Release is immediate; the right to compete comes afterwards.

The ruleset and version used here

This page applies the World Rugby Laws of the Game 2026, principally Laws 13, 14 and 15, using the live English law text updated on 1 July 2026. It explains the international 15-a-side baseline; World Rugby's tackle law itself also governs sevens and under-19 rugby because neither variation replaces Law 14.

World Rugby added new wording about the applicable high-tackle sanction line from 1 July 2026. That affects whether the tackle itself is legal, especially in community rugby, but it did not replace the immediate release, move-away and on-feet duties explained here. A union or match organiser may set the community sanction line and may adopt Game On tackle options, so the appointed competition rules still matter.

First decide whether a tackle exists

Law 14.1 requires the ball-carrier to be both held and brought to ground by one or more opponents. Under Laws 14.2–14.3, “ground” includes lying, sitting, or having at least one knee on the ground or on another grounded player; “held” means the opponent continues holding the carrier until that point.

If the carrier falls or kneels without being held through the grounding, there is no Law 14 tackle. Law 13 instead requires a player who goes to ground with the ball to get up with it, play it without kicking, or release it immediately. The familiar tackle-release sequence therefore cannot be assumed from contact alone.

Tackler, tackle assist and arriving player are not the same

• Tackled player: the ball-carrier who has been held and brought to ground.
• Tackler: an opponent who goes to ground in making the tackle. The tackler follows Laws 14.5–14.6.
• Tackle assist: an opponent who helps hold or bring the carrier down but stays on their feet. World Rugby classifies this player among the “other players” in Law 14.4(c), so the player must release immediately and remain on their feet under Law 14.8.
• Arriving player: a later player who comes to contest possession. That player must satisfy the direction, on-feet and offside requirements before playing the ball.

The distinction matters on replay: going to ground gives the tackler a move-away-or-get-up duty, while an upright tackle assist must show a clear release before trying to steal.

Release, clear or rise, then compete

Law 14.5 requires a tackler to do all of the following immediately after both players go to ground:

1. Release the ball and the ball-carrier.
2. Move away from the tackled player and ball, or get up.
3. Be on their feet before attempting to play the ball.
4. Allow the tackled player to release or play the ball and to move away from it.

Only after complying may the tackler play the ball, and Law 14.6 adds two limits: the tackler must come from the direction of their own try line and no ruck may yet have formed. A token loosening of the arms followed by an immediate grab from the ground does not complete that sequence.

The ball must be available immediately

Law 14.7 allows the tackled player to release, pass or push the ball in any direction except forward, or place it in any direction. The player must then move away from the ball or get up and must not lie on, over or near it to prevent an opponent gaining possession.

There is no numbered “one movement” allowance and no fixed count of seconds. The permission to place or pass the ball exists inside the immediate duty; it is not permission to roll, crawl or make a second effort to improve field position. World Rugby's March 2020 breakdown guideline expressly tells referees not to allow time for that second movement.

The call describes failure to clear, not a special clock

“Not rolling away” is match-official shorthand for a grounded tackler failing the Law 14.5(c) duty to move away from the player and ball or get up. Rolling is one practical route, not the only legal action. The decisive issue is whether the player has complied immediately, not whether the referee has first said “roll.”

World Rugby's law text gives no automatic grace period and no blanket “I was trapped” exception. The referee judges the facts in real time and may apply advantage, but a player who is caught in the area should release clearly and make the immediate effort to clear rather than wait for a command. After a ruck forms, Law 15.15 separately requires grounded players to attempt to move away and not play the ball in or as it emerges from the ruck.

Hands are legal only before the ruck forms

An arriving defender—called a stealer in World Rugby's current terminology—must arrive from the direction of that player's own try line, remain on their feet and contest directly for the ball. “On feet” means no other part of the body is supported by the ground or by a player on the ground.

World Rugby's 2020 breakdown guideline says the first arrival should be in a strong position, try to lift the ball and support their body weight throughout. The January 2023 guideline permits referee judgement where a hand touches the ground briefly for balance or stability, but a player supported by the ground is ordinarily off feet.

A player may not roll, pull or twist an opponent involved in the tackle to the ground: Law 14.8(e) makes that a penalty offence. A legal cleanout is not a licence for a crocodile roll or for diving onto grounded players.

The phase changes as players arrive

At the tackle, offside lines arise as soon as at least one player is on their feet over the ball on the ground. Under Law 14.10, each line runs through that team's hindmost tackle participant or player standing over the ball. Players must remain on or behind their line.

A ruck forms under Law 15.2 when at least one player from each team is in contact, on their feet and over the ball on the ground. That ends the tackle. From then on, Law 15 controls entry, binding, offside and use of the ball.

Attackers can also block the contest illegally

Law 14 does not reserve all duties for the tackler. Other players must remain on their feet, must not play the ball or attempt a tackle while grounded near the tackle, and must release the ball and carrier immediately. Law 13.3 likewise says a grounded player without the ball is out of the game and must allow an opponent on their feet to play it.

An attacking support player who falls beyond the ball and blocks a defender, or a tackled player who lies over the ball, may therefore concede a penalty. The referee may describe the precise offence as off feet, sealing off, failing to release or preventing access rather than “not rolling away.”

Penalty, advantage or an unplayable scrum

The stated sanction for failures under Laws 13, 14 and the relevant parts of Law 15 is normally a penalty. Under Law 20.1 it is taken at the place of an in-play infringement, adjusted to no nearer than five metres from a try line. The non-offending team may kick at goal where permitted, kick for touch, tap, or choose a scrum.

Law 7 lets the referee play advantage, but the benefit must become clear and real. If it does not, play returns to the original infringement. Intentionally infringing, or repeated team or individual infringements, can also engage Laws 9.7–9.10; after a team warning, another repeat of the same offence brings a yellow card to the guilty player.

Not every pile-up proves an offence. If the ball becomes unplayable and there is doubt about who failed to comply, Law 14.11(d) orders a scrum: the team moving forward before the stoppage throws in, or the attacking team if neither was moving forward.

The tackler releases but grabs from one knee

Situation: Red completes a tackle, opens both arms, remains on one knee and immediately takes the ball.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: penalty to Blue under Law 14.5(d). The release alone is insufficient; Red was off feet when playing the ball. Red first had to move away or get up and then approach legally before any ruck formed.

An upright assist never shows release

Situation: Red 6 helps hold the carrier but stays upright. As the carrier's knee reaches the ground, Red 6 keeps both arms clamped and reaches for the ball.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: penalty to Blue under Law 14.8(a). Although Red 6 is not a grounded tackler, a tackle assist is an “other player” and must release the ball and ball-carrier immediately before contesting.

The carrier places, then crawls forward

Situation: Blue is held and grounded, places the ball, then crawls half a metre and pulls the ball forward again.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: penalty to Red under Law 14.7. Blue's first legal placement did not create a right to a second movement; the player had to move away from the ball or get up.

A ruck forms while the defender reaches

Situation: Red arrives legally but has not yet got hands on the ball. A Blue support player binds and makes contact with Red while both are on their feet over the grounded ball.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: a ruck has formed under Law 15.2. Red may now win possession by rucking or pushing, but may not start handling the ball. The Law 15.11 exception would apply only if Red had got hands on the ball before formation and remained on feet.

The tackle finishes in in-goal

Situation: an attacking carrier is held in the field of play, and momentum takes both players into in-goal where the carrier immediately reaches out and grounds the ball.

World Rugby 2026 ruling: apply Law 21.7–21.8. The immediate grounding can score a try; this is not decided by asking whether the carrier first placed and released the ball as at a field-of-play breakdown.

How to read a breakdown replay

1. Confirm the trigger. Was the carrier held continuously and brought to ground?
2. Locate the grounding. Field of play uses the post-tackle duties; in-goal brings Law 21 into the analysis.
3. Assign the roles. Tackled player, grounded tackler, upright tackle assist, arriving player or player already on the ground.
4. Check the immediate acts. Did the tackler release and clear or rise? Did the carrier make the ball available and move?
5. Check the contest. Is the player on feet and arriving from their own try-line direction? Has a prior participant shown a clear release?
6. Freeze ruck formation. Did one upright player from each team make contact over the grounded ball, and were any legal hands already on it?
7. Choose the outcome. Play on, clear and real advantage, penalty, or—if the ball is unplayable and fault is doubtful—the Law 14 scrum.

What the law does not say

• “The tackler has one second to roll.” Law 14 says immediately and sets no countdown.
• “A referee must warn before penalising.” A call may help players respond, but it is not a condition of the penalty.
• “The tackler owns the ball after making the hit.” The tackler must first release, clear or rise, get on feet and approach legally before the ruck forms.
• “The tackled player gets one free movement.” The law permits immediate release, pass, push or placement; it does not grant a separate crawl or roll.
• “Hands are always illegal once support arrives.” The legal cutoff is ruck formation, with the narrow Law 15.11 exception for hands already on the ball while the player stays on feet.
• “Only defenders can be penalised at the tackle.” The tackled player and grounded or off-feet support players have their own duties.

What can vary in 2026

The release and availability duties in Laws 14.5–14.8 are the World Rugby baseline. The important 2026 variation is the height and safety of the tackle before the breakdown: World Rugby's current Law 14 uses the shoulder line in elite rugby and a waist or base-of-sternum line in community rugby, with the exact community line set through the relevant union or match organiser. Game On organisers may also choose specified ball-carrier or double-tackle restrictions.

Those choices do not change who must release after a legal tackle. Domestic referee directives can affect enforcement emphasis and competition review protocols, so readers applying this page to a particular league, age grade or tournament should also check that organiser's current regulations.

Governing-body sources and effective version

• World Rugby — Laws of the Game: Rugby Union 2026 (original PDF edition)
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, Law 14: Tackle (live text updated July 2026)
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, Law 13: Players on the ground in open play
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, Law 15: Ruck
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, definitions: on feet, off feet, stealer and tackle assist
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, Law 7: Advantage
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, Law 9.7–9.10: intentional and repeated infringements
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, Law 20: Penalty and free-kick
• World Rugby — Law Application Guideline: Refereeing at the Breakdown (March 2020)
• World Rugby — Law Application Guideline (January 2023), players on the ground
• World Rugby — Community tackle-height wording approved 17 June 2026, effective in law materials 1 July 2026
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game 2026, Law 21: In-goal

Checked on 28 August 2026 against World Rugby's 2026 law book and the live law assets incorporating the 1 July 2026 update. The original 2026 PDF predates the July tackle-height wording, so the live Law 14 and World Rugby's implementation notice control that update. Union, age-grade and competition regulations may supplement the baseline.