How do I work out which team throws in, and from where?
Rule- South Africa
- SA Rugby
- Club and schools rugby
- All ages
- Assistant referees
- Touch judges
- World Rugby laws
- 2026
- Match officials
From Law 18.8, the main cases:
| What happened | Mark of touch | Who throws |
|---|---|---|
| Ball-carrier goes into touch, or ball is kicked and bounces into touch | Where the player or ball crossed the touchline | Opposition |
| Ball unintentionally knocked, passed or thrown into touch | Where it reached the touchline | Opposition |
| Kick directly into touch from outside the 22 (open play or free-kick) | In line with the kick or where it went out, whichever is nearer the kicker's try line (no gain in ground) | Non-kicking team |
| Kick directly into touch from inside own 22 after the kicking team took the ball back into the 22 (no tackle, ruck or maul, no opponent touched it) | No gain in ground, as above | Non-kicking team |
| Kick directly into touch from inside own 22 otherwise | Where it went out | Non-kicking team |
| Penalty kicked to touch | Where it went out | Kicking team |
| Missed penalty goal goes into touch | Where it went out (not within 5 m of the try line) | Non-kicking team |
Added 21 Oct 2026