Off side in general play. Can anyone explain this better?

Rugby CoachCoach

As a general rule Karen - if you are in front of the ball carrier when your side is in possession then you are potentially offside regardless of what happens with the ball.  In other words

!Stay behind the Ball!

Karen ThorntonCoach, England

Thanks Tom. I get the general gist it's the more indepth I need. Coaching the Under 10's this year and there was an incident the year before where I wasn't happy with a descision not to call an off-side. I researched it but just ended up more confused. There seems to be times when you are OK off side and times when a minor such as a knock-on can put several players off side accidentally.

Rugby CoachCoach

Karen - as Tom says if you are in front of the ball carrier when in your team is in possession you are potentially offside. However, if you are not interfering with the defending sides ability to tackle the ball carrier (ie not crossing) or ruck the ball after a tackle and a ruck has formed, then you can retreat behind the offside line without conceding a penalty. The exception to this is if the ball is kicked, however u10s are not allowed to kick so that law can be left until next year.

Perhaps more complex laws relate to the defending side, generally they are not offside on the wrong side unless they originated from an offside position at a ruck or maul ie they are not offside in general play. That is why a defender can intercept a pass anywhere in open play.

Another scenario when a defender can be offside is if they seek to take the ball off the ground at a tackle from the wrong side and they are not the tackler - all defenders other than the tackler must first retreat and then come through the gate. However, if the tackled player chooses to pop pass off the ground a retreating defender can intercept. Simple init!

Rugby CoachCoach

To help your team do a simple activity where you hold the ball and get them to run into onside postions (on either side in 2 teams). Run do different points on the pitch and even make it into a competition between the teams to see who's reday first. Even better if you have other helpers then pass between each other to make them move quicker.

Karen ThorntonCoach, England

Thanks Hannah, but basic on-side off-side is not the problem. Think I have a better understanding now. Thanks everyone who helped.