Why isn't this pre binding penalised ?

[buff]

Given that the binders almost always go straight off their feet, I think you would have a much stronger case in law if you pinged that rather than pre-binding.

[Decorily]

I would not be penalising for the pre bind nor for hands in the ruck.
I would certainly be looking at the 'latchers' impact on play as they pile off their feet.
Remember also that the position of the feet of the player who lifts the ball from the ruck/pile of bodies is important....ie one or both feet ahead of the ball.

[Dickie E]

yeah, forget pre-binding, flying wedge, etc. That way lies madness.

[thepercy]

Looks wrong and probably is one the player picking the ball up from the ruck is not the last man. 15.11 Once a ruck has formed, no player may handle the ball unless they were able to get their hands on the ball before the ruck formed and stay on their feet.

The player in the middle of the ruck unbinds, now the person in front of them is the hindmost player in the ruck, then the player that unbound is the acting halfback, and picks and goes.

[thepercy]

This is a Law 14 offence:

8. Other players must:

a. Remain on their feet and release the ball and the ball-carrier immediately.

We used to see it here and refs used to call "reload" to tell the latched players to release, get to their feet & then rejoin the ruck. This would now be penalised

But not because they were prebound, because they went off feet.

[Dickie E]

But not because they were prebound, because they went off feet.

yes ...

[beckett50]

Personally I don't have an issue with the pre-binding, as long as they are behind the ball thereby allowing a tackle to be made and a fair contest.

The issue that i have with this at the dizzy heights, and as is evident in the clip of Wasps, is the support players not moving away when the ball carrier is brough to ground. This prevents a fair contest and is even against the protocols that have been trumpeted this year.

Get the support players out of the way, or allow the defenders some latitude to compete for the ball, IMHO

[Not Kurt Weaver]

Plus - coming of the back of a ruck, while I agree they are forming a wedge - it's not really flying .

"Flying" would be airborne, so in that regard it would be hard to get three bound players airborne w/o an airfoil of somekind.

[ctrainor]

Just watched the premiership highlights and heard at least 2 refs say "don't pre-bind" during the inevitable pick and goes near the line which nearly always results in a try for the attacking team after 5 or 6 attempts.
For me, whilst it has come to be an accepted part of the game, it isn't much of a spectacle.
In each case the ref totally ignored the pre-binding of one, usually two players so why do they bother saying it?

Not sure pre-binding is specifically outlawed but for me it should be.

As for penalising the pre-binders for going off their feet, has anyone seen that given?

[SimonSmith]

As for penalising the pre-binders for going off their feet, has anyone seen that given?

It is, more frequently than you might imagine.