1st off, coaches please buy a law book. Your game is not the same as the one played on TV by professionals, and you can’t learn the laws your team plays to on TV. And the Law book changes every year, and this years is light blue with 03-04 on it, so if you have any other color yours is out dated.
2nd, referees/coaches please read the USA guidelines in your law book that start on pg.163. Every country adjusts or clarifies laws that are appropriate to the game that is played in their country at the lower levels.
I have been getting a lot of emails asking for clarification on the options available to the receiver in a lineout.
The receiver (not to be confused with a jumper, who is at a different position) is the player who stands in the spot where the scrum half would normally be. Jumpers start in the line with the rest of the players, receivers stand out where the scrum half would be, and the real scrum half (#9) is either in the line for the lineout, or somewhere in the backline.
Options for the receiver:
1) He/she stays out and plays scrum half while the ball is thrown to one of the jumpers who is in the line with the rest of the lineout players.
2) Comes into the line for the purpose of receiving/catching the throw-in. If he/she comes into the line the throw “MUST” be to him/her. He/she can’t be used as dummy so the ball can be thrown to someone else. But he/she shouldn’t be penalized because of a bad throw by the thrower. Pg. 182 section 6.1.11
That’s it. Only 2.
Things the receiver can’t do.
1) Run back 10. No one can leave the lineout until it is over. (read the law book to find out when a lineout is over)
2) Go into the line to support a jumper. Pg. 182 section 6.1.11
3) Be a part of lineout players switching position before the ball is thrown in. A player standing in the receiver spot must stay there while that is going on.
Cheers
Mike Cobb
Chairman and Territorial referee assessor for the Southern Rugby Referee Association (SRRA)
The referee governing body for the USA Rugby South Territory Serving the Deep South, Florida, Mid South, and SouthEast referee societies/associations.
