Sweaty Betty's wrote:
Has anyone got a view on Gelling's header to Charnley?
The rules say that it is play on, my view is that the rule needs changing.
The difference is that it wasn't a header, in that it wasn't a deliberate action. He didn't play at it, if he had then it would have been ruled a knock on. I remember one happening to Wigan (possibly against Wire again?) Joe Burgess stood watching the ball rolling into the in-goal waiting for the ref to blow, then the player grounded it just in case, not really expecting it to be given. Ref sends it upstairs and awards it.
I don't mind the rule as it is to be honest, we have the principle that you have to play at a ball to knock it on in any other situation so it is consistent to rule this as play on. Think about what would happen if an opposition player had kicked it into his head at short range. Same principle, not played at, so no knock on.