Ball thrown in correctly but doesn’t reach 5m

[Volun-selected]

Trying to reconcile these 2 laws when a player stops the ball reaching 5, on an otherwise correctly made throw in.

18.23 The ball must:
b. Reach the five-metre line before it hits the ground or is played.
Sanction: Option of lineout or scrum. If the lineout is chosen and the ball is again not thrown straight, a scrum is awarded to the team that originally threw in the ball.

and

18.25 No player can block the throw or prevent the ball from travelling five metres.
Sanction: Free-kick.

(Until a couple of years ago 18.25 only applied to opposing players, now made universal.)

We have the definition that “The ball is played when it is intentionally touched by a player” so my question is: How can someone play the ball before it reaches 5m (.23) without preventing the ball traveling 5m (.25)?

At a lineout, player at the front grabs an otherwise good throw just before it makes 5m. Do you give their opposing team the options, or award them a free kick?

 

[Rich_NL]

As I read and understand it:
18.23 is an imposition on the thrower - it has to reach 5 metres before it hits the ground (or would have done, but for being played).
18.25 is a requirement of the infield players, not to stop a good throw reaching 5 metres.

 

[didds]

ah yes.

reminds me of an occassion at Yeovil Barbarians (before they moved to their "new" ground) when the rather odd ref pinged me for not throwing 5m when the oppo player caught it within the 5m area before it had chance to reach the 5m line !!!

 

[smeagol]

18.25 is for the dickhead I pinged last summer who jumped around 2-3m in front of the thrower looking to take a QTI.

 

[Rich_NL]

18.25 is for the dickhead I pinged last summer who jumped around 2-3m in front of the thrower looking to take a QTI.

That's 18.6, but same result Plus, if it's cynical play to stop a break, you have the option of 9.7a and a card.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

My view

18.23 is just a rubbish throw - for some inexplicable reason doesn't reach the 5 or hits the floor = Option
18.25 ball being taken by either team before throw reaches 5m = FK
18.25 blocking QT in 5m channel = FK (or PK for deliberate offending) maybe a level dependent call?

In other words what Rich_NL said

On my NLMOT ARs group it took an age to persuade some of my colleagues of my POV. Some were still banging on about throwing side/non throwing side blocking it meant a different outcome which essentially is what Volun-selected said.

 

[Volun-selected]

Thanks, all - a lot clearer now.