What counts as a tackle?
Law 14 says a tackle happens when the ball carrier is held and brought to ground by one or more opponents. Brought to ground means the ball carrier is lying, sitting, or has at least one knee on the ground, or on another player who is on the ground. Held means the tackler keeps hold until the ball carrier is on the ground. A player who is held but stays on their feet has not been tackled.
The tackler is the opponent who holds the ball carrier and goes to ground with them. The tackled player is the ball carrier. The law treats everyone else as another player, including an opponent who helps hold the ball carrier but stays on their feet.
What must the tackler do?
- Tackle below the relevant sanction line, explained below.
- Let go of the ball and the ball carrier once both players are on the ground.
- Move away from the tackled player and the ball straight away, or get up.
- Be back on your feet before playing the ball.
- Let the tackled player release, play or move away from the ball.
Breaking any of these gives the other team a penalty. Once back on their feet, the tackler may play the ball, but only from the direction of their own try line and only before a ruck forms.
What must the tackled player do?
The tackled player must make the ball available straight away. They can release it, pass it, or push it in any direction except forward, and they may place it in any direction. Then they must move away from the ball or get up, and must not lie on, over or near the ball to stop the other team getting it. Holding on is a penalty.
What may arriving players do?
Players who arrive at the tackle may compete for the ball, but only on their feet. The first team-mate of the tackler to arrive is often called the jackler. The jackler must go directly for the ball, and if they helped make the tackle, they must clearly let go of the ball carrier first. Every arriving player must follow these rules.
- Stay on your feet, including while you play the ball.
- Come in from the direction of your own try line, and stay on or behind your offside line.
- If you were holding the ball carrier, let go straight away.
- Do not play the ball or tackle anyone while you are on the ground near the tackle.
- Do not roll, pull or twist an opponent in the tackle to the ground.
An opponent may remove a jackler by pushing or driving them backwards, including by grabbing a knee or leg, but must not roll, pull or twist them. Any player who picks up the ball must play it straight away by moving away, passing or kicking. The tackle ends when a ruck forms, when a player on their feet picks up the ball and moves away, passes or kicks it, when the ball leaves the tackle area, or when the ball becomes unplayable.
How high can you tackle?
Law 14 makes tacklers responsible for tackling below the relevant sanction line. In elite rugby that line is the shoulders. In community rugby it is the waist or the base of the sternum, and the match organiser chooses which. Each union decides which of its matches count as elite and which count as community.
Law 9.13 says dangerous tackling includes a tackle or attempted tackle that leads to head contact, or one above the relevant sanction line while either player is in open field play. World Rugby explains that open field play in effect means play that has moved a metre or two or more away from the phase. So a tackle between the base of the sternum and the shoulders can be legal in an elite match and a penalty in open field play in a community match. A tackle that leads to head contact can be dangerous anywhere on the pitch.
The ball carrier has a duty too: the law says they must enter the tackle safely. Community match organisers may also choose optional rules that penalise a ball carrier who drops their height sharply before making dangerous contact, or that restrict two players tackling at once.
Which tackles are illegal?
| Tackle | What the law says | Sanction in the law |
|---|---|---|
| High tackle | Tackling or trying to tackle above the relevant sanction line in open field play, or any tackle that leads to head contact | Penalty (Laws 9.13 and 14.5) |
| Shoulder charge | Charging or knocking down the ball carrier without trying to grasp them | Penalty (Law 9.16) |
| Dangerous lifting tackle | Lifting an opponent, then dropping or driving them so their head or upper body hits the ground | Penalty (Law 9.18) |
| Early or late tackle | Tackling an opponent early or late, or tackling a player who does not have the ball | Penalty (Laws 9.13 and 9.14) |
| Tackle in the air | Tackling, charging, pulling, pushing or grasping an opponent whose feet are off the ground | Penalty (Law 9.17) |
| Late charge on a kicker | Intentionally charging or late tackling a player who has just kicked | Penalty (Law 9.25) |
Each of these carries a penalty in the law. All are foul play, and Law 9 says a player who commits foul play must be cautioned, shown a yellow card, or sent off. Law 9.11 also lets the referee card any reckless or dangerous play.
Lifting alone is not the offence under Law 9.18. The offence is dropping or driving the lifted player so their head or upper body hits the ground, although a dangerous lift can still be penalised under Law 9.11.
How does the referee choose between a penalty, a yellow and a red?
For foul play that makes contact with the head or neck, referees follow World Rugby's Head Contact Process. It covers high tackles, shoulder charges, dangerous clear-outs, head-on-head contact, and a leading elbow or forearm. It does not decide a community high tackle with no head contact, which is a penalty offence under Laws 9.13 and 14.5. For head contact, the referee asks four questions.
- Has head contact happened? The neck and throat count. If not, the process stops there, but the tackle can still be a penalty under another law, such as a shoulder charge or a dangerous lifting tackle.
- Was there foul play? The referee considers whether the act was intentional, reckless or avoidable. If not, play on.
- How dangerous was it? Low danger, such as indirect contact with low force, means a penalty or a yellow card. High danger, such as direct contact, high speed or a lack of control, means a red card.
- Is there mitigation? A sudden and significant drop in height by the ball carrier, a clear attempt by the tackler to reduce height, or a passive tackler can lower the sanction. Mitigation does not apply to intentional or always-illegal foul play.
The referee judges the players' actions, not the injury. Whatever the referee decides about the tackle, Law 3.24 says a player who is concussed or has suspected concussion must be removed from the field straight away and permanently. This is known as Recognise and Remove.