03-24-2023, 08:25 AM
Remember, centre bounces are still the go even if there are quite a few centre ball-ups. Only rarely would the ball go up directly over the centre line (and that also applies to a degree to ball-ups). Requiring a ruckman to stay on his own side of the line would make no sense if the ball drops in his opponent’s side of the larger centre circle.
The centre line really tells a ruckman that he has to stay on his half of the centre circle until the ball leaves the umpire’s hands.
The rules relating to ruck contests are a bit mysterious. But it appears that a guiding principle is that both ruckmen have to have a chance to contest the bounce or ball-up. For instance, you’d think it would be fair game to hold the opposing ruck at bay with a stiff arm to the chest but that’s a red flag. At the centre bounce, one ruckman can’t run past the ball drop to body out the opposing ruck, unlike a forward or defender in a marking contest. That would be regarded as blocking. And yet a ruckman can jump with a knee into his opponent’s chest and that’s kosher, even though that puts the opponent out of the contest. When a whistle goes in a rucking duel, I hold my breath as I usually have no idea which way it will go.
The centre line really tells a ruckman that he has to stay on his half of the centre circle until the ball leaves the umpire’s hands.
The rules relating to ruck contests are a bit mysterious. But it appears that a guiding principle is that both ruckmen have to have a chance to contest the bounce or ball-up. For instance, you’d think it would be fair game to hold the opposing ruck at bay with a stiff arm to the chest but that’s a red flag. At the centre bounce, one ruckman can’t run past the ball drop to body out the opposing ruck, unlike a forward or defender in a marking contest. That would be regarded as blocking. And yet a ruckman can jump with a knee into his opponent’s chest and that’s kosher, even though that puts the opponent out of the contest. When a whistle goes in a rucking duel, I hold my breath as I usually have no idea which way it will go.