Rugby union is a popular spectator sport watched by over 405 million spectators around the world. However, if you are new to the sport, you may be wondering what the rules are for playing. For example, can you get up after being tackled?
After being tackled, you may not get up while keeping possession of the ball. Instead, you must release the ball and roll away or at least attempt to roll away from it. Only when you have released the ball and rolled away from it are you then allowed to stand up again and continue playing.
Knowing the rules after being tackled in rugby is essential if you want to understand the game and how the rules work. Therefore, we will explain the rules and expectations of each player when a tackle occurs. We’ll also discuss what constitutes a tackle, as many people get confused with this as well.
Can You Get Up And Run After Being Tackled In Rugby Union?
When watching rugby, you’ll notice that many tackles occur during the game. A tackle is when a player forces another to the ground by running into them and pulling them down. In rugby, you can only tackle the player who carries the ball at that time. Furthermore, you must release the player once they have fallen to the ground.
The player who gets tackled must also release the ball as soon as they are on the ground. In addition, they must actively attempt to roll away from the ball when a scrum forms over it. They can only get up and continue playing when they have released the ball and rolled away.
If there is no contest over the ball, the tackled player may get up at once and pick the ball up once more to continue the game. Therefore, while you can get up after being tackled in rugby, you must first release the ball.
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Rugby League Tackled Player Rules
Just be aware that we are talking about rugby union in this article. Rugby league is a completely different story. In fact in rugby league the rules are almost completely opposite. When a player is tackled they must hold onto the ball at all costs.
The tackled player on the ground will then wriggle and writhe around on the floor in an attempt to remove the tackled players from their body and get up as quickly as possible.
Once they have gotten up off the floor they will then roll the ball backwards between their legs using the heel of their foot where a supporting player will pass the ball away.
In effect this takes away the competition for the ball at the ruck/breakdown, and it is this lack of competition for the ball that is the main difference between rugby league and rugby union in terms of what happens when a player is tackled.
What Should The Tackled Player Do In Rugby Union After A Tackle?
The exact process a tackled player must follow after being tackled depends on how the play is structured. First, a tackled player must release, push, or pass the ball in any direction, except forward, when they have been tackled. Then, the tackled player must move away from the ball by rolling away or getting up so they don’t obstruct other players from reaching the ball.
You’ll often see tackled players putting their hands in the air to show that they aren’t holding onto the ball or obstructing it in any way. Once the tackled player has released the ball, he can get up and continue playing by either contesting for the ball or setting up to receive it.
Sometimes a player will get tackled and none of his team mates are around him. Whilst this player should release the ball and allow the opposition to steal the ball they will often hold onto the ball on the floor.
This will usually result in the referee awarding the opposition a penalty and possibly giving a yellow card to the player holding onto the ball if it prevented the opposition from having a try scoring opportunity.
This is one of the reasons that having extremely fit back row players (numbers 6, 7 and 8) who can run around the pitch and get to the tackled player first is crucial for success in any game of rugby.
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What Constitutes A Tackle In Rugby?
A tackle in rugby occurs when one or more players bring the player holding the ball to the ground. The ball carrier is tackled when one or both knees are on the ground or when he is lying on the ground. As soon as one knee hits the ground, the ball carrier is considered tackled and must release the ball immediately.
This means that the ball carrier isn’t required to lie flat on the ground for him to be considered tackled. Once the tackled player hits the ground, the tacklers must release him. Then, the game will continue when one member from either team retrieves the ball and continues to the next phase.
The tackler must also make an attempt to wrap the person they are tackling, i.e grab their opponent with their hands in some way. The tackler cannot simply hit their opponent with a shoulder without attempting to wrap.
This is deemed foul play as it is extremely dangerous and whilst exciting to watch it is banned from both rugby league and rugby union due to safety concerns.
Players that do shoulder charge or refuse to wrap during a tackle will, depending on the severity of this hit, be given at least a yellow card, or sometimes a red card if it is a hit to the neck/head area. A ban of a few games may also follow.
Conclusion
A rugby player may get up and continue playing after being tackled. However, he must first release the ball and move away from it to prevent obstructing other players. Then, he can get up and resume playing by grabbing the ball or setting himself up to retrieve it
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Image Credits
USO-Gloucester Rugby – 20141025 – Ruck 2014 – Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
USO – UBB – 20150829 – Ruck, 2015 – Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
