New rule

[dougy]

Why is it that a player can't jump to avoid a tackle, but wingers do it by diving in the air to get over in the corners.

 

[ShropshireAllBlack]

It's always been banned. As I understand it, it's to stop the attacking player from "hurdling" tackles which would be putting boots in the same airspace as heads.

 

[Which Tyler]

Why is it that a player can't jump to avoid a tackle, but wingers do it by diving in the air to get over in the corners.

New as in "only since 1865"?

More seriously, I don't know when it was outlawed - but I do know that it was clarified in 2022, and was illegal when I was playing schoolboy rugby in the 1980s. It's part of law 9.11 "Dangerous Play" - which as far as I'm aware, has always been in the statute books in some way, shape or form. Granted, enforcement has been patchy.


There's a difference between diving (landing hands/ball first) and jumping (landing feet first)

I'll just repost this anecdote from Shedweb to illustrate how it can be dangerous.

At college I attempted to tackle the opposition winger. He jumped, and I hit him below his knees, knocking him further up into the air. He came down on my shoulders, and fractured my back. Luckily the fracture was stable, and I made a full recovery after 12 weeks in the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital, with wonderful care. Scary, though.

Jumping over a tackle puts your boots in the vicinity of the tackler's face - which is dangerous
Jumping over a tackle risks you being flipped and landing head first - which is dangerous
Jumping over a tackle risks you landing on the tackler's back - which is dangerous

 

[AlRums]

Jumping into/over a tackle ruled illegal -

World Rugby confirms that jumping or hurdling over a tackler, or jumping into a tackle should be classed as dangerous play.

rugbyreferee.net