Rugby term
Jackaling
Definition
Jackaling is when a player stays on their feet over a tackled opponent and uses their hands to win the ball before a ruck forms.
What a jackal does
A jackal is a player who arrives at a tackle, stays on their feet and reaches down to take the ball from the tackled player. The laws call this player the jackler or stealer: the first team-mate of the tackler to arrive. A player who helped make the tackle must clearly release the ball carrier before contesting the ball.
The tackler can also play the ball, once back on their feet and from their own side, as long as no ruck has formed (Law 14). A successful jackal either wins the ball outright or wins a penalty when the tackled player holds on.
What makes it legal
To jackal legally, a player must:
- be on their feet, with no other part of the body supported by the ground or by players on the ground (Law 14)
- arrive from the direction of their own try line, not from the side (Law 14)
- get their hands on the ball before a ruck forms (Law 15)
- not fall on or over the tackled player or the ball (Law 13)
When a ruck forms
Timing decides the contest. As soon as a player from each team is on their feet, in contact and over the ball, a ruck has formed (Law 15). From then on nobody may handle the ball, except a player who already had their hands on it before the ruck formed and has stayed on their feet (Law 15). So a jackal who got there first can keep contesting, but one who reaches in after the ruck forms is penalised.
What the referee does
If the jackal is legal and the tackled player does not release the ball, the referee awards a penalty kick against the tackled player for not releasing (Law 14). If the jackal is off their feet, came in from the side, or reaches into a ruck that has already formed, the penalty goes the other way (Laws 14 and 15).
A common example
A winger is tackled near halfway. The opposing flanker arrives first, plants their feet beside the tackled player and gets both hands on the ball. The winger holds on, the referee blows, and the flanker's team has a penalty. Had an attacker arrived a moment earlier and made contact over the ball before the flanker's hands got there, a ruck would have formed and the flanker could not have handled the ball.
Common questions
What is a jackal in rugby?
A jackal is a player who stays on their feet over a tackled opponent and tries to win the ball with their hands before a ruck forms.
Is jackaling legal in rugby?
Yes, if the player is on their feet, came from the direction of their own try line, and has their hands on the ball before a ruck forms (Laws 14 and 15).
When does a jackal have to let go of the ball?
A jackal who had their hands on the ball before a ruck formed may keep playing it, as long as they stay on their feet. If they go off their feet, they must let go (Law 15).
What penalty does a jackal win?
Usually not releasing. The tackled player must make the ball available immediately, so holding on while a legal jackal contests it is a penalty kick (Law 14).
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