[Yareet]

Interesting ideas from our SH friends as they look to "further reduce stoppages, inspire positive play and simplify the officiating of the game"

It will no longer be mandatory for the referee to issue a yellow or red card to a player on the defending team when awarding a penalty try. Any sanction will be at the discretion of the referee. (Law 8.3)

Accidental offsides and teams delaying playing the ball away from a ruck will result in free kicks rather than scrums. (Law 10.5 and Law 15.17)

After the referee has called “use it” at the ruck, no additional players from the team in possession may join the ruck. (Law 15.17)

Teams will be permitted to pass the ball back into their half before kicking a 50:22. (Law 18.8a)

Players will be allowed to take quick taps within one metre either side of the of the mark, or anywhere behind the mark, if they are within that two-metre channel running parallel to the touchlines. (Law 20.2)

The TMO will only intervene unprompted if the referee has overlooked an act of serious foul play (yellow card level or above), or a clear and obvious infringement leading to a try. The assistance of the TMO at any other time can only be instigated by the referee

Not sure how much difference being able to pass back for a 50:22 makes. Defence will still set up the same way once you've crossed the 10m line. And any reason to remove scrums is by definition a bad thing

[The Back Row]

Hear hear - scrums and lineouts should be made better, not eradicated. They are what makes our sport unique.

The idea that people are turned off by core parts of the game is folly - make them faster to set up by all means. But eradicating them is stupid.

[Flumpty]

Hear hear - scrums and lineouts should be made better, not eradicated. They are what makes our sport unique.

The idea that people are turned off by core parts of the game is folly - make them faster to set up by all means. But eradicating them is stupid.

I was reading at the weekend that the French refs are pinging teams for squint feeds at the scrums (as they should be, but noone does) and lo and behold, the scrum has become an active part of the game again, where a proper contest for the ball can take place.

[poyntonshark]

Many have said for years that the squint feed is the scrums single biggest problem, only to be ignored by the lawmakers. Referees were instructed to tell us that they had more important things to be looking at.

I'm not sure that much of what is being proposed will speed the game up. I thought that proposed for TMO interference was already the case, but I suppose they do call the odd forward pass that isn't in a try scoring move. The only issue I have is the free kicks for delaying rucks, but as I type I think I have interpreted that wrongly.

@Yareet
Players will be allowed to take quick taps within one metre either side of the of the mark, or anywhere behind the mark, if they are within that two-metre channel running parallel to the touchlines. (Law 20.2)

Harlequins are already allowed to take their tap from anywhere within the same post code as the mark.

[eBike]

Super Rugby Pacific starts on Feb 13 so we'll soon have evidence of how these changes influence the game. I for one look forward to it

[dinogyro]

The quick tap proposal is typical of rugby. My reading is you can only do it in the 2 metre channel. Make a good rule, then spoil it by adding some detail that make it hard to remember and enforce. Like the one where you can kick the ball, even if you are standing in touch.

[Surbiton_Shark]

After the referee has called “use it” at the ruck, no additional players from the team in possession may join the ruck. (Law 15.17)


Must admit - quite liked this one

[Yareet]

The quick tap proposal is typical of rugby. My reading is you can only do it in the 2 metre channel. Make a good rule, then spoil it by adding some detail that make it hard to remember and enforce. Like the one where you can kick the ball, even if you are standing in touch.

I seem to remember you’re already fine to take a quick tap within 1m of the mark (i.e. in a 2m channel). This just allows you to be anywhere behind the mark in that 2m channel.

I can’t see it being any more difficult than the current law

[SSR]

So you can potentially run 10m before reaching the site of the infringement. Do the players still
have to retreat the full 10 metres from the infringement before tackling the player?

[dinogyro]

The quick tap proposal is typical of rugby. My reading is you can only do it in the 2 metre channel. Make a good rule, then spoil it by adding some detail that make it hard to remember and enforce. Like the one where you can kick the ball, even if you are standing in touch.

I seem to remember you’re already fine to take a quick tap within 1m of the mark (i.e. in a 2m channel). This just allows you to be anywhere behind the mark in that 2m channel.

I can’t see it being any more difficult than the current law

Ah, I read it as within 2M of the touchline, not a 2M channel either side of the mark. Good thing I'm not a ref!