When does the team have to be behind the kicker?

R

Robert

New member
Is it only on kickoffs? I'm new to the sport, and I think I've seen fullbacks and wings catch the ball and kick it back immediately with the rest of their team in front of them. And what about on grubbers and drop goals?
So if you kick it down field and your team is in front of you, your team pretty much has to let the other team get it and then make the tackle and continue from there (if it stays in bounds)?
 
If the ball is kicked -- any sort of kick -- then anyone who was in front of the kicker is offside. Offside players cannot advance or participate in play in any fashion. If they are within 10 metres of a potential receiver then they are also required to retreat until they are at least ten metres downfield.

The kicker himself, or anyone level with or behind him at the kick, can run forward normally and catch or compete for the kicked ball. You see that a lot (the kicker fielding his own kick) with chips, grubbers, and up-and-unders. You also see crossfield kicks, which are fielded by a teammate (usually a winger) who was onside at the kick.

Offside players are put onside, and can then run forward to contest for the ball or tackle the ball carrier, once the kicker or another onside player advances past them. Everyone is automatically placed onside once the receiving player has moved five metres or kicked or offloaded the ball.

See Law 11 ( http://www.irblaws.com/downloads/EN/Law_11_EN.pdf ) for the actual letter of the law.
 
You can be anywhere on the field, however if a player behind you kicks the ball, you are offside till they put you back onside by running past you (or another onside player running past you).

it used to be that the players in front couldn't touch the ball carrier till they were onside, now you will be penalised if you move upfield at all, as you are, by your very presence, obstructing play.
 
An easy way to rember is that in Rugby you can NEVER be infront of the ball. If you catch the ball and kick it over your teams head then they cannot chase it. So if you did catch the ball and your team is in front of you either run it HARD or kick it down field but MAKE SURE it goes OUT...


You can grubber anytime but agin only players that are behind the kicker can chase

You can drop goal when ever but again if any of your team members are in front of you they cant chase the ball.

GO HARD
 
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