A defender can get both hands on the ball at a breakdown and still concede a penalty. The key is not simply whether the player touches the ball: it is whether the player arrives legally, stays on their feet, releases any tackle involvement, and gets hands to the ball before a ruck forms.
World Rugby’s current law materials now use stealer alongside the familiar term jackler. A June 2026 clarification also addresses what happens after a ruck contest has clearly ended. That clarification concerns the scrum-half playing the ball away; it does not create a new way to steal the ball while the contest is live. The core requirements remain in Laws 14 and 15.
In common rugby language, jackaling is a defender’s attempt to win a ball on the ground after a tackle. World Rugby’s definition calls the jackler or stealer the first arriving teammate of the tackler at the tackle. That player must remain on their feet and contest directly onto the ball. If they were already involved in the tackle, they must first clearly release the ball carrier before contesting.
The key timing point is the distinction between a tackle contest and a ruck. A ruck forms when at least one player from each team is in contact, on their feet, over the ball on the ground. Before that happens, an eligible defender can compete with their hands under the tackle laws. Once a ruck has formed, Law 15.11 generally bars players from handling the ball. The exception is narrow: the player must have got their hands on the ball before the ruck formed and must have stayed on their feet.
The defender must approach from the direction of their own try line before playing the ball. In practical terms, the player needs to come through the tackle area from their team’s side, rather than reaching across the bodies from the side or from the attacking team’s side. A fast arrival does not excuse a side entry. World Rugby’s breakdown guidance tells officials to enforce the tackle gate and penalize side entries.
The player must be supported by their feet, not by a knee, hip, torso, or another player on the ground. Bending low is allowed; collapsing onto the ball is not. Hands on the ball are part of the contest, but a hand planted on the turf to hold the player’s body up can mean the player is off their feet. The law defines a player as on their feet when no other part of the body is supported by the ground or a grounded player. Referees may use judgment where a hand touches down briefly for balance, but a player cannot go to ground and reset into a steal.
A defender who made the tackle has extra duties. Once both players go to ground, the tackler must immediately release the ball and ball carrier, move away from them and the ball or get up, and be on their feet before playing the ball. They must also allow the tackled player to release or play the ball and move away. The tackler can then contest from the direction of their own try line if a ruck has not formed and those duties have been met. A tackler who keeps an arm wrapped around the carrier, pins the carrier’s arm, or fails to make a clear release risks a penalty before the ball contest even begins.
The first defender has to make a genuine, direct attempt to play the ball. World Rugby’s breakdown guidance says the jackler should be in a strong position to lift, with hands on the ball. It also says the player must support their body weight throughout. That gives the referee visible evidence of a contest for possession rather than a player simply blocking the opponent from reaching the ball. If an opponent gets into contact over the ball first and a ruck forms before the defender has hands on it, the defender must stop trying to pick the ball up.
The tackled player also has responsibilities. They must immediately make the ball available by releasing, passing, pushing, or placing it, then move away or get up. A carrier cannot lawfully lie over or near the ball to prevent the opposition from gaining possession. If the carrier fails to release, the referee may penalize the attacking side; that does not give a defender permission to use an illegal entry or play the ball from the ground.
Opponents may remove a jackler by pushing or driving them backward, including by grabbing the knee or leg, but they must not roll, pull, or twist an opponent to the ground. World Rugby’s July 2024 wording expressly eliminated the crocodile roll and prohibits dropping weight onto an opponent or targeting the lower limbs. A legal steal does not give the jackler immunity from a lawful push, and a cleanout does not make a dangerous or twisting removal legal.
In June 2026, World Rugby clarified that when the contest for possession at a ruck is clearly over and the ball is secured, officials may allow the scrum-half to move beyond the back foot and play the ball away to maintain continuity. The clarification says it applies only once the contest is clearly over. It also points officials to the instruction to call “use it” as soon as the ball is clearly won and available.
For a defender trying to jackal, the practical lesson is to separate the live contest from the phase that follows. Before a ruck forms, the defender must satisfy the tackle requirements and get hands on the ball in time. Once a ruck forms, Law 15.11 controls handling. After possession is clearly won and the contest is over, the 2026 clarification helps explain why the scrum-half may be allowed to play the ball away. It does not authorize a late steal after the ruck has formed.
World Rugby’s 2025 law-book update also changed the preferred terminology from “jackal/jackler” to “steal/stealer.” Coaches, commentators, and fans still commonly say “jackal,” so both terms remain useful when reading match analysis. The laws are published by World Rugby; competition organizers can also issue applicable regulations, and modified formats may use different variations.
If the answer to each relevant question is yes, the steal is generally legal under the current World Rugby framework. The referee still judges what happened in real time: who arrived first, when the ruck formed, whether the tackler released, and whether the defender remained on their feet. In close contests, those details—not the defender’s reputation as a jackler—decide the call.
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