World Rugby has issued a law application guideline for the breakdown following the Executive Committee’s approval of recommendations by the specialist breakdown working group.
The Law 14 and 15 application guideline will be operational for all competitions commencing after 1 July, 2020 and reinforces the application of current law for what is a complex and dynamic facet of the game.
With a focus on player welfare and game attractiveness, a specialist breakdown group comprising international coaches, players, medical, laws and research experts, considered current trends and challenges and considered law change before recommending a strict reinforcement of existing law as the most appropriate and successful course of action, specifically:
- Tackler (Law 14): 14.5 – must a) Immediately release the ball and the ball-carrier after both players go to ground and b) Immediately move away from the tackled player and from the ball or get up.
- Ball Carrier (Law 14): 14.2 – Being brought to ground means that the ball-carrier is lying, sitting or has at least one knee on the ground or on another player who is on the ground. 14.5 – Tacklers must: d) Allow the tackled player to release or play the ball.
- First arriving player (Law 15): 15.11 – Once a ruck has formed, no player may handle the ball unless they were able to get their hands on the ball before the ruck formed and stay on their feet. 15.12 – Players must endeavour to remain on their feet throughout the ruck.
- First arriving player – the jackler – will be rewarded, and the concept of the jackler “surviving the clear out” by opposition players will be removed. The jackler must be in a strong position to try and lift, with hands on the ball.
- Other arriving players (Law 15): 5 – An arriving player must be on their feet and join from behind their offside line. 6 – A player may join alongside but not in front of the hindmost player. 10 – Possession may be won either by rucking or by pushing the opposing team off the ball
World Rugby has produced a comprehensive visual guide, including video explanations, for the rugby community on its multi-lingual laws website, http://laws.worldrugby.org/en/guidelines.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said’ “The breakdown is the most dynamic facet of the game and it is increasingly difficult to referee, but just as importantly, it is responsible for nine per cent of match injuries.
“Therefore it was important that we looked to identify ways to reduce the risk of injury, while promoting a fair contest for the ball.
“The group looked at a range of potential solutions, including potential law trials, but they unanimously agreed that the best practical and evidenced approach is to reinforce existing law, rather than law change.
“In particular, there will be focus on the ball carrier playing or placing the ball immediately, the tackler releasing immediately, rewarding the player who wins the race to the contest, penalising side entry and players who dive, not drive, into rucks.”
We at RugbyReferee.net believe this may well see the end of the crocodile roll manoeuvre as the guidelines makes clear that the concept of the jackler “surviving the clear out” by opposition players is being removed. The jackler must, clearly, be in a strong position to try and lift, with hands on the ball.
World Rugby will be rolling-out education to its international referee panel on the change in emphasis and collaborating with international teams and unions to ensure alignment.
Specialist Working Group Members
The group was chaired by World Rugby’s Rugby Committee Chairman, John Jeffrey and comprised the following:
- Coaches: Richie Gray; Russell Earnshaw; Ian Foster & Joe Schmidt
- Referees: Wayne Barnes & Jaco Peyper
- Players: Victor Vito & Josh Beaumont
- Medical & Research: Eanna Falvey & Ross Tucker
- World Rugby staff: Mark Harrington & Rhys Jones
Two questions regarding tackle law amendment.
1) Can a defender engage the “jackler” (who has hands on/under the ball but is static) and (dependent upon any supporting players) thus form a maul? If, by so doing, the defender/s can, presumably, continue to drive the jackler backward (maul) or tackle to ground as this becomes an open-play tackle situation.
2) If the jackler has gained a strong – but with shoulders level or below hips – position in possession of the ball; can he play the ball back (to a support player) between his legs from his static position if in contact with a defender as in 1) above?
Our reading – subject to what comes down through the cascade – would be yes(ish) as ball carrier +1 oppo isn’t a maul, and yes!
What he said.
On contact it’s a ruck (particularly if the ball is still on the ground – definition of a ruck). IMHO I think the whole point of this clarification is to prevent the tackle clear-out/roll over at the breakdown point; if the drive back clears the breakdown area (what would be the/a hindmost line) AND the ball has gone to hand within that action and those two players only are still in contact then a new tackle can take place. If the ball remains (on the ground at the breakdown) any other player entering from their side (their hindmost line) can play/pick up the ball because the initial tackle has ended.
A tackle cannot take place in a maul, only the ball carrier can opt to go to ground (and now confirmed by the is clarification, that is now clearly a minimum condition of one knee grounded); there remains the question of the yo-yo knee…when is the knee ‘down’?
Not clear how points 4 & 5 work together – Jackler has hands on ball then … “Possession may be won either by rucking or by pushing the opposing team off the ball” – how’s that different from a clear out?
About time, long overdue. Should never have been allowed in the first place, the tackle clear-out practices that have evolved never ever looked right and contravened/contradicted existing Law; so much for fiddlers and dablers (imho eg ARFU, trying to turn aspects of the game to their own advantage – having particular strength thro’ existing good/’typecast’ #6/7’s for ’19 RWC (good luck to them for succeeding but sorry, and you may not agree with my sentiment, influence was definitely brought to bear and WR fell for it).
It’s all still there in L14/15, now we have ‘learned guidance’ on how to implement.
The tackle, Law 14 in principle applying the Laws of the Game injuries should be minimised. In practice, phase one, the defender the tackler must achieve control securing the ball-carrier, phase two in bringing the ball-carrier to ground. Phase three the ball-carrier the tackled player immediately releases the ball towards a team mate and gets to his feet where the tackle has ended. Obligations on the defender(s)once gonne to ground with the tackled player must immediately release the ball-carrier, roll away and get to his feet before going for the ball.