Quote:
Originally Posted by bellnier
I'll ask my referee friends if they know. The current law allowing tacklers to pick up the ball even whilst they are on the wrong side certainly leads to ping-pong kicking, for obvious reasons, in open play.
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That's the current law? Then that's no more than the repeal of the provision that came in about a decade ago, requiring a player to come from onside to be first to play the ball after a tackle, and requiring that it be done from directly on that side. Under that rule, if you were tackled and placed the ball behind you, an opponent had to step directly over you to get to the ball legally. And if you were the fullback with no help behind you, your teammates also had to step over you to be first to play the ball!