17.5 Successful End To A Maul
(a) A maul ends successfully when the ball, or a player with the ball,
leaves the maul. A maul ends successfully when the ball is on the
ground, or is on or over the goal line.
(b) A player may pull a maul to ground providing that player does so
by pulling another player in the maul down from shoulders to the
hips.
Ruling Required
A maul is formed with Team A pushing their opponents back towards their own
goal line with the ball clearly visible at the back of the maul, a player from Team
B bound into the maul pulls a player from the attacking side to ground, with
players at the front of the maul also going to ground, however the rear of the
maul including the ball carrier remain bound together on their feet and continue
to move towards their opponents goal line. As neither the ball or the player in
possession of the ball has left the maul or the ball is on the ground we assume
the maul has not been successfully completed.
Ruling
On July 10, 2008 Unions were written to and advised that there was an error in
the wording of the ELV Law 17.5 circulated to Unions after the Annual Meeting
of Council 2008.
The correct ELV Law 17.5 reads as follows:
17.5 Successful End To A Maul
(b) A player may pull a maul to the ground providing that player
does so by pulling an opponent in the maul down from the
shoulders to the hips.
In specific response for a request for a ruling the Designated Members have
ruled:
If players from the team not in possession of the ball (Team B) are still bound to
the maul after a player or players have been pulled to the ground the maul
continues.
_______________________________________________________
Date: August 8, 2008
Re: ELV Ruling 2, 2008
The FIR has requested a Ruling from the Designated Members with regard to
ELV Law 20.12 (d) and (e).
ELV Law 20.12 – OFFSIDE AT THE SCRUM
(d) The scrum half whose team does not win possession of the ball
must not move to the opposite side of the scrum and overstep the
offside line for that scrum half that runs through the hindmost foot
of that player’s team in the scrum.
(e) The scrum half whose team does not win possession of the ball
must not move away from the scrum and then remain in front of
the offside line for that scrum half that runs through the hindmost
foot of that player’s team in the scrum.
The above considered we submit the following queries:
(1) Is the scrum half whose team has won possession of the ball
allowed to move away from the scrum, from the throw-in side
without crossing the offside line that runs through the ball or from
the opposite side without crossing the offside that runs from the
hindmost foot of his team’s hindmost player in the scrum so he
can receive a pass from his team’s number 8 playing the scrum,
provided the same number 8 does so with no delay whilst the
scrum half moves away from the scrum?
(2) Must the scrum half whose team has been awarded the scrum
remain at a distance no greater than 1 metre from the scrum on
both sides, namely the throw-in side and the opposite, until his
team’s number 8 plays the ball from his feet in the scrum?
Ruling:
The Designated Members have ruled:
(1) The scrum half of the team who has won possession of the ball is
allowed to move away from the scrum without crossing the offside
line that runs through to the hindmost foot of the hindmost player
in the scrum so that the scrum half can receive a pass from the
no. 8
(2) The scrum half of the team who wins possession does not have to
stay at a distance of no greater than 1 metre from the scrum as
indicated in (1) above, but the scrum half of the team that does not
gain possession must stay close to the scrum.
____________________________________________________
Date: August 8, 2008
Re: ELV Ruling 3, 2008
The FIR has requested a Ruling from the Designated Members with regard to
ELV 19.7 – Forming a lineout.
The letter (f) reads:
(f)
Player between touch and five metres. The team not throwing
in must have a player standing between the touch line and the 5 –
metre line on that team’s side of the line of touch when the lineout
is formed. That player must stand at least two metres from the five
metres line.
Since the ELV 19.7 (a) reads:
“Minimum. At least two players from each team must form a
lineout.”
And 19.7 (b) reads:
“Maximum. There is no restriction to the number of players from
each team participating in the lineout. Each team can decide how
many players participate in the lineout and there is no requirement
for there to be an equal number of participants from each team.”
We believe that the non-throwing team should be allowed to determine whether
to field a player between the touchline and the 5-metre line or not, as set out at
19.7 (f), when playing a lineout.
Ruling:
The Designated Members have ruled that 19.7 (f) states that there must be a
player in opposition to the player throwing in the ball who must be between the
touchline and the 5 metre line and that player must be at least 2 metres from
the 5 metre line. The provision 19.7 (f) is in addition to 19.7 (a) and (b).
