GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
Who throws into the scrum when a Rugby Union ruck or maul becomes unplayable?
There is no single scrum-feed rule for both phases. At an unplayable ruck, the side last moving forward throws in. At an ordinary maul that ends unsuccessfully, the team without possession when the maul began throws in. If a maul forms immediately after a player directly catches an opponent’s open-play kick, the catcher’s team throws in instead. A failure to use the ball is a separate table entry.
For Viewers who see a stopped ruck and a stopped maul award scrum possession differently. · Updated
At an unplayable ruck, use the last-moving-forward side
Law 15.20 says the referee awards a scrum if the ball becomes unplayable and is unlikely to emerge within a reasonable time. The side last moving forward throws in. The law leaves “reasonable time” to the referee; it does not set a universal number of seconds.
At an ordinary unsuccessful maul, check who had possession at the start
A maul can end unsuccessfully for specified reasons, including an unplayable ball, a collapse not caused by foul play, no progress for longer than five seconds with the ball not emerging, or a ball-carrier going to ground without the ball immediately available. The scrum table generally gives the throw to the team that did not have possession when the maul began. If the referee cannot decide who had possession at the start, the table gives it to the team last moving forward before the maul stopped.
A direct catch of an opponent’s open-play kick changes the feed
If a maul forms immediately after a player directly catches an opponent’s kick in open play, Law 16.19 gives the scrum to the catcher’s team for any of the listed unsuccessful-maul reasons. This exception is specific to a direct catch followed immediately by maul formation; an opponent’s kick somewhere earlier in the phase is not enough.
A failure to use the ball is a separate scrum-table row
Do not use the unplayable-ruck rule as a general answer to a “use it” call. Law 15.17 starts the five-second requirement after the ball is clearly won at a ruck and available to play. The Law 19.1 table separately assigns a scrum for failure to use it at a scrum, ruck, or maul to the team not in possession. Identify the actual trigger before choosing the feed.
Check the competition’s governing edition
This guide uses World Rugby’s current 15-a-side digital laws checked on 15 October 2026. The July implementation notice does not establish which edition a named competition applies; check its rules and Union implementation.
Three fictional field-of-play phases
In a fictional ruck, Team A last moved forward before the ball became unplayable; Team A throws into the scrum. In a separate ordinary maul, Team A had possession when the maul began and the ball becomes unplayable; Team B throws in. In a third phase, Team A directly catches an opponent’s kick in open play and a maul forms immediately; when that maul ends unsuccessfully, Team A throws in under the specific exception. The facts establish each trigger and feed without judging a real contest.
Related questions
Does the defending team always get the scrum at an unplayable ruck?
No. Law 15.20 awards the throw to the side last moving forward, which depends on what happened in that ruck.
Who throws in after an ordinary unsuccessful maul?
The team that was not in possession at the start of the maul. The scrum table supplies a separate fallback if the referee cannot determine which team had possession.
Is a “use it” call the same as an unplayable ruck?
No. A five-second failure to use the ball after the required call is a separate scrum-table trigger with its own feed allocation.