Law explained as hookers appear to creep closer and closer to the lineout
The 2023 Rugby World Cup in France put the game under the spotlight like never before, as new fans from around the globe tuned in for the game’s showpiece event that attracted record crowds and millions in television audiences.
With all that attention comes a lot of scrutiny, as fans had a lot of questions about various aspects of decision making by the officials, especially when the TMO appeared to be more involved than ever.
After the tournament, which included the first ever red card in a final, referee Wayne Barnes got a lot of heat for some of the decisions he and his assistants (TMO included) made. He has since announced his retirement.
One aspect of play that fans picked up on throughout the tournament was at lineout time, when it appeared that hookers were standing well in-field when throwing the ball in. It’s not something new, but with all the eyeballs on the sport, questions were asked as it was quite prevalent at times.
In some cases, as with Australia’s Dave Porecki against Fiji, it looked blatantly illegal and for some reason, wasn’t even pointed out, let alone penalised.
Does Porecki want to get any further onto the pitch?! pic.twitter.com/6bPopB37W0
— RugbyInsideLine (@RugbyInsideLine) September 17, 2023
But at other times, it may have simply appeared as though they were in-field, due in part to the interpretation of the law.
“You’ve just got to be on the ‘paint’ (the white outline),” explained former Blues and All Blacks hooker James Parsons on the latest Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“A lot of hookers will put their heels on the paint and their feet will be in the field. I was one that always stood behind the line just because that was my range, that’s how I grew up throwing.
“A lot of the people that try to, I suppose, creep forward a couple [of feet] are normally hookers that struggle for distance in their throw, whereas people that have probably had too many Weetabix, they will stand a little bit further back, to control the distance. So you can normally tell where a hooker’s mindset is.
England hooker … ended in try pic.twitter.com/00Ph2D4H5L
— Mat.Ipi ♻️®️ (@matias_ipi) September 17, 2023
“I always think, you’re a little bit hesitant if you creep forward. That was always my mentality in my own head, so I always prided myself on being well behind that line.”
World Rugby Law 18.22 states “the player throwing in the ball stands on the mark of touch with both feet outside the field of play.”
The touchline is considered outside the field of play, so just touching a blade of white paint puts you “out” and in this case, makes it legal, even if some players actually end up releasing the ball while on their toes and not actually touching anything.
While it looks wrong to the viewer, Parsons says that it’s just the way it is these days, as officials clearly don’t seem to police it and the law has not yet been changed to bring them back to on, or behind, the line.
“A lot of the younger hookers coming through, they’ve got their heels on the paint. I think it’s just a different coaching.. Maybe they’ve just been taught through that pathway system, I’m not too sure, but I mean when I started it was one foot in front of the other, it wasn’t even square feet, so, it was definitely well behind the line then.
Like it or not, “you’ve just got to be on the line,” says Parsons.
Comments on RugbyPass
guys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
1 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to comments