When is a Tackle Voluntary?

[Crusher]

Incidentally..something that I've been curious about for a long while. Why do we not see Union style kick offs in league. You only see it when a team is desperate in the final minutes and half the time they do get the ball back.

It surely can;t be a yardage thing as in union some of these kick offs are met at around the 25-30 metre line!

 

[Iafeta]

I don't know - I reckon just as smart a move if you can get it right is a skimming grubber that speeds over the sideline. Guaranteed scrum feed if you get it right.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Incidentally..something that I've been curious about for a long while. Why do we not see Union style kick offs in league. You only see it when a team is desperate in the final minutes and half the time they do get the ball back.

It surely can;t be a yardage thing as in union some of these kick offs are met at around the 25-30 metre line!

Because unlike in union league teams don't have specialist lineout jumpers who can safely secure possession from the kick-off.

 

[B-dos]

And if it became the norm the team receiving the ball would position themselves much like the do it Union and therefore the success rate would be significantly reduced.

 

[hrundi99]

Someone may know better - but you are allowed to dive at the feet trying to get back into the field of play from your own in goal. That is written into the rules.

I'm talking about diving and then staying there without a defender touching you.

 

[B-dos]

The thing is, how long does the defender have to stand there looking stupid before the ref calls a penalty. IMO the penalty should be called as soon a a player dives or lays on the ground. Hodgson's was about as obvious a voluntary tackle as ive seen in a long time.

 

[Inferno]

Incidentally..something that I've been curious about for a long while. Why do we not see Union style kick offs in league. You only see it when a team is desperate in the final minutes and half the time they do get the ball back.

It surely can;t be a yardage thing as in union some of these kick offs are met at around the 25-30 metre line!

They also start with a drop kick as opposed to kicking from a tee. Its a lot harder to get right from a tee.

Im surprised Pat Richards didn't try that grubber that he did last year which hit the ground and bouced like 10m in the air over the sideline.

 

[TiLLs]

I've seen it many times this year. Whether or not a deffending player puts a hand on him or not doesn't really matter.

You see it all the time when a player with the ball dives onto the ground. The defenders then put thier hands up in the air, so the attacker starts crawling forward, so the defender has to put a hand on him to stop him going forward, therefore cancelling the voluntary tackle.

 

[B-dos]

I've seen it many times this year. Whether or not a deffending player puts a hand on him or not doesn't really matter.

You see it all the time when a player with the ball dives onto the ground. The defenders then put thier hands up in the air, so the attacker starts crawling forward, so the defender has to put a hand on him to stop him going forward, therefore cancelling the voluntary tackle.

Exactly, which is why the ref should call the voluntary tackle as soon as the player dives on the ground.

 

[hrundi99]

Exactly, which is why the ref should call the voluntary tackle as soon as the player dives on the ground.

No, it should be called after a few seconds of the player obviously not making any attempt to continue moving forward.

 

[B-dos]

No, it should be called after a few seconds of the player obviously not making any attempt to continue moving forward.

Well that is what is supposed to happen now, but never does. As soon as the 'few' seconds expire, the player on the ground makes a feeble attempt to move forward, the defender puts a finger on him and the ref calls tackle. The rule simply does not work in this form.

 

[hrundi99]

Well that is what is supposed to happen now, but never does. As soon as the 'few' seconds expire, the player on the ground makes a feeble attempt to move forward, the defender puts a finger on him and the ref calls tackle. The rule simply does not work in this form.

It's a simple case of the referees not being diligent with the application of the rules.

 

[B-dos]

Does a 'few' seconds mean three seconds? It seems fairly vague to me. If the rule is to work efficiently they need clearer guidelines.

IMO if someone dives on the ground with no one touching him it is a voluntary tackle right there.