Rugby / Law 13
Players on the ground
World Rugby · 2026In short
The duties of players who fall on the ball outside a tackle.
Make the ball available
A player who goes to ground to gather the ball, or goes down with it, must immediately get up with it, play it without kicking, or release it. After playing or releasing it, that player must move away or get up immediately. Failure to comply results in a penalty: lying on the ground does not create a right to protect possession indefinitely.
Players without the ball
A grounded player without possession is out of the game. They must let opponents on their feet play or gather the ball, and must not play it or tackle an opponent. Conversely, standing players without the ball must not fall onto or over grounded players who have the ball or are near it. These infringements also result in penalties.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Based on the supplied World Rugby Laws of the Game Rugby Union 2026. Under-19, sevens, tens and Game-on variations are explained separately. Elite-only exceptions are labelled; these are not Rugby League rules. References use physical PDF pages, 2 above printed page numbers.
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Sources & approach ↗