1957-58

682
RUGBY
LAW
18
(3) (a)
and
(b).
The Referee
must
also enforce Law
18
(3) strictly. In that case,
also, no question arises as to the players' intentions or as to whether
or not he remains in the off-side position. If he is off-side he must
be penalised at once unless Law io
(15)
as to advantage applies.
LAW
18
(2) and
(3).
In connection with the Laws as to off-side when a scrummage
or a line-out is taking place, the Referee should note :—
(a)
The line of the ball and the line through the place where the
ball went into touch stretch continuously from touch-line to touch-
line and apply to
all
players.
(b)
After the ball has been correctly brought into play a penalty
for off-side should not be given " at once " if the non-
offending team gains an advantage or if it appears likely
to gain an advantage. If the expected advantage is not
gained, the penalty should in all cases be awarded, even if
the Referee is obliged to bring play back for that purpose
to the place of infringement.
LAW i
8.—
General.
When a player knocks-on and an off-side player of the same team
next plays the ball a penalty for off-side should be awarded, subject,
however, to Law
10
(z 5) as to advantage.
A penalty for off-side should in no case be awarded if the non-
offending team gains an advantage greater than the potential advant-
age from the penalty kick. The Referee is the sole judge of whether
such an advantage has been gained, but he should be sure that the
advantage is definite and not merely an opportunity to gain an
advantage (See Note on Law io (z5)).
Under Law
18 (2)
and (3) a penalty for off-side should be awarded
if the non-offending team does not gain an advantage, even though
the off-side has no effect on the play.
LAW i g (c).
—On-Side.
If the ball after being kicked, accidentally touches an opponent,
off-side players of the kicker's team are not thereby put on-side.
If, on the contrary, a player attempts to charge down a kick and the
ball touches any part of his body, off-side players of the opposing
team are put on-side.
LAW
2o.—
Charging and Obstruction.
An off-side player wilfully running or standing in front of another
of his team who is in possession of the ball, thereby preventing an
opponent from reaching the latter player, should be penalised for
obstruction. Similarly, a penalty kick for obstruction should be
given if a player with the ball shields himself behind one of his own
team.
See last paragraph
of
Note on Law
15.
LAW
20
(d).
In the italicised paragraph of the Law the words " not in the
scrummage " apply to a loose scrummage. Referees should be
§ure
that
a
loose scrummage has definitely been formed.