Law Discussion: Touch and go

This caused some consternation where it should not have - a try by Pumas against the the Cheetahs.

The Pumas of Mpumalanga attack the Cheetahs. They are going left when Stefan Watermeyer grubbers ahead the ball going closer and closer to the touchline.

It breaks to its left and is heading for touch when Puma No.8 Renaldo Bothma slides in on his knees and with his left hand slaps the ball infield to JW Jonker who goes over for the try.

The referee consults the TMO on two issues - whether the ball was out and whether the slap inside was forward or not.

The try was awarded.

The commentators discuss the issue and believe that the ball was out because Bothma was out when he slapped the ball.

Law 19 DEFINITIONS

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.

Bothma is in touch when he plays/knocks the ball.

Bothma, does not knock the ball.

The ball does not cross the plane of the touchline.

The ball was therefore not in touch.

The referee and the TMO were correct in their decision.

The commentators - and many others - were wrong.

It's not new law. It is implied in the laws of 1866 and explicit in the laws of 1885.

The law applies to the touch-in-goal line and the dead-ball line as well. A played beyond those lines can score a try even if he is outside of those lines if the ball is in in-goal and he grounds it without picking it up first.

We have dealt with this a few times recently.

By Paul Dobson