Rugby Laws Explained

When the ball or a player carrying it goes over the touchline, and how play restarts from there.

What it says

The ball is in touch when it, or a player carrying it, crosses the touchline. Play can restart either with a quick throw-in by the same team, taken with the ball that went out, or with a formal lineout where players from both teams line up and compete for a throw thrown straight down the middle.

Why it exists

Without a clear out-of-bounds rule, teams could simply run the ball off the field to avoid being tackled, or contest possession in chaotic, unstructured ways along the sideline. The lineout turns a stoppage into its own organised contest, similar in spirit to the scrum, while the quick throw option keeps the game moving when a team wants to play on immediately.

In practice

For a quick throw, the same ball has to be used, thrown from where it went into touch, with no other player touching it before the throw. For a lineout, the throw has to go straight and at least 5 metres, and players can be lifted by teammates to compete for it in the air. Since 2026, teams have also been able to pass the ball back into their own half before kicking for the 50:22, which rewards accurate kicking from deep by turning it into a lineout throw for the kicking team if the ball lands in the field of play and bounces into touch inside the opposition's 22.

Common confusions

Whether the ball is in touch depends on the ball itself or the ball carrier's feet touching the ground beyond the line, not just the ball crossing above it in the air, so a ball caught in the air before it would have landed out is still in play. The 50:22 is often thought of as a separate law on its own, but it actually sits inside this law as a specific kicking rule, not a standalone one.

Last checked against the official law book: 2026-08-24