Commentators who don't understand the HTB rule

[Vader]

The umpires showed they didn't know the prior oppertunity rule when the rule was introduced for bounces, ruckmen would successfully dispose of the ball as soon as they were caught and would be pinged holding the ball. Frustrated the hell out of me.

This is the correct interpretation. If a ruckman takes the ball directly out of the ruck and gets tackled it's HTB, whether or not they attempt to dispose of it.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Ok but we were promised a prior opportunity rule and what we got is a holding the ball rule. This is different to prior opportunity in every other part of the ground.

Is the rule actually written differently?

EDIT: also a proper tackle wasn't neccessary either, just had to touch the ruckman.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Had a look through the current laws of the game and Spirit of the laws pdf and there is no mention of prior opportunity being different for a ruckmen as to any other player, maybe this has changed.

We all know that a player taking the ball out of the ruck has had prior opportuinity, but every other player will not be called holding the ball if they successfully dispose of the ball imediately.

Umpires these days are ruling on it just like any other prior opportunity decision. I guess you are saying there was a rule change after it was initially introduced?

 

[cmndstab]

This is the correct interpretation. If a ruckman takes the ball directly out of the ruck and gets tackled it's HTB, whether or not they attempt to dispose of it.

Except this never gets paid any more. I remember when it got paid every time, now I can't think of a single time I've seen it get paid this season, even though ruckmen take the ball out of the ball up all the time.

 

[Moonwatcher]

yeah, It just gets treated like a regular prior opportunity now. Which is just the way it should be.

 

[cmndstab]

It certainly adds further credence to the theory that it was a "stop Matthew Primus" rule that they stopped paying it as soon as he retired.

 

[Vader]

Ok but we were promised a prior opportunity rule and what we got is a holding the ball rule. This is different to prior opportunity in every other part of the ground.

Is the rule actually written differently?

EDIT: also a proper tackle wasn't neccessary either, just had to touch the ruckman.

The prior opportunity lay with the fact that they had the opportunity to do a hitout but chose not to. By taking the ball directly out of the ruck, rather than tapping it, they were deemed to have had prior opportunity.

 

[Moonwatcher]

yes that's right and the way it should be, but every other player on the ground who had been cought with prior opportunity had the right to get an immediate legal disposal away. This was not so with players taking the ball out of the ruck. This has now been relaxed, and i'm not sure whether it is a change in the writing of the rule or just interpretation.