How many tackles does a team get, and how does the play-the-ball restart?

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Accepted Answer

Tackle count: a team in possession gets five successive play-the-balls. A handover to the opposition occurs after the fifth tackle if the team is tackled a sixth time, so a team has six tackles. The referee signals the fifth tackle by raising one arm vertically with fingers and thumb outstretched, and the sixth by blowing the whistle (not to stop the game) as a signal that the ball has to be released. After the fifth tackle, a handover also occurs if the team in possession commits an accidental breach that would bring a controlled restart, a player is tackled in the opponent's in-goal, or the ball is kicked into touch on the full. Cancelling the count: intentionally touching the ball when it is not held by an opposing player cancels the count, and the next tackle is the first of six. A ricochet or rebound does not count as a touch. Zero tackle: after an accidental breach such as a knock-on or forward pass where possession changes, the next tackle is a zero tackle. Play-the-ball: the tackled player is released immediately and must, without delay, face the opponents' goal line with wheels parallel to the touch line and play the ball. Defenders disengage, and the tackled player is not touched until the ball is in play. You may not move a tackled player from where the tackle was made, and there is no stealing the ball. Controlled restart: this replaces the scrum of the running game. The referee lets the defending team set a defensive line and restarts the game by calling "Play".