Grounding must beat the boundary; the way the ball entered in-goal decides the restart.

The ruleset and effective version used here

This page applies the World Rugby Laws of the Game Rugby Union 2026 for the 15-a-side game, including the in-goal wording effective for new competitions and events starting after 1 July 2026. The controlling provisions are the definitions and Laws 6, 12, 18, 19 and 21.

World Rugby says competitions already under way on 1 July should ask their union when to implement the changes. Such a competition may still use the earlier 2026 restart wording. Rugby sevens also has a material Law 12 variation, explained below. A union's age-grade or domestic variations and the appointed competition regulations should always be checked.

The try line is in; the other three boundaries are out

World Rugby's definitions make the geometry exact:

• Field of play: between the touchlines and try lines; none of those lines is part of the field of play.
• In-goal: between the try line and dead-ball line and between the touch-in-goal lines. It includes the try line, but excludes the touch-in-goal and dead-ball lines.
• Playing area: the field of play plus both in-goal areas. The touchlines, touch-in-goal lines and dead-ball lines are outside it.

That is why grounding on the try line can score, while contact with a touch-in-goal or dead-ball line can defeat the score.

Crossing the vertical plane is not enough by itself

Under World Rugby Law 18.1, a loose ball is in touch or touch-in-goal when it touches the relevant line or anything beyond. For a held ball, it is out when the ball or ball-carrier touches the line or the ground beyond it.

The plane of touch is the vertical space above the line. A ball may cross that plane and remain live if a player in the playing area catches, knocks or kicks it before boundary contact. The plane becomes important when a player who is already out catches or picks up the ball: if the ball had reached the plane, that player did not take it out; if it had not, that player did. This affects the mark and which team throws in under Law 18.8.

Jumping and knocking back have precise conditions

Law 18.2 allows a player to jump from inside or outside the playing area, catch the ball and land in the playing area, whether or not the ball reached the plane. A player who jumps from the playing area may also knock—or catch and release—the ball back into the playing area before landing out.

A player standing in touch may kick or knock, but not hold, a ball that has not reached the plane of touch. These are not blanket permissions: where the player took off, whether the ball was held, where the player landed and whether the ball had reached the plane are separate facts.

Possession and a loose ball use different actions

World Rugby Law 21.1 recognises two ways to ground the ball. A player holding it grounds it by touching the ground with it. For a loose ball already on the ground, the player must press down with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the body from waist to neck.

Picking the ball up is not grounding it (Law 21.2). An attacking player scores only when legal grounding occurs in the opponents' in-goal. A player outside the playing area may ground a loose ball in in-goal for a try or touch down, but Law 21.9 does not allow that player to do so while possessing the ball.

“Dead” describes the stoppage, not the restart

World Rugby's definition and Law 6 cover several ways the ball becomes dead, including the referee stopping play, the ball being in touch or touch-in-goal, a grounding in in-goal, or a score. A touch down, held-up carrier and ball crossing the dead-ball line all end the live contest, but they do not share one automatic restart.

The referee must still classify the event under the relevant law: who took the ball into in-goal, whether a kick ran through or a defender made it dead, whether the kick was a shot at goal or restart, and whether an infringement occurred first.

Momentum or one immediate reach can complete the grounding

World Rugby Laws 8.2 and 21.7 allow a tackled attacker's continuous momentum to carry the player into the opponents' in-goal, where the player may ground the ball for a try. A player tackled near the try line may also reach out and ground it immediately. The tackle laws still apply: this is not permission to crawl, propel the body again or delay before reaching.

While the tackled player is reaching, a defender may pull the ball from the player's possession or knock it backwards, but must not kick or attempt to kick it (Law 21.10).

Grounding before the line is a try; simultaneous contact is not

If grounding is completed and only then the attacker or ball touches touch-in-goal, the try has already been scored. If an attacker holding the ball grounds it while simultaneously contacting the touch-in-goal line, dead-ball line or ground beyond, Law 21.4 says the ball is dead—not a try.

Under the July 2026 wording for new competitions and events, the restart is a try-line drop-out when the attack played or took the ball into in-goal, or a five-metre scrum with the attacking team throwing in when the defence took it into in-goal. If the simultaneous contact is instead with the ordinary touchline beside the field of play, Law 21.5 makes it a lineout to the opposition.

A foot in in-goal can decide who took the ball back

If any part of a defender is in in-goal, World Rugby Law 21.12 treats that player as in in-goal, provided the player is not also in touch or on or beyond the dead-ball line. If that player catches or picks up a ball still in the field of play, the defender has taken it into in-goal (Law 21.13).

If a defender then grounds or makes that ball dead, Law 19.1 gives the attack a five-metre scrum with the throw-in. A player standing in touch-in-goal or on or beyond the dead-ball line who catches or picks up a ball within in-goal has made it dead under Law 21.14.

Crossing the try line does not score without grounding

Law 21.16 makes the ball dead when a carrier is held up in-goal and can neither ground nor play it. Under the July 2026 15s baseline for new competitions and events, an attacker who carried or played the ball into the opponents' in-goal is restarted with a try-line drop-out under Law 12.12. If the defending team took the ball into its own in-goal before the attacker was held up, the restart is a five-metre scrum to the attack under Law 19.1.

If the officials genuinely cannot decide which team first grounded the ball, Law 21.17 instead awards a five-metre scrum, in line with the grounding, with the attacking team throwing in.

Six common routes produce different outcomes

• Attack carries or plays the ball into in-goal, then fails to score and the ball is legally made dead: try-line drop-out (Law 12.12).
• Attack kicks in open play into in-goal and a defender grounds or makes it dead there: try-line drop-out (Law 12.12).
• An open-play kick runs untouched through the opponents' in-goal into touch-in-goal or over the dead-ball line: the defence chooses a 22-metre drop-out or a scrum where the ball was kicked (Law 21.11).
• An unsuccessful penalty-goal or dropped-goal attempt is made dead or goes dead through in-goal: 22-metre drop-out, with no kick-place scrum option (Laws 12.11 and 21.11).
• The defence takes the ball into its own in-goal and makes it dead: five-metre scrum, attacking team throw-in (Law 19.1).
• An attacking knock forward in the opponents' in-goal, or an attacking charge-down from the field of play goes dead through in-goal: try-line drop-out (Law 12.12).

A restart kicked dead has an acceptance test

If a kick-off or restart following a score enters the opponents' in-goal without touching a player and a defender grounds it without delay, or it goes dead through in-goal, Law 12.9 lets the non-kicking team choose a retake or scrum. If the defender delays, the kick is treated as accepted and the restart is a try-line drop-out.

This is why the general open-play-kick answer should not be applied to kick-offs, restart kicks following a score or drop-outs. Law 12.18 uses the same immediate-grounding or dead-through test when a drop-out reaches the opponents' in-goal untouched.

Older 2026 material can give a different restart

World Rugby's July 2026 update changed some failed-score outcomes from a 22-metre drop-out to a try-line drop-out. Its official examples include an attacking carrier tackled into touch-in-goal before grounding and an attacking charge-down from the field of play that goes dead.

The downloadable 2026 law-book PDF still displays the earlier 22-metre wording for some of these cases, while the live Laws 12 and 21 display the amended text. World Rugby states that the changes apply to new competitions and events starting after 1 July; a competition already in progress must confirm its adoption date with its union.

Do not import the 15s try-line drop-out into sevens

World Rugby's current sevens variation replaces Law 12.11 and deletes Law 12.12. Apart from a kick-off or restart kick, when the attack plays or takes the ball into in-goal and an opponent makes it dead, sevens restarts with a 22-metre drop-out, not the 15s try-line drop-out described above.

This page otherwise uses the 15-a-side baseline. Tens, under-19, Game On and domestic age-grade competitions may add their own variations.

Touching the flag post alone does not put the player out

Under Law 21.15, play continues if the ball or ball-carrier touches a corner flag or its post without otherwise being in touch or touch-in-goal. Grounding the ball against the post is not a legal grounding in in-goal.

The official must still look for separate contact with the touchline, touch-in-goal line, ground beyond either boundary, or a valid grounding on the try line or in-goal.

The knee lands after the ball

Situation: a 15s winger holds the ball, touches it to the try line, and a frame later the winger's knee lands on the touch-in-goal line.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: try. The try line is part of in-goal and legal grounding was completed before boundary contact. Reverse the order—or make the contacts simultaneous—and there is no try.

The defender catches with one foot behind the try line

Situation: a defender has one foot in in-goal, catches a stationary ball that is still in the field of play, steps back and grounds it.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: five-metre scrum to the attack. Law 21.13 says the defender took the ball into in-goal; Law 19.1 supplies the restart when the defending team then makes it dead.

An untouched grubber rolls over dead-ball

Situation: in 15s open play, Blue kicks from 35 metres out. Nobody touches the ball after the kick and it rolls across Red's dead-ball line.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: Red chooses a 22-metre drop-out or a scrum at the kick location under Law 21.11. This is not the same as Red first grounding the kick in in-goal, which under the July wording for new competitions and events produces a try-line drop-out.

A player leaps from infield and bats the ball back

Situation: the ball crosses the plane of touch. A player jumps from the playing area, knocks it back before landing in touch, and never holds it.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: play on under Law 18.2(c). The decisive facts are the take-off from the playing area and the release back into it before landing out; crossing the plane alone did not make the ball dead.

How to analyse a close in-goal replay

1. Locate the first decisive contact. Try line, in-goal, ordinary touch, touch-in-goal or dead-ball line are not interchangeable.
2. Test grounding. Was the ball held and touched down, or was a loose ball pressed down with a permitted body part?
3. Order the events. Did legal grounding happen before, after or simultaneously with boundary contact?
4. Identify who took the ball into in-goal. Include a defender positioned in in-goal who picks up a ball still in the field of play.
5. Name the route. Carry or play, open-play kick made dead by a defender, kick running untouched through, shot at goal, kick-off/restart, knock forward or charge-down.
6. Confirm the appointed ruleset. Fifteens or sevens, and whether the competition has adopted the post-1 July 2026 changes.
7. Apply the matching restart. Lineout, five-metre scrum, try-line drop-out, 22-metre drop-out or the express choice in Law 21.11.

A TMO can clarify the sequence where the competition provides one

World Rugby Law 6 permits a match organiser to appoint a television match official. The review remit includes grounding, touch or touch-in-goal in the act of grounding, and infringements leading to or preventing a try. The TMO process therefore depends on the competition's adopted protocol; grassroots matches do not acquire video review from the law alone.

Touch and legal grounding are factual outcomes, not infringements to which advantage makes the ball live again. Once the ball is dead, play cannot simply continue, although the referee may still return to an earlier infringement or apply foul-play sanctions.

Claims that lead to the wrong call

• “Breaking the plane means touch.” Not by itself; Law 18 also asks about contact and the player's action.
• “Crossing the try line scores.” A try needs legal grounding.
• “Every attacking kick made dead is a 22.” Under the July wording for new competitions and events, a defender grounding an open-play kick and an untouched kick running through have different outcomes.
• “Held up always means a try-line drop-out.” Not if the defence took the ball into its own in-goal, and not under the current sevens variation.
• “The corner flag makes the ball dead.” Flag-post contact alone does not.
• “The printed 2026 book settles every 2026 match.” Adoption date and the July amendment matter.

Governing-body sources and effective version

• World Rugby — Laws of the Game Rugby Union 2026, definitions and Laws 6, 8, 12, 18, 19 and 21
• World Rugby — July 2026 law updates and implementation notice, effective for new competitions/events after 1 July 2026
• World Rugby — current Laws definitions: field of play, in-goal, playing area and plane of touch
• World Rugby — current Law 6.13–6.16, match officials and TMO review
• World Rugby — current Law 12.9–12.19, in-goal restart outcomes and drop-outs
• World Rugby — current Law 18.1–18.2 and 18.8, touch and the plane of touch
• World Rugby — current Law 19.1, scrum outcomes including a defending team taking the ball into in-goal
• World Rugby — current Law 21.1–21.17, grounding, touch downs, kicked dead, held up and doubt
• World Rugby — current sevens Law 12 variation, 22-metre drop-out and deletion of 12.12

Checked on 28 August 2026 against World Rugby's live English laws and July 2026 implementation notice. The printed 2026 PDF is retained as the edition anchor but contains earlier wording for some in-goal restarts; for new competitions and events starting after 1 July this page follows the amended live laws. Competitions already in progress, domestic age grades and modified forms may retain or add variations, so confirm the appointed union and competition regulations.