Passing forwards in rugby league?

Question

In rugby league, is it possible to throw the ball forwards if the thrower then catches it. So like throwing it over a defender, running past him and catching it again. I think I've seen this done, but my teacher doesn't believe me.

Answer 1

i wouldnt say so but i dont know

Answer 2

Nope.  I don't have the passage from the rule book that covers it but you can't do it.  It actually gets penalised for a deliberate knock on even if the ball is caught before it hits the ground.  Technically, if you go for an intercept and "juggle" the ball (dont catch it cleanly) it was a knock on but they've either changed it, or ref's dont call it because that would be stupid.  If it was done "accidentally, I think it may be let go, but a deliberate throwing of the ball over a defender and catching it should be called every time.

Looked it up and found out about it when Carlos Spencer was going through his "chip kick the ball with his knee" experiment and got called for a knock on... and again when I sat my Referee's course.

Answer 3

Sorry Alex I have to go with Teach on this one. Any time the ball is deemed by the ref to have been projected forward from the hands of the person who last touched it; it's a 'knock-on'.  Now if you did see just such an action, the ref and the touch judge were probably looking the other way.  For what it's worth, I can't swear to this statement because I haven't checked the rule book for the exact wording.  This is from my own rule book that can sometimes be best described as a 'cyclops' one.