Held called as soon as the ball carriers leg is lifted
Interpretation
“Where opponents tackle the ball carrier in an upright position the referee should
immediately call held if they lift a leg of the ball carrier off the ground.”
Application – This occurs in an upright tackle and the leg of the ball carrier is lifted off the
ground. Immediately this happens the referee will call held and players tackling cannot
continue wrestling the player or driving him backwards. If they continue to work after the
referee has called held then they should be penalised.
Dragging tackled players as opposed to pushing them
Interpretation
Where opponents do not make a tackle effective in the quickest possible manner but
then attempt to drag an opponent into touch or back towards his own in goal area
then the referee should immediately call held.
Application - This does not prevent players driving an opponent into touch or back into his
own in goal area providing that a team mate of the ball carrier has not added their weight to
the tackle. As soon as the referee sees a tackling player dragging the ball carrier in a tackle
that involves more than one tackler he will call “held”. If the tackling players continue to move
the ball carrier after the “held” call they should be penalised.
Stuart Cummings
RFL Match Officials Director
December 10th 2009