What a Greg Inglis try assist can teach us about legislative interpretation

It was 2008 in an International Rugby League Test between Australia and New Zealand. From 10 metres out Jonathan Thurston put in a kick to his left wing where it hit the chest of Greg Inglis and bounced up and over the dead ball line. In a feat of amazing athletic ability, Inglis jumped from inside the in-goal area and over the dead ball line in order to bat the ball back behind him while in mid-air. The ball landed safely into the hands of Mark Gasnier. It was a pretty spectacular try.

There have been a number of similarly spectacular knock-back try assists since then, such as from Jake Mamo in 2015 or Kevin Proctor earlier this year. Each time they happen, they not only earn the jubilation of the commentators, but also four points for their team. So it may come as a bit of a surprise that all those tries, including Gasnier's back in 2008, were technically invalid for what might at first glance seem to be a very curious reason: they are all forward passes.