LAW 6 - MATCH OFFICIALS

B. TOUCH JUDGES

BEFORE THE MATCH

1 APPOINTING TOUCH JUDGES

There are two touch judges for every match. Unless they have been appointed by or under the authority of the match organiser, each team provides a touch judge.
2 REPLACING A TOUCH JUDGE
The match organiser may nominate a person to act as a replacement for the referee or the touch judges. This person is called the reserve touch judge and stands in the perimeter area.
3 CONTROL OF TOUCH JUDGES
The referee has control over both touch judges. The referee may tell them what their duties are, and may overrule their decisions. If a touch judge is unsatisfactory the referee may ask that the touch judge be replaced. If the referee believes a touch judge is guilty of misconduct, the referee has power to send the touch judge off and make a report to the match organiser.
DURING THE MATCH

4 WHERE THE TOUCH JUDGES SHOULD BE

(a) There is one touch judge on each side of the ground. The touch judge remains in touch except when judging a kick at goal. When judging a kick at goal the touch judges stand in in-goal behind the goal posts.

(b) A touch judge may enter the playing area when reporting an offence of dangerous play or misconduct to the referee. The touch judge may do this only at the next stoppage in play.

5 TOUCH JUDGE SIGNALS
(a) Each touch judge carries a flag or something similar with which to signal decisions.

(b) Signalling result of kick at goal. When a conversion kick or a penalty kick at goal is being taken, the touch judges must help the referee by signalling the result of the kick. One touch judge stands at or behind each goal post. If the ball goes over the cross-bar and between the posts, the touch judge raises the flag to indicate a goal.

(c) Signalling touch. When the ball or the ball-carrier has gone into touch, the touch judge must hold up the flag. The touch judge must stand at the place of throw-in and point to the team entitled to throw in. The touch judge must also signal when the ball or the all ball carrier has gone into touch-in-goal.

(d) When to keep the flag raised. When the ball is thrown in, the touch judge must lower the flag, with the following exceptions:

Exception 1: When the player throwing in puts any part of either foot in the field-of-play, the touch judge keeps the flag up.

Exception 2: When the team not entitled to throw-in has done so, the touch judge keeps the flag up.

Exception 3: When, at a quick throw-in, the ball that went into touch is replaced by another ball, or after it went into or it has been touched by anyone except the player who takes the throw-in, the touch judge keeps the flag up.

(e) It is for the referee, and not the touch judge, to decide whether or not the ball was thrown in from the correct place. (f) Signalling dangerous play. A touch judge signals that dangerous play or misconduct has been seen by holding the flag horizontally and pointing infield at right angles to the touch-line.

6 AFTER SIGNALLING FOUL PLAY
A match organiser may give authority to the touch judge to signal for foul play. If a touch judge signals foul play, the touch judge must stay in touch and continue to carry out all the other duties until the next stoppage in play. The touch judge may then enter the playing area to report the offence to the referee. The referee may then take whatever action is needed. Any penalty awarded will be in accordance with the law of foul play (Law 10).

LAW 19 - TOUCH, LINIE-OUT and LINE-OUT OFF-SIDE

DEFINITIONS

‘Kicked directly into touch’ means that the ball was kicked into touch without landing on the playing area, and without touching a player or the referee.

‘The 22’ is the area between the goal-line and the 22-metre line, including the 22-metre line but excluding the goal-line.

The line-of-touch is an imaginary line in the field-of-play at right angles to the touch-line through the place where the ball is thrown in.

The ball is in touch when it is not being carried by a player and it touches the touch-line or anything or anyone on or beyond the touch-line.

The ball is in touch when a player is carrying it and the ball-carrier (or the ball) touches the touch-line or the ground beyond the touch-line.

The place where the ball-carrier (or the ball) touched or crossed the touch-line is where it went into touch.

The ball is in touch if a player catches the ball and the player has a foot on the touch-line or the ground beyond the touch-line.

If a player has one foot in the field of play and one foot in touch and holds the ball, the ball is in touch.

If the ball crosses the touch-line or touch-in-goal line, and is caught by a player who has both feet in the playing area, the ball is not in touch or touch-in-goal. Such a player may knock the ball into the playing area. If a player jumps and catches the ball, both feet must land in the playing area otherwise the ball is in touch or touch-in-goal.

A player in touch may kick or knock the ball, but not hold it, provided it has not crossed the plane of the touch-line. The plane of the touch-line is the vertical space rising immediately above the touch-line.

1 THROW-IN
NO GAIN IN GROUND
(a) Outside a team's 22, a team member kicks directly into touch. Except for a penalty kick, when a player anywhere in the playing area who is outside the 22 kicks directly into touch, there is no gain in ground. The throw-in is taken either at the place opposite where the player kicked the ball, or at the place where it went into touch, whichever is nearer that player's goal-line.

(b) Player takes ball into that team's 22. When a defending player gets the ball outside the 22, takes or puts it inside the 22, and then kicks directly into touch, there is no gain in ground.

GAIN IN GROUND
(c) Player inside that team's 22. When a defending player gets the ball inside the 22, or that player's in-goal and kicks to touch, the throw-in is where the ball went into touch.

(d) Kicks indirectly into touch. When a player anywhere in the playing area kicks indirectly into touch, so that the ball first bounces in the field-of-play, the throw-in is taken where the ball went into touch.

(e) Penalty kick. When a player kicks to touch from a penalty kick anywhere in the playing area, the throw-in is taken where the ball went into touch.

FREE KICK
(f) Outside the kicker’s 22, no gain in ground. When a free kick awarded outside the 22 goes directly into touch, the throw-in is in line with where the ball was kicked, or where it went into touch, whichever is nearer the kicker's goal-line.

(g) Inside the kicker’s 22 or in-goal, gain in ground. When a free kick is awarded in the 22 or in-goal and the kick goes directly into touch, the throw-in is where the ball went into touch.

2 QUICK THROW-IN
(a) A player may take a quick throw-in without waiting for a line-out to form.

(b) For a quick throw-in, the player may be anywhere outside the field of play between the place where the ball went into touch and the player's goal-line.

(c) A player must not take a quick throw-in after the line-out has formed. If the player does, the quick throw-in is disallowed. The same team throws in at the line out.

(d) For a quick throw-in, the player must use the ball that went into touch. If, after it went to touch and was made dead, another ball is used, or if another person has touched the ball apart from the player throwing it in, then the quick throw-in is disallowed. The same team throws in at the line-out.

(e) At a quick throw-in, if the player does not throw the ball in straight so that it travels at least 5 metres along the line-of-touch before it touches the ground or another player, or if the player steps into the field-of-play when the ball is thrown, then the quick throw-in is disallowed. The opposing team chooses to throw in at either a line-out where the quick throw-in was attempted, or a scrum on the 15-metre line at that place. If they too throw in the ball incorrectly at the line-out, a scrum is formed on the 15-metre line. The team that first threw in the ball throws in the ball at the scrum.

(f) At a quick throw-in, a player may come to the line-of-touch and leave without being penalised.

(g) At a quick throw-in, a player must not prevent the ball being thrown in 5 metres. FK

Penalty: Free Kick on 15-metre line

(h) If a player carrying the ball is forced into touch, the player must release the ball to an opposition player so that there can be a quick throw-in. PK

Penalty: Penalty Kick on 15-metre line.

3 OTHER THROW-INS
On all other occasions, the throw-in is taken where the ball went into touch.