Rule: knock on without playing at the ball

[SnowDragon]

A knock is defined as
“means to knock the ball forward towards the opponents’ dead ball line with hand or arm while playing at the ball.“

but it is possible to accidentally knock on.

an Accidental strike is
“when a ball strikes a player who makes no attempt to play at the ball.“

Q: what is the difference between an accidental knock on and an accidental strike?

there was a pass that hit Sims arm on the weekend while he was passing, and also there was Birds effort prior to the Ramsey no-try. These were classed as knock ons, but clearly neither was intentional.

Does this mean you can pass into an opponents forearms to get 6 again?

Sorry, but I have been away from Aus for a while and I’m missing some nuances and couldn’t find with a search

 

[kit66]

I can't help you with any definite rulings and it seens the refs can't either. It's a very grey area and the decisions by the refs in most cases seem totally arbitrary. Any knock on, played at or not seems to be pulled up. Also the call on whether the ball goes forward or behind a player is a raffle most of the time.

 

[chrisD]

Not sure if this is what you're talking about, but, because it was so difficult to referee the tackler's intent in knocking down a ball or not, they decided some time ago that every time a player coming in making a tackle knocks forward the ball being passed they'd call it a knock on, regardless of their intention to hit the ball or not.

 

[Adolf_Spritzer]

I remember a game back in 06 against the storm at Kogarah. Ryan Hoffman had a ball passed into his chest that propelled it forward, he ran through and kicked it and a few passes later Matt King scored in the corner. The video ref spent 5 minutes looking for a way to disallow it because everyone could see it wasnt a try in the 'spirit of the game', but because there wasnt a rule Hoffman technically didn't knock the ball on and the try was awarded. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm positive that was the catalyst for the 'unintentional knock on' rule being brought into place.

Tldr; Accidental knock on - ball propelling forward off the arm/hand while not playing at it

Accidental strike - ball propelled forward by chest/torso/head

Slaters try in origin where he kneed through a ball suggests anything below the belt is considered a kick, intentional or not

All to do with the ball in the attackers hands though, I'm not sure how they police defenders.. and I don't think they know how either with the Sims ruling

 

[Slippery Morris]

They have made such a simple rule so grey as it never was when I watched the game growing up. Guys would juggle the ball and re-gather and as long as he maintained possession was not called a knock on. The ball literally had to touch the ground to be called a knock on. Now as soon as the ball moves a little from your hand and it if slightly touches another player it is a knock on. I saw an incident where a player had 2 hands on the ball, then one slipped but the other hand was clearly in possession of the ball which was up against his chest, and it was a knock on. The player still had possession of the ball.

Refs are so pedantic when it comes to knockon's, yet people that you can see clear as daylight do stuff in tackles to delay, are let go.

 

[Gareth67]

Well all I can say is may the good lawd watch over every opponent of Melbourne , because you can bet pounds to peanuts that Bellamy ( even as I write ) is already perfecting a method where his players will have a dozen hands latching onto the ball carrier .

 

[RedV Resurgence]

What gets my goat is this week we will likely see a refereeing decision where a knock on is not called as the referee deems the player did not play at the ball hence its not a knock on.

The benefit of the doubt will likely be Melbourne or Roosters.

Really, the refereeing standard has been way below the standard required for a professional game.

 

[Slippery Morris]

I actually think the refs are ok most of the time, it is the Video Refs who slow the ball down and look for any possible angle to see if the ball has slightly brushed a player or left a players hand. They have the final say when it comes to tries unfortunately.

Saints were robbed a try when the ref blew the whistle to allow the try only to be over ruled because the video ref was 100% certain that the ball went forward and not back from Jack Bird's forearm. Probably the only person on the planet that thought it was 100% forward and he had the power to overturn the decision unfortunately. Probably the same guy that said Dufty did not ground the ball last year in the Sharks game. Geez Sharks get the rub of the green every time we play them.

 

[blacksafake]

I recall Wade Graham knocking the ball out of one of our players hands the other night & the ref called loose carry, play on.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

I recall Wade Graham knocking the ball out of one of our players hands the other night & the ref called loose carry, play on.

A lot of things seem to go Wades way. He’s the Cam Smith of 2021.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Another dud call by the Video ref taking away a Warriors try saying he had lost possession. Luckily they scored in the next set but it cost them a few mins and they ended up losing by a try.

The Warriors player had possession with one ok his hands the whole time but the other may have slightly moved because of the tackler. Shocker. New rules give Video's refs so much power now which is wrong. Before only tries sent upstairs were looked at, now all are so they can pick and choose. Patten will have a field day with Saints when he is in the box.

 

[Slackboy72]

A lot of things seem to go Wades way. He’s the Cam Smith of 2021.

He was in the ear of the ref every break in play last night.
You'd love it if it was your captain but they need to put captains who do that in the bin.

 

[Gareth67]

He was in the ear of the ref every break in play last night.
You'd love it if it was your captain but they need to put captains who do that in the bin.

Your right about that Slackboy , with these new rules it’s a free-for-all , whomever is the quickest and perhaps smartest , will get away with blue murder now .

The refs happy enough to go along with them , as they always have the bunker ‘lucky-dip’ to back their decisions - right or wrong .

 

[Slippery Morris]

Having Wade in the refs ear all game may be a tactic to slow the game a bit. He looks like a ref's nightmare. He does not stop talking either, there was one point the ref tried so hard to get him to stop and he kept going.