Refereeing The LineoutAARQ - QSRR

Law 19: Touch & Lineout

• When is the ball in touch?– Who gets to throw the ball in?– Where is the lineout?

• How to referee the lineout– Trial law amendments for 2013– Issues to watch for during a lineout– Positioning

• Video examples for review and discussion

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball inside plane-of-touch

Scenario 1:Red kicks the ball from their own 10m line into the arms of a blue player who is standing with one foot in touch and one in the field-of-play.

Is the ball in touch? YesWho put ball into touch? RedWhere is the mark for the lineout? Red 10m lineWho throws in? Blue

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball inside plane-of-touch

Scenario 2: Red kicks the ball from their own 10m line into the arms of a blue player who is standing with one foot in touch and one in the field-of-play.

Is the ball in touch? YesWho put ball into touch? RedWhere is the mark for the lineout? Red 10m lineWho throws in? Blue

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball inside plane-of-touch

Scenario 3:Red kicks the ball from their own 10m line and it bounces downfield where Blue player with one foot in touch catches the ball which has not crossed the touchline while the ball was in motion.

Is the ball in touch? YesWho put ball into touch? RedWhere is the mark for the lineout? Where caughtWho throws in? Blue

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball inside line-of-touch

Scenario 4: Red kicks the ball from their own 10m line and it bounces downfield where it comes to a stop. Blue player with one foot in touch picks up the stationary the ball.

Is the ball in touch? YesWho put ball into touch? BlueWhere is the mark for the lineout? Where touchedWho throws in? Red

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball inside line-of-touch

Scenario 5: Red kicks the ball from their own 10m line where a Blue player standing in touch taps the ball in-field before it crosses the touchline.

Is the ball in touch? No

Note: See Law 19 Definitions, last paragraph:“A player in touch may kick or knock the ball, but not hold it, provided it has not crossed the plane of the touchline. The plane of the touchline is the vertical space rising immediately above the touchline.”

Player inside field-of-play& Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 6: Blue player is running with the ball just inside the touch-line. A red opponent pushes the blue ball carrier towards the touch-line. The blue player leaps into 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.

Is the ball in touch? No

Note: Law 19 Definition paragraph 5“The ball is in touch when a player is carrying it and the ball carrier (or the ball) touches the touchline or the ground beyond the touchline. The place where the ball carrier (or the ball) touched or crossed the touchline is where it went into touch.”

Player inside field-of-play& Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 7: Red player punts the ball downfield. The ball crosses the touch-line whilst still in flight. A blue player standing with both feet in the field-of-play reaches out over the touch-line and slaps the ball back into the field-of-play towards his own dead ball line.

Is the ball in touch? No

Note: If the ball crosses the touch-line and is caught by a player who has both feet in the playing area, the ball is not in-touch, such a player may also knock the ball into the playing area.

Player inside field-of-play& Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 8: Red player punts the ball from outside his own 22m area and the ball crosses 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.

Is the ball in touch? No

Note: 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 body was beyond the touch-line when the contact was made.

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 9:Red player punts the ball from outside his own 22m area and the ball crosses the touch-line on the full. A blue opponent standing in the field-of-play leaps in the air and after he crosses the touch-line slaps the ball back into the field of play.

Is the ball in touch? YesWho put ball into touch? RedWhere is the mark for the lineout? Where kickedWho throws in? Blue

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 10:Red player kicks the ball for touch from a penalty. Blue player standing in the field-of-play dives across the touch-line and while in the air across the touch-line momentarily catches the ball and passes it back in to the field-of-play.

Is the ball in touch? YesWhere is the mark for the lineout? Where crossed

plane-of-touchWho throws in? Red

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 11:Blue player grubber kicks the ball and it rolls towards the touch-line. The ball crosses the touch-line in the air as another blue player chasing the kick dives across the touch-line and flicks the ball back infield.

Is the ball in touch? YesWhere is the mark for the lineout? Where the ball

crossed the plane-of-touch

Who throws in? Red (other team)

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 12:Red player kicks the ball downfield. A blue opponent standing in touch with both feet on the ground, slaps the ball, which is still in flight back in-field after it hascrossed the touch-line.

Is the ball in touch? YesWhere is the mark for the lineout? Where the ball

crossed the plane-of-touch

Who throws in? Blue

Player outside plane-of-touch & Ball outside plane-of-touch

Scenario 13:Red player punts the ball from outside his own 22m area and the ball crosses the touch-line on the full. A blue opponent standing in touch leaps in the air, and slaps the ball back in to the field-of-play and then lands in touch.

Is the ball in touch? YesWhere is the mark for the lineout? Where the red

player kicked itWho throws in? Blue

Note: The ball is in touch when it is not being carried by a player and it touches anyone on or beyond the touch-line. The same answer would apply if the opponent landed in the field-of-play.

Summary: Who Throws In?

• If the ball, which has crossed the plain-of-touch, touches a player beyond the touch-line, the ball is in-touch, regardless of whether the player is on the ground or jumping in the air. The ball has been put in-touch by the kicking team.

• If a player has one foot in the field-of-play and one foot in-touch, and catches the ball, the team that kicked the ball has put the ball in-touch. The non kicking team has the throw-in to the line-out.

• 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 Definition last paragraph)

Issues to watch for in a lineout

• Not straight– Easy enough to officiate, especially at my level where

there is a touch judge to assist. As a ref, look where the jumper takes the ball; if he’s over one side or the other the chances are it’s not straight.

• Closing the gap / Early jumping– Players deliberately stepping into lineout gap prior to

the ball being throw in– Deliberately jumping in the air prior to the throw

being made to disrupt thrower’s timing

Issues to watch for in a lineout

• Quick Throw In– Not touched by anyone else in touch other than

ball carrier or thrower• Offside at lineout– Participants in lineout must remain between 5-

15m at their offside line until lineout ends– All not involved should be 10m behind the line

out, i.e. the offside line, until lineout ends

Issues to watch for in a lineout

• Taking out in the air– This is very dangerous. Clamp down hard on

anyone who tries this.– Two areas to watch:• (i) the jumpers taking each others out• (ii) the supporters driving underneath the opposition

jumper to take his legs away.

Both very dangerous and could be a yellow or a red if very severe.

Issues to watch for in a lineout

• Long throws over the 15m line– This is totally legal, but the line out is OVER when the

ball crosses the 15m line, not when it is caught or it lands.

– As soon as it leaves the hookers fingers, the players out of the line (10m back, onside) can start their run to catch.• A lot of sides use this technique to defend their own line at

5m line outs, simply because the defenders have a 5m territorial advantage over the attackers, and it’s relatively easy to throw over the line out to be caught either by a forward not in the lineout or the defending backs.

2013 Trial AmendmentsApplicable To Touch

• Knock-on into touch– Non-offending team has option of lineout or

scrum• Free kick at lineout– Non-offending team can take a lineout option

• Quick Throw In– Anywhere from where between own goal line and

where lineout would occur– Offside defenders must not interfere+

Lineout objectives for a referee

• Lineouts are a means of restarting the game• Referees should look to provide:– Fair contest for ball– Clean, quick ball for a flowing game– Safe environment for jumpers

• Set your standards early and keep getting the gaps right

Referee Lineout Process

• Pre throw– Set up: make mark, check the gap, non throwing

hooker and receivers identified• Throw– Fair contest – Safe environment

• Post throw– Offside lines– Next phase?

Referee Positioning At Lineout

• At the four corners of the lineout formation• Things to consider when selecting location:– Trends

• Where in the lineout have they been throwing the ball?• Back to the receiver or catch-and-drive?• Opponents competing or not

– Time in game (early front)– Position on field

• Near the goal line

– Issues to manage?• Weather/sun• Referee’s speed versus speed of game

Video Examples: Discuss

• Clip_01: Taking out opposition lifters• Clip_02: Not supporting own jumper• Clip_03: Offside, beyond 15m line• Clip_04: Offside at quick throw-in• Clip_05: Foot in field of play• Clip_06: Foot in field of play again• Clip_07: Foot in field of play – error by Ref/AR

Video Examples: Discuss

• Clip_08: No quick throw from here• Clip_09: Knock on with feet over touch line• Clip_10: Not straight but knock on given• Clip_11: Cannot tackle non-ball carrier• Clip_12: Not the same ball at quick throw• Clip_13: Legal “Samba” lineout