Law 21 In-Goal

Law 21 In-Goal

Grounding the Ball
1. How can the ball be grounded in in-goal?
Answer: A. by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, B. by pressing down on it with hand/s, arm/s, or front of the body from waist to neck.

2. Is picking up the ball in in-goal grounding it?
Answer: No.

3. What happens when an attacking player grounds the ball in in-goal?
Answer: A try is scored.

4. What happens if an attacking team player grounds the ball on the touch-in-goal line or dead ball line?
Answer: The ball is dead. Play restarts with a try-line drop-out if the attacking team took the ball into in-goal, or a 5m scrum (attacking team throws in) if the defending team played the ball into in-goal.

5. What happens when a ball carrier grounds the ball in the in-goal and simultaneously makes contact with the touch line or ground beyond?
Answer: A lineout should be awarded to the opposition.

6. What should the referee rule if a defender grounds the ball in the in-goal?
Answer: A touch down.

7. Can a tackled player’s momentum carry them into in-goal where the ball can be grounded?
Answer: Yes.

8. May a tackled player near the goal-line reach out to ground the ball?
Answer: Yes, provided it is done immediately.

Sanction: PK.

9. What should the referee rule if a defending team player grounds the ball against a goal post or the padding surrounding it?
Answer: Award a touch down.

10. Can a player in touch in-goal ground the ball for a touch down or a try?
Answer: Yes, as long as they do not hold the ball.

11. Can players pull the ball from a ball carrier who is in the act of grounding the ball?
Answer: Yes, as long as it is not kicked out.

Sanction: PK.

Ball Kicked Dead Through In-Goal
1. What should the referee rule if the ball is kicked from the field of play into touch-in-goal or over the dead ball line?
Answer: The defending team choose A. to have a drop out 22 or B. have a scrum at the place where the ball was kicked.

Defending Player in In-Goal
1. If part of a defending player is in the in-goal, where are they considered to be?
Answer: In the in-goal.

2. If a player in the in-goal catches or licks up a ball that is still in the field of play, who has put the ball into in-goal?
Answer: The defending player.

3. If a player who is on or beyond the dead ball line or touch-in-goal line and there catches or picks up the ball, who has made the ball dead?
Answer: That player.

Corner Flag Post
1. What happens if the ball or a ball carrier touches a corner flag post?
Answer: play continues unless the ball is grounded against the post.

Ball Held Up In-Goal
1. What is the ball deemed to be if the ball or a player carrying it is held up in-in-goal?
Answer: Dead. Play restarts with a try-line drop-out, or a 5m scrum, depending on how the ball entered in-goal.

Doubt About Grounding
1. What should the referee rule if there is doubt about who grounded the ball in-in-goal?
Answer: Award a 5m scrum in line with the place where the ball was grounded.