The forward pass or knock on law is in reality not a complicated one, so you might ask why there is such controversy about when a ball is passed forward or not.
The problem comes in when real world situations affect the literal meaning of the law. What I mean by that is the law of physics.
We are all aware of the fact when you pass or shoot an object or projectile perpendicular to the direction in which a vehicle is moving, the mass of the object and the momentum of the moving object prior to the release will naturally force the object or projectile to continue moving or drifting forward.
In order for a rugby ball not to move or drift forward, the player will have to compensate for the momentum of the ball, any pass that is delivered ‘flat’ will and can be deemed as a forward pass.
When the player delivering the ball continues to move forward, the ball will look like it has been delivered backwards, however the forward motion of the ball is more pronounced when the deliverer of the ball has been stopped in his tracks
Unfortunately in match situations, it is impossible to stop the match after every move to assess forward motion of a rugby ball.
Here is the law currently as it stands at the IRB:
LAW 12, DEFINITION
A knock-on occurs when a player loses possession of the ball and it goes forward, or when a player hits the ball forward with the hand or arm, or when the ball hits the hand or arm and goes forward, and the ball touches the ground or another player before the original player can catch it.
‘Forward’ means towards the opposing team’s dead-ball line.
EXCEPTION CHARGE DOWN.
If a player charges down the ball as an opponent kicks it, or immediately after the kick, it is not a knock-on even though the ball may travel forward.
DEFINITION OF THROW FORWARD.
A throw forward occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward. ‘Forward’ means towards the opposing team’s dead ball line.
OUTCOME OF A THROW FORWARD
(a) Unintentional knock-on or throw forward. A scrum is awarded at the place of infringement.
(b) Unintentional knock-on or throw forward at a lineout. A scrum is awarded 15 metres from the touchline.
(c) Knock-on or throw forward into the in-goal. If an attacking player knocks-on or throws-forward in the field of play and the ball goes into the opponents’ in-goal and it is made dead there, a scrum is awarded where the knock-on or throw forward happened.
(d) Knock-on or throw forward inside the in-goal. If a player of either team knocks-on or throws-forward inside the in-goal, a 5-metre scrum is awarded in line with the place of infringement not closer than five metres from the touchline.
(e) Intentional knock or throw forward. A player must not intentionally knock the ball forward with hand or arm, nor throw forward. Sanction: Penalty kick. A penalty try must be awarded if the offence prevents a try that would probably otherwise have been scored.
We have all heard about the observation of what the hands did in the pass, and the interpretation of a forward pass should start here.
1. Did the player pass the ball backwards with his leading arm, in other words, if you pass to your left, what was the direction of the motion in your right hand? It is impossible to throw a ball forward if your leading hand is going in a backwards motion.
2. Was the receiver of the ball behind, even if only a few millimetres, the player passing the ball?
Now this has a lot of significance due to the fact that when and of the receiver of the pass is behind the player who delivers the ball, the receiver has not yet breached the defensive line and therefor has not gained an unfair advantage over his defender.
In my opinion if these two additions are brought into the interpretation of the forward pass, it will eliminate and accommodate the momentum that is innate in any forward moving object.
So if a television match official has to make a decision in regards to a forward pass or possible forward pass, he needs to look at only two criteria and remove the motion of the ball out of the equation.
If the motion of the passer’s hands were in a backwards motion, he has complied to the law, if the receiver is behind the passer, he has complied to the law.
Hence a forward pass cannot be ruled.
SImple Rugby Fan
Guest
Totally agree ...
Theodore Arnold
Guest
Once again we have taken the forward pass and complicated the hell out of it. Bottom line and solution is called degrees. If a ball is thrown into a line out and it is thrown any where or drifts off the horizontal by means of the wind or hand it is regarded as skew. A forward pass is simple, if the ball leaves a payers hand and lands into another players hands where the angle is greater than 0 degrees to the horizontal the ball is forward. So even if the player is in front of the player passing the ball, as long as the ball does on move over the horizontal. We are creating more problems, because eventually the TMO will have to decide if the pass from the hand was backward, what if there is spin put on the ball, what if there is wind, has the player used his wrist. As you can see the list starts becoming end less. Simple: If the ball leave a hand and moves over the horizontal into another hand the pass is forward-FINISH.
delboy29
Guest
#simplerugbyfan You say 'if the ball moves towards the opponents try line following the pass then it’s forward. Surely it’s that simple.' No, no no! This is the definition in the Laws: "A throw forward occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward. ‘Forward’ means towards the opposing team’s dead ball line." The key point is that the act of 'throwing or passing' must not be in a forward direction. Where the ball ends up relative to where it was passed is irrelevant, hence the scrutiny of how the hands delivered the ball. Every single pass given by a player in forward motion goes 'forward' - that's the laws of physics! We'd never have a game if you interpreted the law your way.
Rodders1515
Guest
The interpretation of a forward pass should start at the law. The law in question is very ambiguous, does the word forward refer to the words throws or passes or does it refer to the ball (the word that immediately precedes it). My interpretation is that it refers to the latter so even if the pass is backwards if the ball has moved towards the opposing goal line the pass is forward. Irb have produced a video to allow momentum, us helpfully though they have not made any clarifications to law 12 other than to knock ons. An extract from the irb's own beginners guide to rugby states: A player may pass (throw the ball) to a team mate who is in a better position to continue the attack, but the pass must not travel towards the opposing team’s goal line. It must travel either directly across the field, or back in the direction of the passer’s own goal line. This doesn't refer to the ball only the pass but any beginner will assume that it is the direction of travel of the ball that matters. The irb needs to rewrite the law to make it clear that momentum is allowed and the direction of the pass rather than the ball is key, or they need to remove contradictory videos that go against the laws of the game.
Simple rugby fan
Guest
You seem to be making it all too complicated, if the ball moves towards the opponents try line following the pass then it's forward. Surely it's that simple.
Shop
Guest
Sorry, should have said 'stopped dead after passing the ball'. But, as mentioned, it was line ball. To me a decision this close is better left to the judgement of the ref who is on the field who is moving with the play and not be over anylized byt the TMO.
abnutta
Guest
Thank you for posting that. I'm surprised its not referred to more often with it being a production of total rugby and therefore a production of the irb. This is the definitive interpretation if the forward pass law IMO. It's why I had no problem with the Higginbotham try because I had seen this video before the Super Rugby season started.
Jerry
Guest
As an aside, the no try call against the Boks in the RWC 1/4 was one of the more obvious cases of the passer's momentum being halted creating the impression of a forward pass.
Jerry
Guest
More to the point, I don't see how he imparted any backwards velocity on the ball considering where his hands were and how they moved when he flicked the ball on. As you say, his hands were behind and to the side of the ball - so, in the absence of a Shane Warne style flick of the wrist, to pass the ball backwards, the hand on the side would have to noticeably move in a backwards direction, surely? At best it was flat, but considering the direction of the hands I'd have called it forward.
Jerry
Guest
I have seen that a bit. I've also seen people throw very flat or often forward passes while crabbing across the field (Cooper & Genia are very good at this) which are attributed to momentum when the passer had little if any forward momentum.
mpm
Guest
If he was stopped dead it was miles forward, as the ball had inherited no velocity. I've just gone and watched the replays, and the side-on shot shows: - When he passed the ball he was actually in the air moving foward - The ball naturally traveled well forward of the point it was passed - Coopers hands were on one side and behind the ball, and he used a basketball style action to pass I find it hard to tell whether the hand that was behind the ball imparted any extra forward velocity on the ball. Part of me thinks it must have because of where it was, and that he did use both hands to propel the ball, but I can't see it clearly in the replay. I'd say with a different hand position the result might have been different.
Neuen
Roar Rookie
I think its hard to throw it forward with your hands pointing backwards. Nothing wrong with the call that was made.
josh
Roar Rookie
This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=box08lq9ylg
Cantab
Guest
Also this is often over played, eg if the player has just bumped off a tackle and is pretty much at a stand still. The craziest stuff is when it's applied to a half back passing from the back of a ruck,( see blues v'tahs) there is no momentum when you are stationary!!
蜘王
Guest
one of the problems are the commentators that fail to grasp the rule. Look at what that dropkick Tony Johnson does on his Reunion show. He regularly shows lines on the screen for where it was passed from and where it was caught. Idiot! It doesn't matter if it floats forward. All that matters is whether or not the passer passed it back (ie, the direction of the hands)
bill
Guest
Good stuff. I really like number 2. In your number 1, I think sometihng about relative to the players body should be added. The arms, like the ball, may travel forwards relative to the ground.
Bunyip
Guest
Very interesting. I have noticed over the years a, a number of situations where the passer has passed the ball flat or slightly towards his own goalposts, but in the action of passing has moved across field and slightly backwards, and so is well behind the ball receiver, when he receives the ball, and giving the impression of a forward pass, when in fact it is totally legal. And the player has then been incorrectly penalised, because of the optical illusion. Happens quite a bit.
I don't mind the TMO being used for suspected forward passes, but all I expect is that the correct decision must be made. We all just want a fair contest.
Shop
Guest
Maybe, but you have hit on a very good point in the article. I posted not long ago that the TMO shouldn't be ruling on forward passes because they aren't moving with the flow of the game like the on field ref is. Camera angles can easlily give the wrong impression. To me there was nothing wrong with Morahan's try, but because QC was stopped dead while passing the ball it looked like the pass was miles forward. I think the refs this year are starting to refer to the TMO after almost every try because of the 'just in case factor', which isn't good. TMO's should rule on foul play, tries and the imediate lead up to a try.
Maybe I assumed too much there, eh Shop?