Quick question offside rule when tackling

[starydynamo]

Hi all.

I played today and was penalised for being offside a couple of times.

I was always taught to turn the player towards your team when tackling so it's more difficult for them to pass the ball back and easier for your team to drive over.

The problem is that both times the player has been laying on my arm or on top of me after the tackle (whilst i am in an offside position) so I can't get back onside. Instead I don't interfere with the play which actually if I tried much harder I probably would However this was called offside. Is this correct by the ref? What is the correct procedure?

My other question is that when standing onside in a ruc whilst on my feet if the ball is out and the scrum half has it can reach over and grab the scrum half's arm?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

It depends. If you tackle a player and get stuck somehow, you don't have to do anything except stay there and not interfere with the breakdown.

If you tackle the player but then don't release them, that is a penalty against you.

If you tackle, get to your feet, release the player and then make a grab for the ball and the player you tackled doesn't let go, that's a penalty for your team.

If you tackle a player and then start causing problems in the ruck without having moved away first, that is a penalty against you for offside/not rolling away.

 

[goodNumber10]

yeah, sounds like you got done for Not Rolling away rather than offside.

If you tackle someone you must show that you are releasing the player and trying to move away - it can be difficult sometimes.

If you are the tackler and no one else is at the tackle area you may get to your feet and play the ball from any position, otherwise you have to leave the breakdown get onside (behind the rear feet of your side) and come back through the gate (width of the tackle).

As for the ruck, if the 9 has the ball you can come through from an onside position and tackle him, if the ball is out you can come from onside and play it, you can't reach over and slap the ball down.

To be honest it's one of those areas you'll never get two answers the same on, you can read the laws but they will still be interpreted differently by different people, and to be fair, i've played for over 35 years and i'm still unsure of some of the tackle laws I think if you're unsure it's better to not do something and make yourself useful elsewhere (i.e. defend the side of the break down or counter ruck)

 

[starydynamo]

Thanks for the reply.

Basically it's the top scenario more often than most but the ref blaims me because it generally creates a stale mate and wants to blow for something!

How about if the player turns towards you and the ball gets sandwiched in between you and u can't move and don't touch the ball?