Hey Ref......

Hey ref,
My name is Toby Teakell from Texas. I have a buddy on my team from France who insists on that he is correct in this matter because he has been playing for 15 years and that Americans do not know rugby.
We were playing a friendly in sevens the other day where he found himself on the receiving end of one of my kickoffs where I grubbered a ball 11 meters in which my teammate picked up tossed back to me and ran for a try. This led to a French ego breakdown in which I am still receiving links to laws and texts of how I wasn't allowed to do that.
According to irb laws 13.5-13.7 the ball has to go 10 meters, but does not state anything about the ball being in the air for 10 meters, just that it has to eventually get there.
Am I being too technical when reading the laws or is my friend being ignorant towards someone that does know how to read.. That happens to be an "American rugby player" that didn't grow up with the sport?
Thanks,Toby Teakell

 Hi Toby

Thanks for the question.  You are correct in that the ball needs to travel 10m, but it doesn't need to travel that distance in a single go.  So a grubber kick that goes 11m before anyone touches it is legal, providing the grubber starts with a drop kick.

Well done.

The Rugby Ref