Zero on the clock does not decide every ending
Law 5 contains exceptions to the half ending when the ball next becomes dead after time expires. One concerns a penalty kicked to touch directly, without first being tapped or touching another player. This can allow the ensuing lineout.
Imagine a team awarded a penalty as the clock reaches the end. The kicker sends it directly to touch and the forwards prepare a lineout. A viewer who treats any ball crossing touch as the final act will miss the exception.
Keep the kind of kick in the record
Compare an ordinary open-play clearance with a penalty kicked directly to touch. Both finish beyond the same touchline, but they do not carry the same end-of-half history. The restart entitlement comes from the penalty sequence.
Watch whether the ball was first tapped or touched another player; those details are part of the stated condition. Do not infer them from the final lineout formation alone. The original example explains why play can continue beyond the displayed time, not a guarantee that every penalty or every kick into touch creates unlimited extra phases. Follow the specific exception and the referee’s signals.
Questions answered
Does touch always end the half once time has expired?
No. Law 5 includes specified exceptions.
Is an open-play kick to touch the same sequence?
No. The penalty and its direct path matter here.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.