WATCH: Is the goal-line drop out one of rugby’s best law innovations?

Dylan Coetzee

The goal-line drop out is in its second season of use and has brought about a new dynamic in rugby union.

There are various situations that result in a goal-line drop out, namely the attacking team being held up over the line or if an attacking kick is grounded in the in-goal area by the defensive team.

The law is designed to encourage teams to shy away from the needless contact of picking and going, to instead play the ball wider more often.

On the surface, it may seem to favour the defensive team. However, Castres and Argentina fly-half Benjamin Urdapilleta showed this weekend in his side’s win over Aviron Bayonnais that even a long drop-out still gives the opposition possession in and around halfway.

Urdapilleta had enough time to steady himself with no pressure at all to steady himself and launch an absolute rocket of a drop-goal from 45-odd metres.

Last season Sharks fly-half Boeta Chamberlain took it one step further when he nailed two of his three drop-goals against the Ospreys from goal-line drop outs, once again underlining the vulnerability the law can provide to the defensive team.

It is a lovely law innovation that has gotten teams thinking and innovating themselves as the decision to kick long off a goal-line drop out opens up a drop-goal opportunity, and kicking short allows the attacking team to have the ball closer to the try-line.

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Features Benjamin Urdapilleta