Disciplinary offences
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Game Area | Offence | Action | Sanction | Card? | Reason for offence |
Passing / Catching | Knock on | Ball goes forward off the hands due to a Handling error | Scrum awarded to the opposition where the ball was spilled | None | Poor Handling |
Deliberate knock on | Ball goes forward off the hands after a failed interception attempt | Penalty from where the ball came off the hand | Yellow Card | Blitz defence being played and poor Handling | |
Forward pass | Ball goes forward from a pass | Scrum awarded to the opposition where the pass attempt was made | None | Poor Handling | |
Passing into touch | Ball is deliberately thrown off the pitch | Penalty from where the ball was thrown from | None | This never happened in practice but aded for completeness | |
Scrum | Early pushing | One side starts pushing before the ball has entered the scrum | Free kick (multiple offences in the same game will lead to a penalty) | None | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) |
Illegal wheel | Turning the scrum to relief the pressure | Penalty from where the scrum was taking place | None | A weaker scrum (Strength) is more likely to try to wheel the scrum | |
Not straight or parallel to the ground | Choosing a body position to prevent a stronger opponent from pushing your scrum backwards | Penalty from where the scrum was taking place | None | A weaker scrum (Strength) is more likely to try to not push straight or parallel to the ground | |
Releasing bind too early | One of the players in the scrum (P,H,P) leaving before the ball is out | Penalty from where the scrum was taking place | None | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) | |
Feed not straight | Scrum half puts the ball into the scrum closer to his own team rather than in the middle | Free kick (multiple offences in the same game will lead to a penalty) | None | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) | |
Tackle | Dangerous tackle | Making contact with the ball carrier in a way likely to cause injury (eg - their standing leg which could cause a fracture) | Penalty from where the tackle was made | Red card (unless there is some form of mitigation, in which case a yellow card is shown) | Overeagerness (too much Aggression); Poor Tackling |
High tackle | Making contact with the head of an opponent | Penalty from where the tackle was made | Red card (unless there is some form of mitigation, in which case a yellow card is shown) | Overeagerness (too much Aggression); Poor Tackling | |
Not wrapping | Not wrapping arms around a tackled player (i.e. shoulder charging them) | Penalty from where the tackle was made | Yellow Card | Overeagerness (too much Aggression); Poor Tackling | |
Late tackle | Tackling a player after they have already passed or kicked the ball | Penalty from where the tackle was made or where the ball lands - whichever is closest to their opponent’s try line | None | Overeagerness (too much Aggression); Poor Tackling | |
Tackling off the ball | Tackling or holding any player who doesn’t have the ball | Penalty from where the tackle was made | Normally none but Yellow Card if a try scoring opportunity is prevented | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) | |
Ruck | Not releasing the ball | The tackled player not letting go of the ball once they are on the ground | Penalty from where the tackle was made | None | Nothing specific, it usually happens when the player knows they are going to be jackalled |
Sealing off | Entering the ruck and placing your hands on the ground in front of the ball to prevent an opponent from reaching it | Penalty from where the tackle was made | Normally none but Yellow Card for a defending team within 5m of their try line or a defending team within 22m from their try line who are committing there third offence | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) | |
Not releasing the tackled player | The tackler not letting go of the tackled player (so they can release the ball) before attempting to jackal | Penalty from where the tackle was made or where the ball lands - whichever is closest to their opponent’s try line | Normally none but Yellow Card for a defending team within 5m of their try line or a defending team within 22m from their try line who are committing there third offence | Overeagerness (too much Aggression); Poor Tackling | |
Offside | Not standing behind the ruck until after the ball is played | Penalty from where the offending player is standing | Normally none but Yellow Card for a defending team within 5m of their try line or a defending team within 22m from their try line who are committing there third offence | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) | |
Jumping | Taking the player out in the air | Not waiting until a player has landed before touching them | Penalty from where the touch was made | None if the player lands on their feet. Yellow Card if the player lands safely but not on their feet. Red card if they land on their head | Overeagerness (too much Aggression); Poor Jumping |
Line Out | Throw not straight | Throw in is closer to the thrower’s team | Scrum awarded to the opposition 5m in from where the line out was taken | None | Poor Handling |
Tackling the catcher before he lands | Not waiting until a player has landed before touching them | Penalty from where the touch was made | None if the player lands on their feet. Yellow Card if the player lands safely but not on their feet. Red card if they land on their head | Overeagerness (too much Aggression); Poor Jumping | |
Dummy throw | Thrower feints before throwing | Scrum awarded to the opposition 5m in from where the line out was taken | None | Nothing specific | |
Running | Obstruction | Player without the ball changes their running line to impede an opponent trying to make a tackle or chasing a loose ball | Penalty from where the offending player obstructed their opponent | Normally none but Yellow Card if a try scoring opportunity is prevented | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) |
Crossing | Running in front of a teammate with the ball to prevent an opponent tackling them | Penalty from where the crossing occurred | None | Poor Footwork | |
Offside | Chasing or attempting to chase a ball that has been kicked forward by a teammate standing closer to your own try line | Penalty from where the kick took place | None | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) | |
Accidental offside | Touching a ball that has been knocked on by a teammate standing closer to your own try line | Penalty from where the offending player is standing | None | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) | |
Miscellaneous | Tripping | Tripping an opponent at any time | Penalty from where the trip took place | Yellow Card | Overeagerness (too much Aggression) |
Punching | Striking an opponent at any time | Penalty from where the punch was thrown | Red Card | Too much Aggression | |
Abusive behaviour | Verbally abusing an opponent or match official | Penalty from where the offending player is standing | Normally none but Yellow Card if considered offensive and red Card if directed towards a match official | Too much Aggression |