Can you counter tackle when you have the ball in rugby?

Question

what i mean is can you like pulverize the person trying to tackle you with the ball, or is it a form of obstruction?

EX. when Sebastian Chabal was running down the field with the ball, he made that big hit on that all black player

Answer 1

You can do whatever you want to get past a player as long as you don't hold onto the guy.

For example, you can fend or stiff arm the guy off you, but you can't grab him and throw him out of the way.

Answer 2

depends how you do it.

the answer for the most part is yes, but you must use a stiff arm and not use a shoving motion.

Answer 3

the only real thing u can do is when u go into a tackle try to pick up the other guys leg and drive him back... they normally teach it as a basic rugby skills training idea

Answer 4

No I believe its not.  I've done it a couple times and no penalty was called on me.  Also in the world cup, you would see a prop/ pack player run into a weaker sized opponent.  Secondly, there isn't an obstruction as you can stiff arm legally as long as its below the shoulders.  So therefore either you stiff arm them, or run through them, it should be legal.

Then again some refs may thing otherwise.  But from collegiate level and professional levels I've seen it happen without any penalities called.

Answer 5

you just run as hard as you can and momentum should  carry you past the tackler

Answer 6

thats what a hand off is for

Answer 7

oh h**l yes you can but it is sweet when you do but it kinda defeats the purpose because you will usually fall over in the process and can result in a nasty head clash i know from experience

Answer 8

Outside of punching the tackler, lifting your knee up into the tackler, or raising your elbow into the tackler, you can pretty much do anything you want when you're running with the ball. Check out Jonah Lomu running over Mike Catt in the World Cup semifinal in 1995 for steamrolling someone.

A stiff arm is a tackle. Normally refers to a head-high tackle when the defender has been sidestepped by the attacker and throws out his arm, catching the attacker round the neck. Also known as a head-high or coathanger. So what the previous answerers are meaning is a fend or hand-off, as someone said. By tucking the ball under one arm, an attacker can use his free arm to fend the tackler away. There's a lot of skill and timing required. And of course strength. Pound for pound probably the best fender around is Dan Carter.

Obstruction is when a player without the ball interferes with another player, also without the ball. As is legally done when blocking in American football. Illegal however in rugby.