@
smartcooky,
I didnt know that regarding the "played at" definition. Are you absloutely sure? Cause on radiosport today, the so called expert was saying whether he intentionaly played at it made all the difference!
Yes, I am sure, and I am sure this person is wrong.
Laws that are written to cover specific situations cannot be generally applied across the whole game, or parts of the game they don't apply to. Let me give you an example and bear with me for a bit...
[TEXTAREA]10.1 OBSTRUCTION
(c) Blocking the tackler. A player must not intentionally move or stand in a position that
prevents an opponent from tackling a ball carrier.
Sanction: Penalty kick
(d) Blocking the ball. A player must not intentionally move or stand in a position that prevents
an opponent from playing the ball.
Sanction: Penalty kick
[/TEXTAREA]
If we were to apply this Law universally across the whole game, then rucking, mauling and scrummaging would be illegal. In a maul, all the players in front of the ball carrier are blocking the ball. So too are the players in front of the ball at a ruck, and the entire front row, second row and flankers in a scrum when the ball is at the No 8's feet. To allow rucks and mauls and scrums to take place, we have specific, specially written Laws to allow this phases of play to occur in spite of Law 10.2
When you have a law that covers a General situation, call it Law "A" and another law that covers a specific situation, call it Law "B", and that specific situation occurs, you must apply Law "B" and not Law "A". Further, you must not try to apply the provisions of Law "B" to other situations.
In the case of Law 11.3, it applies to general to offside..
[tExtarea]11.3 BEING PUT ONSIDE BY OPPONENTS
In general play, there are three ways by which an offside player can be put onside by an
action of the opposing team. These three ways do not apply to a player who is offside under
the 10-Metre Law.
(c) Intentionally touches ball. When an opponent
intentionally touches the ball but does not
catch it, the offside player is put onside.[/TEXTAREA]
Now some are arguing that because Phipps did not intentionally touch the ball, the Scot wasn't put onside under Law 11.3 (c). However, there is a specific Law, 11.7 that must be applied when the ball is knocked on...
[TEXTAREA]
11.7 OFFSIDE AFTER A KNOCK-ON
When a player knocks-on and an offside
team-mate next plays the ball, the offside player is
liable to sanction if playing the ball prevented an opponent from gaining an advantage.
Sanction: Penalty kick[/TEXTAREA]
This Law only applies to the knock on situation so you must apply it to the situation under discussion; you must not apply it to other situations, and you must not apply Law 11.3 to this situation. Law 11.7 makes no reference to intentionally playing the ball.l
In the situation under discussion, the blue player knocked the ball forward and and
opponent (Phipps) next played the ball before another blue player played it. Therefore, no offside.
