A clarification from USA Rugby and World Rugby:

1. If a player is part of the ruck he may attempt to kick the ball:
   1. If he makes contact with a player on the ground which results in foul play, the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.
   2. If he kicks the ball out of the scrumhalf’s hands the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.
2. If a player is not part of the ruck and then steps over or comes around the side of the ruck and kicks the ball:
   1. PK and possibly suspension.
   2. If he makes contact with a player on the ground which results in foul play, the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.
   3. If he kicks the ball out of the scrumhalf’s hands the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.

USA Rugby has adopted the 2016 World Rugby law clarifications.

“The major adjustments are the ball carrier in a maul may no longer slide to the back of the maul, the ball has to be handed back, and a scrum wheeled through 90º will no longer be a turnover, the original team will put the ball into the reset scrum”, says USA Rugby High Performance Referee Manager, Richard Every. “In Law 8, Advantage, it no longer states that a collapsed scrum needs to be stopped immediately, that the referee may play advantage, however, we encourage referees to always consider safety as the main priority, especially as this amendment is to support continuity in top professional rugby.”

[Read more…]