Law Discussion - Naqelevuki's off-side

It was the last minute of the match between the Blues and the Stormers and the scores were tied at 14-all when the referee penalised big Sireli Naqelevuki of the Stormers for being off-side.

The Blues goaled the penalty, the final whistle went and the Blues won.

After the match the Stormers' coach Rassie Erasmus said that he agreed with the decision.

Let's look.

Taniela Moa, the Blues' scrumhalf, kicked ahead as the Blues went right. Peter Grant of the Stormers went back to get the awkwardly bouncing ball. Grant played the ball with his hand as he stumbled back leaving the ball behind him.

Falling back Naqelevuki played the ball.

The referee penalised him, calling out: "Off-side. In front of your man who last played the ball."

It did not seem that Grant had knocked on the ball, but that had nothing to do with why the referee penalised Naqelevuki. He penalised him for the most basic off-side in the book and the most ancient.

Law 11 DEFINITIONS

In general play a player is off-side if the player is in front of a team-mate who is carrying the ball, or in front of a team-mate who last played the ball.

Off-side means that a player is temporarily out of the game. Such players are liable to be penalised if they take part in the game.

In general play, a player can be put on-side either by an action of a team-mate or by an action of an opponent. However, the off-side player cannot be put on-side if the off-side player interferes with play; or moves forward, towards the ball, or fails to move 10 metres away from the.place where the ball lands.

Naqelevuki was in front of Grant when Grant played the ball.
Naqelevuki was in front of Grant when Naqelevuki played the ball.
Naqelevuki was off-side.
Naqelevuki took part in play.
He was penalised.

That all seems fair.

The oldest description of off-side is in the "Rules at Rugby School" as laid down in 1846:

A player is off his side if the ball has touched one of his side behind him, until the other party kick it.

A player being off his side is to consider himself out of the game and is not to touch the ball or in any way interfere with play and is of course incapable of holding the ball.

It is the oldest form of off-side but in the multifarious forms of off-side which now exist it is easily overlooked.