Preventing the Quick Throw

Hi RugbyRef,

Team A kicks the ball to touch. Team B wants to take a quick lineout. Team B is allowed to throw the ball in at the line of touch or anywhere between the LoT and their own goal line. And they can throw it in parallel to the LoT or at an angle back towards their goal line.

Is Team A, discouraging or defending against the quick lineout, allowed to run past the line of touch towards Team Bs goal line?

Is Team A allowed to be within the 5 meters and prevent or make difficult the quick lineout with raised arms, etc?

Thanks!

Steve


First of all Steve, let's get some terminology sorted.  The Rugby Ref thinks what you are refering to is a "quick throw-in", this is a throw-in taken, without waiting for a lineout to form.

Are Team A allowed to run past the Line of Touch (LOT) towards Team B's goal line?  Yes they are.

Are they allowed to discourage a quick throw by standing in the 5m channel?  No they are not.

They can stand outside the 5m line and wave their arms to their hearts content, but they cannot stand closer than that.

Law 19.2 (h)
At a quick throw-in, a player must not prevent the ball being thrown in 5 metres.  This is a Free Kick offence.

However, if the referee deems that a quick throw was never really on, then materiality comes into effect and The Rugby Ref might just give a warning to the offending player.