Laws
Players must not interfere with the opposition during the line-out. In particular, they must not interfere with or tackle a jumper while his feet are off the ground, or interfere with players supporting him; such actions are deemed to be dangerous play and will be penalised with a penalty kick. Players in the line-out must not close the gap or enter the gap, except in the act of jumping for the ball, nor may they jump or support a jumper before the ball is thrown; such actions are penalised with a free-kick. Penalty kicks and free kicks are awarded 15 metres infield from the touch-line.
If the ball is thrown beyond the 15-metre line, a player from the throwing team who is not taking part in the line-out may run forward to take the ball. If he does so, an opponent may also run forward to contest possession. Players who are taking part in the line-out may move beyond the 15-metre line as soon as the ball leaves the thrower's hands. If, however, a player runs forward or infield and the ball is not thrown beyond the 15-metre line, that player is off-side. The line-out ends when the ball crosses the 15-metre line.
Players from the side not throwing may jump to compete for the ball, though they must be careful not to attract a penalty for interfering with an opposing jumper. Alternatively, they may choose not to contest the line-out but to drive onto the catcher as soon as he returns to the ground. Often, when a team is awarded a line-out close to their opponent's goal-line, they will attempt to form a maul around the catcher and drive over the goal-line to score a try. In such cases, the defending team will often seek to disrupt this tactic by driving in on the catcher, taking him to ground immediately, before a maul can form.
Read more about this topic: Line-out (rugby Union)
Famous quotes containing the word laws:
“Among the laws controlling human societies there is one more precise and clearer, it seems to me, than all the others. If men are to remain civilized or to become civilized, the art of association must develop and improve among them at the same speed as equality of conditions spreads.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)
“As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.”
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—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)