Law Discussion: When is a kick over?

The incident took place in the first half of the match between the Blue Bulls and the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday at a stage when the Blue Bulls were leading 11-10 and kick a penalty at goal. The kick is close to an upright and there is doubt about whether it is over or not. The television match official advises that it is not over.

There has been some controversy, and André Watson, South Africa's refereeing boss, has issued a statement on the matter.

 "There has been some discussion relating to a penalty kick that match officials ruled wide by Jacques-Louis Potgieter for the Vodacom Blue Bulls against the Vodacom Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday. There has been some commentary that the officials erred.

"The kick has been reviewed by the Referees’ Department of SARU, which has confirmed that the correct decision was made.

"The Law requires that in order for a kick to be successful the ball must go over the cross bar and, therefore, between the posts or the continued imaginary line of the posts.

"When the ball passes over the top of an upright it is deemed not to have crossed the cross bar and cannot be awarded. In this example the ball passed over the top of the upright and was therefore ruled to have missed."

Law definition

Goal: A player scores a goal by kicking the ball over an opponents’ crossbar and between the goal posts from the field of play, by a place kick or drop-kick. A goal cannot be scored from a kick-off, drop-out or free kick.