Playing to the Laws

At the tackle/ruck area players are committing so many offenses as described under ‘The Laws of the Game’ that it is no wonder the game becomes niggly.

There are 22 headings under ‘Laws’ in the IRB website and each of these laws contain a number of sub sections, so a referee probably has about 150 separate pieces of information to digest and regurgitate at any given moment. It can’t be easy.

However, the one very key part of the game revolves around the ‘tackle’ area and what a player is entitled to do and what he cannot do. This area must be ruled vigilantly if the game is going to flow, as it is encouraged to do if the laws are followed.

Of course the best and most experienced players flout the laws at every opportunity and will continue to do so unless they are reminded of their obligations under the law. Many games on the telly have tacklers lying in the path of the ball; standing up and not immediately moving away from the ruck area; driving in to the side of the ruck; rolling around in an offside position; entering from in front of the hindmost foot; placing hands on the ball once the ruck has formed; enter with head and shoulders below the hips; do not stay on their feet; and the most annoying, being well in front of the hindmost foot when defending close to the ruck.

In all honesty some of these antics resemble the William Webb Ellis era and even go beyond the period when the offside line was the ball itself and players could get right into the opposition’s face.

These laws are supposedly developed so that the game is a spectacle with a good amount of free flowing attacking play based on having sufficient space and time to develop some continuity.  The defenders are not able to infiltrate the attackers unless they are there before any support has arrived, or their defence is far more aggressive and tactically clever than the attacking plan.

For coaches of junior sides and age group teams it is important that the coaching is carried out in the true spirit of the game so that the players can begin to understand the way the game ebbs and flows when the laws are applied. The good thing about this level of rugby is that most referees do penalize offences that appear not to be observed or ruled on in the televised versions of the game.

For coaches and referees at this level there must be a hardcore reinforcement of the basic requirements at the tackle.

• If a player is not on his feet and interferes in any way with the flow of the game he should be penalized.
• If a player does not release the player they are tackling or the ball; or the ball carrier does not release the ball straight away, they are penalized.
• If a player is in front of the hindmost foot on defence or attack and they are not bound then penalize them if they are having an influence on what can or can’t happen.
• If a player is offside and interfering with play penalize them!

There are bound to be a whole heap more scenarios but you get the idea.
Coaches should encourage young players to play within the law and coach accordingly, and referees at any level need to deal with the tackled ball situation right at the commencement of the game so that the players know what their boundaries are.

They’ll soon enough learn how to tweak their tactics/play to suit.

In the meantime there is a ‘Laws Quiz” in the IRB website. How would you go?

Ian Snook