LAW 26. FOUL PLAY

Obstruction

(1)

It is illegal for any player:-

(a)

who is running for the ball to charge or push an opponent also running for the ball, except shoulder to shoulder,

(b)

who is in an off-side position willfully to run or stand in front of another player of his team who is carrying the ball, thereby preventing an opponent from reaching the latter player,

(c)

who is carrying the ball after it has come out of a scrummage, ruck, maul or lineout, to attempt to force his way through the players of his team in front of him,

(d)

who is an outside player in a scrummage or ruck to prevent an opponent from advancing round the scrummage or ruck.

Penalty:-

Penalty kick at the place of infringement. A penalty try may be awarded.

Notes:-

(i)

There are no circumstances in which a player carrying the ball can be penalized for obstruction.

(ii)

The referee should note that:-

(a)

The intention of this Law as regards the penalties to be imposed for serious forms of obstruction must be applied.

(b)

If a player is guilty of charging or obstructing or holding an opponent who is not carrying the ball or any other form of foul play, before any other action is taken the player must at once be cautioned or ordered off. If he offends a second time, the referee has no alternative to ordering him off. If the offense prevents a try which probably would otherwise have been scored, a penalty try must be awarded.

(c)

The intention of the Council of the International Board is that if the referee has any doubt as to the balance of probability, he should give the benefit of the doubt in favor of the non-offending team and award the penalty try.

(2)

It is illegal for any player:-

(a)

deliberately to play unfairly or willfully infringe any Law of the Game,

(b)

willfully to waste time,

(c)

willfully to knock or throw the ball from the playing area into touch, touch-in-goal or over the dead-ball line,

(d)

to infringe repeatedly any Law of the Game.

Penalty:-

For (b) and (c) a free kick, and for (a) and (d) a penalty kick at the place of infringement. A penalty try may be awarded.

For offenses under 2(c) occurring in Ingoal, Law 14 penalty (e) applies.

For offenses under 2(d) a player may be cautioned and, if he repeats the offense, must be ordered off.

Misconduct, Dangerous Play

(3)

It is illegal for any player:

(a)

to strike an opponent

(b)

willfully to hack or kick an opponent or to trip him with the foot or to trample on an opponent lying on the ground

(c)

to tackle early, or late or dangerously, including the action known as "a stiff arm tackle",

(d)

who is not running for the ball willfully to charge or obstruct an opponent who has just kicked the ball,

(e)

to hold, push, charge, obstruct or grasp an opponent not holding the ball except in a scrummage, ruck or maul.

(Except in a scrummage or ruck the dragging away of a player lying close to the ball is permitted. Otherwise pulling any part of the clothing of an opponent is holding.)

I.R.F.B. Ruling

It is legal to hold an opponent in a maul. A player is permitted to leave a maul so that, in some circumstances, it is no longer a maul.

(f)

in the front row of a scrummage to form down some distance from the opponents and rush against them,

(g)

in the front row of a scrummage willfully to lift an opponent off his feet or force him upwards out of the scrummage,

(h)

willfully to cause a scrummage, ruck or maul to collapse,

(i)

while the ball is out of play to molest, obstruct or in any way interfere with an opponent or be guilty of any form of misconduct,

(j)

to commit any misconduct on the playing area which is prejudicial to the spirit of good sportsmanship.

Instruction from the I.R.F.B.

The practice of what has become known as "the flying wedge" from a free kick or penalty kick is deemed to be dangerous play and is to be penalized accordingly.

Penalty:-

A player guilty of misconduct or dangerous play shall either be ordered off or else cautioned that he will be ordered off if he repeats the offense. For a similar offense after caution, the player must be ordered off.

In addition to a caution or ordering off a penalty try or a penalty kick shall be awarded as follows:-

(i)

If the offense prevents a try which would otherwise probably have been scored, a penalty try shall be awarded.

(ii)

The place for a penalty kick shall be:

(a)

For offenses other than under paragraphs (d) and (i), at the place of infringement.

(b)

For an infringement under (d) the nonoffending team shall have the option of taking the kick at the place of infringement or where the ball alights, and if the ball alights

• in touch, the mark is fifteen meters from the touch line on a line parallel to the goal lines through the place where it went into touch, or
• within fifteen meters from the touch line, it is fifteen meters from the touch line on a line parallel to the goal lines through the place where it alighted, or
• in In-goal, touch-in-goal, or over or on the dead-ball line, it is five meters from the goal line on a line parallel to the touch line through the place where it crossed the goal line or fifteen meters from the touch line whichever is the greater. When the offense takes place in touch the "place of infringement" in the optional penalty award is fifteen meters from the touch line opposite to where the offense took place.

  If the offense takes place in touch-in-goal, the "place of infringement" in the optional penalty award is in the field-of-play five meters from the goal-line and fifteen meters from the touch-line.

(c)

For an offense under (i), at any place where the ball would next have been brought into play if the offense had not occurred, or, if that place is on the touch line, fifteen meters from that place, on a line parallel to the goal lines.

(iii)

For an infringement in In-goal, a penalty kick is to be awarded as provided for under Law 14 Penalties.

(iv)

For an offense under Law 26(3)(i), the penalty kick is to be taken at whichever is the place where play would re-start, that is

• at the twenty-two meter line (at any point the non-offending team may select), or
• at the center of the half-way line, or
• if a scrummage five meters from the goal line would otherwise have been awarded, at that place or fifteen meters from the touch line on a line five meters from and parallel to the goal line, whichever is the greater.

(v)

For an offense which occurs outside the playing area while the ball is still in play and which is not otherwise covered in the foregoing, the penalty kick shall be awarded in the playing area fifteen meters from the touch line and opposite to where the offense took place.

(vi)

For an offense reported by a touch judge under Law 6B(6) a penalty kick may be awarded where the offense occurred or advantage may be played.

U.S.A.R.F.U. Directive

Advantage and foul play

If a player commits an act of foul play in accordance with Law 26(3), the referee may, in addition to playing advantage, caution or order off the offending player. The referee must do so at the next stoppage of play after the instance of foul play.

Notes:-

(iii)

"Playing the man without the ball" and all forms of dangerous tackling including early, late and stiff arm "tackling" or tackling or attempting to tackle a player around the neck or head or above the line of the shoulders must be punished severely. Players who willfully resort to this type of foul play must be ordered off the field. Advantage should be played, but a penalty try must be awarded if the dangerous tackle prevents a probable try.

(iv)

It is for the referee to decide what constitutes a dangerous tackle, having regard to the circumstances, e.g. the apparent intentions of the tackler, or the nature of the tackle, or the defenseless position of the player being tackled or knocked over, which may be the cause of serious injury.

(v)

The following actions constitute dangerous play:-

(a)

If a player charges or knocks down an opponent carrying the ball without any attempt to grasp him (as in a tackle);

(b)

If a player taps or pulls the foot or feet of another player who is jumping in a line-out;

(c)

If a player attempts to tackle a player who, when fielding a kick in open play, is off the ground jumping for the ball.

(vi)

A player shall not "take the law into his own hands" nor willfully do anything that is dangerous to an opponent even if the latter is infringing the Laws.

(vii)

If a player is obstructed after kicking the ball and the ball strikes a goal post, the optional penalty should be awarded where the ball alights after bouncing off the post.

(viii)

If a penalty kick has been awarded and, before the kick has been taken, the offending team infringes Law 26(3)(i), the referee should

(a)

caution or order off the player guilty of misconduct and

(b)

in addition advance the mark for the penalty kick ten meters, this to cover both the original infringement and the misconduct.

(ix)

If a penalty kick is awarded to a team and before the kick is taken, a player of that team infringes Law 26(3)(i) the referee should

(a)

caution or order off the player guilty of misconduct and

(b)

declare the penalty kick void and

(c)

award a penalty kick against the team last guilty of misconduct.

(x)

The referee should note that:-

(a)

Repeated infringement is a question of fact and not a question of whether the offender intended to infringe.

(b)

If the same player has to be penalized repeatedly he should be dealt with under Law 26(2)(d).

(c)

Foul play must not be condoned.

(d)

Repeated infringements arise mainly in connection with Scrummages, Off-side and Line-outs. If a player has been penalized for infringing one of these Laws several times in the same match, he should be cautioned and, if he repeats the offense, ordered off.

(e)

It is a question for the referee whether or not a series of the same offenses by different players of a team amounts to repeated infringement. If he considers that it does, he should give a general warning to that team and, if the offense is repeated, he must order the offending player off the field.

(f)

In deciding the number of offenses which should constitute "repeated infringement" the referee should always apply a strict standard in representative and senior matches. On the third occasion a caution must be given.

In the case of junior or minor matches where ignorance of the Laws and lack of skill may account for many infringements, a less strict standard may be applied.

(xi)

The International Board and the Unions in membership with it will fully support referees in the strict and uniform enforcement of the Law as to repeated infringements.

Citing of Players

U.S.A.R.F.U. Directive

When a player is ordered off the field under Law 26 in a match played in the United States the referee shall send his report to:

(a)

The local regional union to which the player's club is affiliated, or

(b)

if his club or team is not affiliated to a local regional union, to the territorial union in whose area the player's club has its home base, or

(c)

if the player was playing in a representative match, to the local, territorial or national union for which he was playing, or

(d)

in the case of a visiting club side from abroad, to the local union in whose area the game was played and to the national union of the player's club.

Note: In all of the above cases the referee shall send a copy of his report to his own referee's society. In addition, if he is not a member of a recognized referee's society, he shall send this report to the local regional union in whose area the game was played.

Club secretaries shall report to their local regional and territorial union, without delay, the name and address of any player of their club who has been ordered off the playing enclosure.

In matches coming within the direct jurisdiction of the U.S.A.R.F.U. any player ordered off may not play again on that same day. The referee may himself decide, without consultation, that this constitutes adequate action for the offense committed, in which case he need only notify the disciplinary committee of the name of the offender and the circumstances of the ordering off, and no committee meeting need be convened. In all other cases the committee must consider whether further punishment is appropriate, in accordance with U.S.A.R.F.U. disciplinary procedures.

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