TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM'S SEASON WITH PROFESSIONALLY PLANNED SESSIONS
Use our expert plans or build your own using our library of over 700+ drills, and easy-to-use tools.
JOIN NOW
Can you lift the legs when clearing out the ruck and if so what happens if you take the player off his feet to the ground?
Andy
If you go to the IRB Laws website: irblaws.com and look at the section on rucking you will find all the info you need plus film to help you:
16.3 RUCKING
(a) Players in a ruck must endeavour to stay on their feet. Penalty: Penalty Kick
(b) A player must not intentionally fall or kneel in a ruck. This is dangerous play. Penalty: Penalty Kick
(c) A player must not intentionally collapse a ruck. This is dangerous play. Penalty: Penalty Kick
(d) A player must not jump on top of a ruck. Penalty: Penalty Kick
(e) Players must have their heads and shoulders no lower than their hips. Penalty: Free Kick
(f) A player rucking for the ball must not intentionally ruck players on the ground. A player rucking for the ball tries to step over players on the ground and must not intentionally step on them. A player rucking must do so near the ball. Penalty: Penalty Kick for dangerous play
I hope this helps.
Simon
Andy, you have now entered the murky world of what the law says v what happens in practice Destabilising a player by lifting 'a leg' is likely to be seen as a dangerous action, the reality is that you often see it 'unpenalised' especially at the higher end of the game, because the 'materialness' of the offence doesn't warrant much action. As with most refereeing decisions it's a question of judgement and interpretation as to whether sanction is required. The current trend is to coach 'wrap & roll'or 'hook & drive', but when you examine the laws forensically then you'll see that even these can be interpreted as offences.......... i love this sport sometimes !
in more ways than one
From France's collision dominance to England's folding defence - what grassroots coaches can learn from the 2026 Six Nations.
The removal of "not-straight" on uncontested lineouts transforms your set-piece options. Here's how to exploit the new rule.
2026 brings revolutionary changes to international rugby: a brand new global tournament, historic tours, and law changes that will reshape the game. Here's everything coaches need to know.
Use our expert plans or build your own using our library of over 700+ drills, and easy-to-use tools.
JOIN NOW