[Law] Offside at scrum

[vimpe22]

I wish to discuss and or seek views on the difference in of law 19.28 which says start of play ( is this when you call for a scrum) and and law 29.30 which says scrum begins ( which is when the ball,leaves the hand of the scrum half)

27;. Players remain onside for the duration of the scrum.
28. Prior to the start of play in the scrum, the scrum-half of the team not throwing in the ball
stands:
a. On that team’s side of the middle line next to the opposing scrum-half, or
b. At least five metres behind the hindmost foot of their team’s last player in the scrum and remains there until the completion of the scrum.
29. Once play in the scrum begins, the scrum-half of the team in possession has at least one foot level with or behind the ball.
30. Once play in the scrum begins, the scrum-half of the team not in possession:
a. Takes up a position with both feet behind the ball and close to the scrum but not in
the space between the flanker and the number eight or
b. Permanently retires to a point on the offside line either at that team’s hindmost foot, or
c. Permanently retires at least five metres behind the hindmost foot.

 

[Zebra1922]

I’m not sure what your point is. There is nothing inconsistent or confusing in that wording.

 

[Pinky]

I’m not sure what your point is. There is nothing inconsistent or confusing in that wording.

Except that there is no point in 19.30 c as it is farther back than 19.30 b!

 

[OB..]

Except that there is no point in 19.30 c as it is farther back than 19.30 b!

The scrum half can stay at the hindmost foot under b, but if he moves back to the 5m offside line he can not move forward until the scrum has ended.

 

[Pinky]

The scrum half can stay at the hindmost foot under b, but if he moves back to the 5m offside line he can not move forward until the scrum has ended.

I know one could read it that way, but I am never going to ping a S/H who retires behind the back foot and then wanders about and may just step over the 5m back line when if he comes forward again makes him offside. For me the 5m line only applies if he does no line up beside the scrum at the start.

 

[OB..]

I know one could read it that way, but I am never going to ping a S/H who retires behind the back foot and then wanders about and may just step over the 5m back line when if he comes forward again makes him offside. For me the 5m line only applies if he does no line up beside the scrum at the start.

I disagree. If he retires to the 5m offside line he loses any scrum half rights.

 

[Pinky]

So it would be sensible for him to retire only 4.9m to retain the right to come back closer? I am never going to police that!

 

[OB..]

So it would be sensible for him to retire only 4.9m to retain the right to come back closer? I am never going to police that!

Any scrum half who tries to be that "clever" deserves to be deprived of his rights.

Lineout law specifies that a receiver should be 2m from his lineout colleagues and the sanction is a Free Kick. I recently saw a scrum half who kept wandering back to 5m or more get sanctioned (after a couple of warnings). It makes sense - the aim is to clarify who is the scrum half/receiver and not allow him to confuse the issue.

If you get a scrum half who mucks about, warn him.

 

[Elpablo73]

So it would be sensible for him to retire only 4.9m to retain the right to come back closer? I am never going to police that!

What part of the law allows the scrum-half to wander about between the back of the scrum and the offside line 5m back? The Scrum-half has 3 choices follow the attacking scrum-half, go to the back foot of the scrum or go all the way to the 5m offside line. They start to move towards their side's back foot they are down to 2 choices; go past the back foot and they are going back to the 5m offside line and if they don't are liable to be penalised as being off-side.

Unless someone knows differently, this would seem to be what we are supposed to referee.

 

[vimpe22]

My point was what is the difference in play starts in 28 as against scrum begins in 29 .

 

[vimpe22]

I don’t think you can retire 4.9 meters. You have to get back 5 m before prior to start of play .

On the other hand as in law . 30. After the scrum begins he could do as scrum begins is defined . 16 The scrum begins when the ball leaves the hands of the scrum-half.

What is the meaning of start of play which is also in law 2.6 . If by this it means there is a stop for a sanction and a scrum is ordered for play to start and before it starts?.

Law 2.16/ Its air pressure at the start of play is 65.71-68.75 kilopascals, 0.67-0.70 kilograms per square centimetre or 9.5-10.0 pounds per square inch.

 

[vimpe22]

I’m not sure what your point is. There is nothing inconsistent or confusing in that wording.

Point is What is the meaning of start of play which is also in law 2.6

Its air pressure at the start of play is 65.71-68.75 kilopascals, 0.67-0.70 kilograms per square centimetre or 9.5-10.0 pounds per square inch.


18.6 The scrum begins when the ball leaves the hands of the scrum-half.

If we go by law 2.6 then there is a stop for an infringement which calls for a scrum. Start of play possibly means before the process of scrum as against scrum begins ?

 

[vimpe22]

So it would be sensible for him to retire only 4.9m to retain the right to come back closer? I am never going to police that!

I don’t think you can retire 4.9 meters. You have to get back 5 m prior to start of play .

On the other hand as in law . 30. After the scrum begins he could do as scrum begins is defined . 16 The scrum begins when the ball leaves the hands of the scrum-half.

What is the meaning of start of play which is also in law 2.6 . If by this it means there is a stop for a sanction and a scrum is ordered for play to start and before it starts?.

Law 2.16/ Its air pressure at the start of play is 65.71-68.75 kilopascals, 0.67-0.70 kilograms per square centimetre or 9.5-10.0 pounds per square inch.

 

[Pinky]

I don’t think you can retire 4.9 meters. You have to get back 5 m prior to start of play .

On the other hand as in law . 30. After the scrum begins he could do as scrum begins is defined . 16 The scrum begins when the ball leaves the hands of the scrum-half.

What is the meaning of start of play which is also in law 2.6 . If by this it means there is a stop for a sanction and a scrum is ordered for play to start and before it starts?.

Law 2.16/ Its air pressure at the start of play is 65.71-68.75 kilopascals, 0.67-0.70 kilograms per square centimetre or 9.5-10.0 pounds per square inch.

Before the ball is put in the scrum the non-putting in scrum half has to stand beside the putting in scrum half or he has to retire 5m behind the scrum (like all the other backs)

After the ball is put in, he has three options (although I don't see what 3 is about)
1 he can follow the other s/h and as long as he stays on that side of and close to the scrum his offside line is both feet behind the ball.

2 If he wants to move away from the scrum or round the other side his offside line becomes the back foot of his pack in the scrum.

3 For some reason he can also retire 5m from the scrum and stay there. Why is he bound to stay there when his offside line is back foot?

 

[Rich_NL]

My point was what is the difference in play starts in 28 as against scrum begins in 29 .

The ball is dead, and the forwards assemble. Play starts as the referee calls "crouch". The scrum begins when the ball is fed in.

 

[crossref]

In practice I don't think I have ever seen a 9 retire back to 5m line ...

To the back foot, often, this allows them to cover both sides of the scrum. But I can't see why they'd really want to drop back to 5m ?

 

[Jz558]

Apart from not being allowed in the pocket between flanker and No8 I don't think I've ever really thought deeply about where the defending scrum-half may or may not stand during a scrum. I've certainly never been asked for clarity on the subject. Last week this thread pops up and on Sunday morning I was asked how I would interpret the law by a Coach before kick-off. The rugby world occasionally moves in mysterious ways.