Argument on another site had me looking at the law on "double movement".
In 2017 the law was fairly detailed:
[Laws]22.1
There are two ways a player can ground the ball:
(a) Player touches the ground with the ball. A player grounds the ball by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, in in-goal. ‘Holding’ means holding in the hand or hands, or in the arm or arms. No downward pressure is required.
(b) Player presses down on the ball. A player grounds the ball when it is on the ground in the in-goal and the player presses down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player’s body from waist to neck inclusive.
22.4
(e) Tackled near the goal line. If a player is tackled near to the opponents’ goal line so that this player can immediately reach out and ground the ball on or over the goal line, a try is scored.[/Laws]
The 2019 version is a little odd
[LAWS]21.8 A tackled player near their own goal line may reach out and ground the ball in in-goal to make a touch down, provided it is done immediately.[/LAWS]
What about "near the opponents' goal line"?!
There is a possible inference:
[LAWS]21.11 If a tackled player is in the act of reaching out to ground the ball for a try or touch down, players may pull the ball from the player’s possession but must not kick or attempt to kick the ball. [/LAWS]
That does not make sense unless the attacking player is allowed to reach out to score a try.
There is still no definition of "reach out". My understanding is that a player may roll sideways if the ball is trapped beneath his body and then reach out, but may not deliberately move his body closer to the goal-line.
The single movement of driving your body forward with the ball under you is clearly illegal.
The double movement of moving your body sideways and then reaching out is allowed.
The phrase "double movement" should be replaced by "illegal movement".
In 2017 the law was fairly detailed:
[Laws]22.1
There are two ways a player can ground the ball:
(a) Player touches the ground with the ball. A player grounds the ball by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, in in-goal. ‘Holding’ means holding in the hand or hands, or in the arm or arms. No downward pressure is required.
(b) Player presses down on the ball. A player grounds the ball when it is on the ground in the in-goal and the player presses down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player’s body from waist to neck inclusive.
22.4
(e) Tackled near the goal line. If a player is tackled near to the opponents’ goal line so that this player can immediately reach out and ground the ball on or over the goal line, a try is scored.[/Laws]
The 2019 version is a little odd
[LAWS]21.8 A tackled player near their own goal line may reach out and ground the ball in in-goal to make a touch down, provided it is done immediately.[/LAWS]
What about "near the opponents' goal line"?!
There is a possible inference:
[LAWS]21.11 If a tackled player is in the act of reaching out to ground the ball for a try or touch down, players may pull the ball from the player’s possession but must not kick or attempt to kick the ball. [/LAWS]
That does not make sense unless the attacking player is allowed to reach out to score a try.
There is still no definition of "reach out". My understanding is that a player may roll sideways if the ball is trapped beneath his body and then reach out, but may not deliberately move his body closer to the goal-line.
The single movement of driving your body forward with the ball under you is clearly illegal.
The double movement of moving your body sideways and then reaching out is allowed.
The phrase "double movement" should be replaced by "illegal movement".