IRB rules on line-out numbers

Earlier this month the Designated Members of the International Rugby Board gave a ruling on a query from the Italian Rugby Federation.

This concerns the team not throwing in the ball at a line-out. The ruling requires the team not throwing in the ball to have a player in the tramlines and not within two metres of the five-metre line.

ELV Ruling 3, 2008
August 7, 2008

The FIR [Italian Rugby Federation] has requested a Ruling from the Designated Members with regard to

ELV 19.7 – Forming a line-out.

The letter (f) reads:

(f) Player between touch and five metres. The team not throwing in must have a player standing between the touch line and the 5 – metre line on that team’s side of the line of touch when the line-out is formed. That player must stand at least two metres from the five metres line.

Since the ELV 19.7 (a) reads:
“Minimum. At least two players from each team must form a line-out.”

And 19.7 (b) reads:
“Maximum. There is no restriction to the number of players from each team participating in the line-out. Each team can decide how many players participate in the line-out and there is no requirement for there to be an equal number of participants from each team.”

We believe that the non-throwing team should be allowed to determine whether to field a player between the touchline and the 5-metre line or not, as set out at 19.7 (f), when playing a line-out.

Ruling:

The Designated Members have ruled that 19.7 (f) states that there must be a player in opposition to the player throwing in the ball who must be between the touchline and the 5 metre line and that player must be at least 2 metres from the 5 metre line. The provision 19.7 (f) is in addition to 19.7 (a) and (b).