Law Discussion: after the catch
It seems there is a catch when the ball is caught that causes lots of confusion. It happened again last Friday when Bayonne played Castres in Bayonne.
The referee got the decision wrong. The kind commentator in the English commentary - not Nigel Starmer-Smith - tried to explain what had happened and also got it wrong.
Castres kicked high and chased. Bayonne's slender fullback caught the ball. As he caught it three Castres players fell on him and the four went to ground. Just those four - Elhorga of Bayonne and three players of Castres.
That is important. That group of players was not a maul - not a maul. For a maul there would have had to have been another Bayonne player attached to the group. There was not another player. So, even though there were four players involved, there was no maul. No maul.
Law 17 DEFINITIONS
A maul occurs when a player carrying the ball is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier’s team mates bind on the ball carrier. A maul therefore consists of at least three players, all on their feet; the ball carrier and one player from each team. All the players involved must be caught in or bound to the maul and must be on their feet and moving towards a goal line. Open play has ended.
The ball carrier (Elhorga) in this case does not have a player from his team with him. It is not a maul.
When the four fall down, the ball becomes available. The referee has no reason to award a penalty and so he orders a scrum. It is right to order a scrum.
The next step is saying which side puts the ball in.
Because it is not a maul, the way the ball is awarded after a maul ends unsuccessfully does not apply - simply because it was not a maul.
What was it?
It was a tackle.
Law 15 DEFINITION
A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and is brought to ground.
Elhorga carried the ball. Three opponents held him and brought him to ground.
It was a tackle.
The way the ball is awarded is determined by the law of the tackle - not the law of the maul.
Law 15.8 DOUBT ABOUT FAILURE TO COMPLY
If the ball becomes unplayable at a tackle and there is doubt about which player did not conform to Law, the referee orders a scrum immediately with the throw in by the team that was moving forward prior to the stoppage or, if no team was moving forward, by the attacking team.
In the tackle the three Castres players drove Elhorga a little way back. Castres were moving forward. They deserved the put-in at the scrum.
The tackle occurred in the Bayonne half. Castres deserved the put-in at the scrum on that score as well.
The referee awarded the scrum top Bayonne. That was wrong.
The commentator explained that was so because Elhorga had caught the ball from a kick.
Catching the ball from a kick had nothing to do with it. That was about the ball governing the unsuccessful ending to the maul. This was not a maul.
Law 17.6 (h) Scrum after a maul when catcher is held. If a player catches the ball direct from an opponent’s kick, except from a kick off or a drop out, and the player is immediately held by an opponent, a maul may form. Then if the maul remains stationary, stops moving forward for longer than 5 seconds, or if the ball becomes unplayable, and a scrum is ordered, the team of the ball catcher throws in the ball.
That applies only after a maul. It does not apply after a tackle or a ruck. In this case it was not a maul.