World Rugby announced on Thursday that it had announced three legal changes aimed at speeding up the game and making it more entertaining, along with a series of tests including 20-minute sanctions for red cards and shot clocks for scrums and lineouts.
The governing body has made amendments to offside for kicks in open play, options available from free kicks and the elimination of players ‘crocodile rolling’.
These “fan-focused” legal changes are aimed at promoting the flow of the ball and diversity of attacking options, while supporting player welfare.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “I would like to thank my colleagues across the game for embracing the spirit of comprehensively reviewing the entertainment element of rugby.”
From a kick in open play, it is no longer possible to put an opposing player onside when he catches the ball and runs 5 meters or passes the ball, reducing the amount of kick tennis in the game. It should be done.
It will also no longer be possible to select a scrum from a free kick. Free kicks must be tapped or kicked to encourage more ball flow.
The decision has already sparked huge criticism across the rugby world, with people on social media saying teams with weaker scrummaging skills should be awarded free kicks rather than taking part in set-piece battles where they know they are likely to lose. Many are suggesting that it will just be a matter of choice.
However, it is expected that repeated free-kick violations will result in a penalty and possibly further penalties such as a yellow card.
On the other hand, rolling, twisting or pulling a player (‘crocodile roll’) in the tackle area is prohibited and will result in penalties.
The law amendments will come into effect from July 1st.
World Rugby also announced a series of legal cases, including the ability to substitute red-carded players after 20 minutes and the introduction of a shot clock in setting up scrums and lineouts.
The 20-minute red card has long been supported in Australia and New Zealand, with the two national associations first applying the law to their domestic Super Rugby competitions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then the unified Super Rugby Pacific It was applied as part of the
In recent years, it has also been adopted in the Rugby Championship.
Other tests will include laws about having to play the ball after stopping a maul once instead of twice, and the ability to mark the ball inside the 22 from a restart.
We will also trial playing in lineouts, provided the ball is not thrown straight and the lineout is not contested, with the aim of protecting scrum-halves at the base of scrums, rucks and mauls. We also plan to trial another law that would allow this.
The nine cannot be played while the ball is still near the tackle, ruck or maul and the offside line of the scrum for the non-putting side of the scrum half is in the middle of the tunnel.
These closed trials apply to the Pacific Nations Cup, World Under-20 Championship and Trophy Tournaments, although other competitions may choose to participate in closed trials through consultation with World Rugby.
A wider review of these tests will then be submitted to the World Rugby Board in November, which will decide whether they will apply globally.
“Personally, I believe that legal changes and a series of closed-door trials will further enhance the entertainment element,” Beaumont said. “As with all trials, we will comprehensively review their effectiveness and incorporate feedback from across the game.”