Quote ="shinymcshine"When Briers caught the ball from kick-off, he'd delibrately kept a foot out of play, hence we got a penalty on halfway for it 'going out on the full'.
IIRC this law was ammended a few years ago and players were now effectively prevented for using this ploy. Was Phil Bentham wrong with his decision, has the rule reverted, or is it just me?'"
The rule was amended to stop players putting a foot over the dead ball line and batting a bouncing ball out of play thus gaining a tap on the 20 instead of a drop out. As far as catching the ball on the full with a foot behind the line goes, that is classed as the ball going out on the full & is therefore a penalty from where the ball was kicked from (ie halfway). Same as taking the ball on the full with one foot over the sideline will result in a scrum/handover from where the ball was kicked but if the ball bounces in either situation it is "live" and catching it with one foot over the line will be either a drop out or scrum to the kicking side at point of departure from field.
HTH