Law experiments move to New Zealand

The experiments in possible law changes which started in Stellenbosch, moved north and then went south to Sydney will now move further south the New Zealand.

In Stellenbosch the laboratory was the residence league, in England in the County Championship and in Scotland the Scottish Super Cup. In Sydney it is the Shute Shield and in New Zealand it will be the Men’s B competition which will run from 25 August to 20 October.

After the World Cup possible changes will be debated by the International Rugby Board’s Council. Any changes that will be made are likely to be introduced in the middle of 2008, that is after the Northern Hemisphere’s competitions and after the Super 14.

New Zealand will test the eight proposed new rugby law variations which concern line-outs, the breakdown area, scrums, mauls and play inside the 22m area.

The experimental law variations being tested are formulated as follows, with commentary,:

Flag Judges (FJs)

1. To distinguish the new role of the touch judges, they have been renamed flag judges. FJs can indicate off-side at the tackle by raising their flag horizontally in the direction of the offending team. This flag raising will be mirrored by the opposite FJ so as to provide visual assistance to the referee. The referee however is not obliged to act on the offence.

Posts and flags around the field

2. Corner post, and post at corner of touch in goal and dead ball line are moved back 2 metres. This ensures consistency of touch along the entire length of the touch line and touch in goal line.

Inside the 22 metre line

3. When a defending player receives the ball outside the 22 metre line and passes, puts or takes the ball back inside the 22, the following can occur.

a. If the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the line-out is in line with where the ball was kicked.
b. If a tackle, ruck or maul is subsequently formed and the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the line-out is where the ball crossed the touch line.

Line-out

4. On a quick throw in, the ball can be thrown straight or backwards towards the defenders goal line, but not forward towards the opposition goal line.

5. A player peeling off at the front of the line-out can do so as soon as the ball leaves the throwers hands.

6. The receiver in a line-out must stand 2 metres from the line-out.

7. The non-throwing hooker does not have to stand between the five-metre line and the touch line. They must conform to law wherever they stand.

8. There is no maximum number of players in the line-out but there is a minimum of 2.

9. Neither team determines numbers in the line-out.

10. Pre-gripping is allowed.

11. If a line-out throw is not straight, the option is a line-out or free kick (FK) to non throwing team.

Breakdown (tackle/post tackle)

12. Players entering the breakdown area must do so through the gate.

13. Immediately the tackle occurs there are off-side lines.

14. The off-side lines run parallel to the goal lines through the hindmost part of the hindmost player at the tackle.

15. A tackled player must immediately play the ball and may not be prevented from playing the ball by any player who is off their feet.

16. Any other player playing the ball at the breakdown must be on their feet.

17. If the ball is unplayable at the breakdown, the side that did not take the ball into contact will receive a FK.

18. If the ball is received directly from a kick and a tackle occurs immediately, and the ball becomes unplayable, the FK is given to the team who received the kick.

19. There are only 3 penalty offences (not including dangerous play) at the breakdown.

a. off-side for not coming through the gate.
b. off-side where defenders are in front of the last man on their side of the breakdown. i.e. the off-side line
c. A tackled player must immediately play the ball and may not be prevented from playing the ball by any player who is off their feet

20. Repeated infringements can be dealt with as per current law.

21. All FKs are tap kicks including a mark, and a scrum option is available for all FKs.

22. Dangerous play will not be tolerated, e.g. diving over the breakdown.

23. The scrumhalf should not be touched unless he has his hands on the ball.

Maul

24. Defending players can pull down the maul.

25. Players joining the maul must do so through the gate.

26. If a maul becomes unplayable, the team not in possession at the start of the maul receives a FK.

27. The ‘truck and trailer’ is no longer an offence.

Scrum

28. The off-side line for players who are not in the scrum and who are not the teams scrumhalf, is 5 metres behind the hindmost foot of the scrum.

Sanctions

26. For all offences other than off-side, not entering through the gate, and Law 10-Foul Play, the sanction is a FK.