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Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Sport

Options - Spoiled for Choice

By Neville Hopkins
Whanganui Chronicle·
1 Jul, 2016 10:09 AM5 mins to read

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Neville Hopkins logo WGP 20Jun15 - WGP 04Jul15 - WGP 11Jul15 - WGP 18Jul15 - WGP 25Jul15 - WGP 01Aug15 - WGP 08Aug15 - WGP 15Aug15 - WGP 22Aug15 - WGP 29Aug15 -

Neville Hopkins logo WGP 20Jun15 - WGP 04Jul15 - WGP 11Jul15 - WGP 18Jul15 - WGP 25Jul15 - WGP 01Aug15 - WGP 08Aug15 - WGP 15Aug15 - WGP 22Aug15 - WGP 29Aug15 -

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During a game of rugby, a referee has a multitude of decisions to make regarding how the players are playing the game, according to the laws of the game.

And each team, and more precisely, each captain, also has to make a number of decisions in the way of options offered in law for infringements by their opponents.

Before the game begins, the captains make the coin toss and here are the first options, or choices.

The winner of the toss gets to choose to either kick off or decide which end to defend.

Often, the captain winning the toss wants to receive the kick off so they can have the ball to play with, but this is not an option.

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The game starts with the kick off. If the ball is kicked off by the wrong type of kick or is taken from the wrong place, the opposing team have two options - to have the ball kicked off again or have a scrum on the centre of halfway.

If the ball does not travel 10m the non-kicking team can choose to play it, in which case play continues, or not play it and have the option of another kick off or scrum back on halfway with their team putting the ball in.

If the ball is kicked out on the full, the non-kicking team have three options.

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They can ask the kicker's team to kick off again, take the scrum at halfway, or they can accept the kick in which case the lineout would be on the halfway line as it was kicked out on the full from outside the 22m line.

There is a further option here - if they take the lineout option they can elect to take a quick throw-in from anywhere between where the ball went out and where the lineout would take place on the halfway line.

In reality, most captains choose the scrum option, but next year those options won't exist - the non-kicking team will receive a free kick at the centre of halfway.

The rulings for a restart on the 22m line are the same as for a kick off, with the addition of one further option.

If the ball does not reach the 22m line when kicked, the non-kicker's team have the option of a re-kick or a scrum on the centre of the 22m line, regardless of where it was kicked off from on the 22 metre line.

In general play if a player is offside by being in front of the kicker when the kick is made (and is not put back onside) the opponents have the option of taking a penalty where the player is observed offside, or they can take a scrum back where the ball was kicked.

This is often the better option if a penalty kick at goal is not likely.

If a ball is knocked on or thrown forward and subsequently goes into touch the non-infringing team have the option of taking the lineout where the ball went into touch, or a scrum at the place of infringement.

Probably the most well-known option, and one that everyone understands, is when the ball is not thrown straight into the lineout.

The non-throwing team can choose to then throw the ball into the lineout themselves, or take a scrum 15m infield on the line-of -touch.

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The choice usually depends on the relative strengths of the team's scrum and lineout.

At all penalty and free kicks the non-infringing team has the option of a scrum instead of the kick, and you see the scrum option being taken more often these days, especially when the mark for the kick is near the goal line, or when the kicker's team have a dominant scrum.

In general play, if a kicker is late-charged or tackled after kicking the ball, the kicker's team have the option of a penalty at the place where the ball was kicked or where it lands.

If the ball lands in touch or within the 15m line from touch, then the penalty kick is awarded on the 15m line and not where it landed.

If the ball is kicked from the field of play and travels in-goal (without having been touched by a player) and then goes over the dead ball line or a touch in-goal line, then the non-kicking team have the option of a drop out kick on the 22m line or a scrum back where the ball was kicked.

If the ball goes in-goal from the kick off (or a restart from the 22m line) the defending team have the three options.

They can choose to ground the ball, to make it dead (by kicking it over the dead ball line or a touch-in-goal line) or they can elect to play on.

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If they choose to ground the ball or make it dead by kicking it beyond the dead ball area or over a touch in-goal line, they then have the option of giving the opponents another kick off or taking a scrum back on halfway (or 22m) line.

However, they must ground it or make it dead immediately, otherwise they are deemed to have played on.

If they subsequently ground it in In Goal the only option they then have is a drop out on the 22m line.

And so the game goes on.

There are further examples of options available to non-infringing teams but the above are the most common examples. Seems like enough anyway.

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