LINE BALL YOUR CALL
A GUIDE TO MAKING THE RIGHT LINE
BALL DECISIONS
Australian Rugby Union 2003
1
AIM OF SESSION
• To assist in making the Correct Line Ball
decisions at the:
– Goal-Line
– Touch-in-Goal Line
– Touch-Line
2
WHAT IS THE PLANE OF TOUCH?
THE PLANE-OF-TOUCH IS AN IMAGINARY
LINE THAT RUNS VERTICALLY STRAIGHT
UP FROM EACH TOUCH LINE.
3
GOAL-LINE
WHAT IS YOUR CALL?
4
SCENARIO 1
An attacking player kicks the ball from the
field-of-play towards the opponents goal line.
A defender, with one foot in the field-of-play
and the other in the in-goal, catches the ball
on the full and touches down.
5
GOAL–LINE
SCENARIO 1
6
22 METRE DROPOUT
WHY?
1. A Player with one foot positioned in the ingoal is deemed to be in the in-goal.
2. The Ball was caught on the full and was
grounded in the
in-goal area.
7
SCENARIO 2
An attacking player kicks the ball from the
field-of-play towards the opponents goal line.
It rolls along the ground and reaches a
defender who has one foot in the field-of-play
and one in in-goal. The defender picks up the
ball while it is still in motion and touches
down.
8
GOAL–LINE
SCENARIO 2
9
22 METRE DROP OUT
WHY?
1. The defender was in the in-goal area.
2. The ball reached that player, was picked
up & grounded behind the goal-line.
10
SCENARIO 3
An attacker kicks the ball from the field-of-play
towards his opponents goal line. It rolls to
within 1 metre of the goal line and stops. A
defender with one foot in the field-of-play and
one in in-goal, reaches out, picks up the ball and
touches down.
11
GOAL–LINE
SCENARIO 3
12
5 METRE SCRUM
WHY?
• The Ball stopped short of the Goal-Line.
• The Ball was picked up by the defender and thus
carried back into the In-Goal.
13
TOUCH-IN-GOAL LINE
WHAT IS YOUR CALL?
14
SCENARIO 1
In general play, an attacker kicks the ball into
the in-goal area. A defender standing with one
foot in touch-in-goal catches the ball on the full.
15
TOUCH-IN-GOAL LINE
SCENARIO 1
16
OPTION – SCRUM WHERE THE BALL WAS
KICKED FROM OR A 22M DROPOUT.
WHY?
1. The Defending player has caught the Ball on
the full whilst “Beyond” the Touch-in-Goal
Line.
2. The ball is deemed to have been kicked directly
into touch-in-goal.
17
SCENARIO 2
In general play, an attacker kicks the ball into
the In-Goal area. The ball stops one metre short
of the touch-in-goal line. A defender standing
with one foot in touch-in-goal picks up the ball.
18
TOUCH-IN-GOAL LINE
SCENARIO 2
19
22 METRE DROPOUT
WHY?
1. The Ball became stationary in the In-Goal.
2. The defender made the ball dead.
20
FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SCENARIOS
ANSWER
• Is the Ball in Touch?
• What team has put the Ball into Touch – The Kicking
team or The Non Kicking Team?
• Where is the Mark for the Lineout?
• What team throws in the Ball?
21
PLAYER OUTSIDE THE PLANE-OFTOUCH & THE BALL INSIDE
WHAT IS YOUR CALL?
22
SCENARIO 1
A player, 24 metres from his goal line, kicks the
ball. It travels directly to an opposition player
who is standing on the half way line, but with
one foot in touch and the other in the field-ofplay.
23
PLAYER OUTSIDE & BALL INSIDE
SCENARIO 1
24
• Is the Ball in Touch?
• YES
• What team has put the ball into Touch?
• Kicking Team
• Where is the Lineout?
• In-Line with where the ball was kicked – 24m
from goal line.
• What team throws in?
• Non-kicking Team.
25
SCENARIO 2
A team kick off. An opposition player standing
on the 22 metre line, but with one foot on the
touch line, catches the ball on the full
26
PLAYER OUTSIDE & BALL INSIDE
SCENARIO 2
27
• Is the Ball in-touch?
• YES
• What team has put the ball into touch?
• Kicking Team
• Where is the Lineout?
• On the ½ way line. Option of scrum and/or rekick also to be provided.
• What team throws in?
• Non-kicking team.
28
SCENARIO 3
A player, 7 metres from his goal line, kicks the
ball. The ball lands in the field-of-play and
bounces towards the touch line. An opposition
player, on the 10 metre line, with one foot in the
field-of-play and one in touch catches the ball
before the ball crosses the touch line.
29
PLAYER OUTSIDE & BALL INSIDE
SCENARIO 3
30
• Is the ball in touch?
• Yes
• What team has put the ball into touch?
• Kicking team.
• Where is the lineout?
• On the 10 metre line.
• What team throws in?
• Non-kicking team.
31
SCENARIO 4
An player, on ½ way, kicks the ball ahead. The
ball lands in the field-of-play and bounces
downfield, stopping 1 metre from touch and 6
metres from the goal line. A player from the
opposition with one foot in touch and one foot in
the field-of-play bends down and picks up the
stationary ball.
32
PLAYER OUTSIDE & BALL INSIDE
SCENARIO 4
33
• Is the ball in touch?
• Yes
• What team has put the ball into touch?
• Non-kicking team
• Where is the lineout?
• 6 metres from the goal-line
• What team throws in?
• Kicking team.
34
SCENARIO 5
A player, on his 22m line, kicks up field. An
opponent, on his 10 metre line, standing intouch with both feet on the ground, slaps the
ball, which is still in flight, back into the field-ofplay before it has crossed the touch line.
35
PLAYER OUTSIDE & BALL INSIDE
SCENARIO 5
36
•
Is the ball in touch?
•
NO
Why Not?
1. The ball has not been caught by the opposition.
2. The ball has not crossed the Plane-of-Touch.
37
PLAYER IN THE FIELD-OF-PLAY & BALL
OUTSIDE
THE PLANE-OF-TOUCH
WHAT IS YOUR CALL?
38
SCENARIO 1
An player is running with the ball just inside the
touch-line. An opposition player pushes the ball
carrier towards the touch-line. The ball carrier
leaps in the air and crosses the touch-line but
before he touches the ground, he is able to
throw the ball back into the field-of-play.
39
PLAYER IN FIELD-OF-PLAY & BALL OUTSIDE
SCENARIO 1
40
Example from 2015 Super 15
41
• Is the ball in touch?
• NO
Why Not?
• The ball carrier was grounded in the field-of-play
when the ball is touched.
• The ball is released before the ball carrier lands
beyond the touch-line.
42
SCENARIO 2
A player kicks the ball from his 10m line. The
ball crosses the touch-line on the full, 28
metres from the opposition goal-line. An
opposition player, standing with both feet in
the field-of-play reaches out over the touchline and slaps the ball back into the field-ofplay, towards his own goal-line.
43
PLAYER IN FIELD-OF-PLAY & BALL OUTSIDE
SCENARIO 2
44
• Is the ball in touch?
• NO
Why Not?
• If the ball crosses the touch-line and is caught by
a player who is grounded in the playing area, the
ball is NOT in touch.
• That player may also knock the ball into the
playing area.
45
SCENARIO 3
A player, 24 metres from his goal-line, kicks the
ball with it crossing the touch-line on the full. An
opponent, standing in the field-of-play, leaps in
the air and before he crosses the touch-line,
slaps the ball back into the field-of-play. He then
lands in touch.
46
PLAYER IN FIELD-OF-PLAY & BALL OUTSIDE
SCENARIO 3
47
•
Is the ball in touch?
•
No
Why Not?
•
In situations where the ball has crossed the plane-oftouch and the player is in the air, the determining
factor in whether the ball is in-touch, is not whether the
player was in the air or where he lands.
It is simply whether the player’s body (torso) was
beyond the touch-line when contact with the ball was
made.
48
PLAYER & BALL OUTSIDE PLANE OF
TOUCH
WHAT IS YOUR CALL?
49
SCENARIO 1
A player, on the 10 metre line, punts the ball
with the ball crossing the touch-line on the full.
An opposition player standing in the field-of-play
5 metres from his goal line, leaps in the air and
after he crosses the touch-line, slaps the ball
back into the field-of-play.
50
PLAYER & BALL OUTSIDE PLANE OF TOUCH
SCENARIO 1
51
• Is the ball in touch?
• Yes
• What team put the ball in touch?
• Kicking team
• Where is the lineout?
• On the 10 metre line
• What team throws in?
• Non-kicking team.
52
SCENARIO 2
A player kicks the ball for touch from a penalty.
An opposition player, standing in the field-ofplay, 12 metres from his goal line, dives across
the touch-line and while in the air across the
touch-line, momentarily catches the ball and
passes it back into the field-of-play
53
PLAYER & BALL OUTSIDE PLANE OF TOUCH
SCENARIO 2
•
54
• Is the ball in touch?
• Yes
• What team put the ball in touch?
• Kicking team
• Where is the lineout?
• 12 metres from the goal line.
• What team throws in?
• Kicking team.
55
SCENARIO 3
A player grubber kicks the ball and it rolls
towards the touch-line. The ball crosses the
touch-line in the air as an on-side player form
the kicker’s team chasing the kick dives across
the touch-line and flicks the ball back in-field.
56
PLAYER & BALL OUTSIDE PLANE OF TOUCH
SCENARIO 3
57
• Is the ball in touch?
• No.
Why not?
• The player is grounded in the field-of-play when
the ball is touched.
• The ball is deflected and released before the
catcher lands beyond the touch-line.
58
SCENARIO 4
A kicker, 10 metres from his goal-line, punts the
ball and the ball crosses the touch-line on the
full, on the 10 metre line. An opposition player,
standing in touch, leaps in the air and slaps the
ball back into the field-of-play and then lands in
touch.
59
PLAYER & BALL OUTSIDE PLANE OF TOUCH
SCENARIO 4
60
• Is the ball in touch?
• Yes
• What team put the ball into touch?
• Kicking team.
• Where is the lineout?
• On the 10 metre line.
• What team throws in?
• Non-kicking team.
61
THINGS TO REMEMBER
• If the ball crosses the plane of touch and in doing
so touches a player beyond the line, the ball is in
touch, regardless of whether the player is in the
air or on the ground.
The ball has been put into touch by the kicking
team
62
THINGS TO REMEMBER
• If a player has one foot in the field of play
and one foot in touch, when catching the
ball, the kicking team has put the ball into
touch.
The non-kicking team throw in the ball.
Unless it is a penalty kick.
63
THINGS TO REMEMBER
• If the ball “reaches” a player who is either on or
beyond the goal-line, touch-in-goal line, or the
touch-line, the kicker is deemed to have put the
ball there.
• If the ball stops short of those lines and the
catcher reaches out and picks the ball up, it is
the catcher who has put the ball there.
64
THINGS TO REMEMBER
If a receiver (or catcher) of the ball is in the air when
the ball is touched, (but not caught) what determines
whether the ball is out is:
•
Is the receivers body (torso) beyond the plane-oftouch?
AND
•
Is the ball beyond the plane-of-touch?
•
If both of the above scenarios do not exist, the ball is
not out.
65
THINGS TO REMEMBER
• The only situation where play continues
after the ball contacts a player beyond
the touch-line is where the ball has not
crossed the plane of touch and the
player plays the ball but does not catch
it.
Law 19 def, last paragraph
66