RUGBY FOOTBALL

Chronicle (Levin), 25 June 1946, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL

"Fuli-back'!).. • .•-*

KN0CK-0N DEALT WITH THROW FORWARD EXPLAINED

i (Bv

Those wno have .beem interested enougn to- peruse these notes have haa ampie maxeriai ;to keep themoccupied' ror a. litRe.. WhUe*. ,. I haamtended • to. give the scrummage iaw tnis week, but b.ecause. ofjsome remarks passed necently,. this arcicie wiii aeai with the knock-on and uu'ow forward. • •• . v naw 2 . says that . a knock-on occurs wnen xhe oail, after suriking ihe hand or arm oi a piayer, uravels in the direction of hn> opponents' dead-ball lme. A throw iorward occurs when the ball is propeiied by the hand or arm of a piayer in the direction of his opponents' dead-ball line. A reoound occurs wnen the ball, after surikmg any part of a piayer excepo his nand, arm or leg irom the knee to the toe inclusive, travels in the uirection, of his opponents' . deadoali- iine. * • - . Law 14 states that a throw in from touch is not a throw forward, and tnat a rebound is not a knockon. it the baii oe passed back, but, after aiightmg on the ground uenmd the piace from which it was passed, it bounce forward, the pass is in order. ■ In tne case of a knock-on or a throw forward, the ball shall be orought . back to the piace oi linrnxgement and . a scrummage lonnea • there, .unless (a) -a fair cauch has been allowed (most people- cail this a "mark"), (b) and upposmg ceam gain an advantage, and (c) in the opinion oi uie referee such knockon or throw forward was wilful. If this is so, he shall award a penalty kick at the piace of infringement. Points to Note ' it is not necessary to "propel" the baii m oraer to constiouue a Kiiocs:on. ii the ball strixes a piayer's nand or arm, ana travels in the uirection oi his opponents' deaauaii lme, then - a breach nas uecurred. A mis-fleld is not a knock-on . unless the ball tr&vels direct irom ihe piayeFs;' hand or arm' in tne direction of his opponents' dead-: oail iine. in the event oi the baii striking a piayer's hand or arm anci oiien nis ciieso or snoulder, i'rom where it travels iii the direction oi his opponents' dead-bali line, oniy a rebound has occurred and play shall contirtue: , ' A fair cafch tannot be claimea from a 'rebb'uiid. ' However, if thx. ball strike a piayer ' on the^chesx, ;uiia trieii-' tOtfeii h'is 'hand' or "arm and travel' towards the opponeiibt, dead-ball llhe, a knock-on hao 'occurfed. ' Should 'a fair catch be disregarded,"- and -the opponents gain a defihlte territoriai advantage, play. shall coiiiinue, otherwise ia scrumkiage;.will take piace' at the i'spot. ' :-;UP ■' : xi a playeris c'aught by an opponent and releases tne baif in tne nofmal mahrier '-as he goes down (tackie law)' it is not a knock-on or a throw forWard. The referee must allow a fair*- catch, if claimed and all in order, 'from a knock-on or throw forw'ard, even though he might have ' Diown nis whistie for the breach. - If any piayer knock-on or throw forward and an opponent collects the ball and makes off with it, or even kicks it so as to gain a definite territoriai advantage, the whistie shall not be blown for the breach. As I have never heard anything to the contrary, it is presumed that the "hand or arm" means from the | sips oi the fingers to the elbow in1 clusive. Perhaps some enthusiast I might take the physiological view- ■ point and state that the "arm" is above the elbow while it is the 'forearm" below". Note: ,The place for scrummages near the touch-lines was included in previous articles.