THE CHAMPIONS CUP and Challenge Cup return this weekend with four tweaks to the law.

World Rugby is implementing these four amendments as ‘global law trials’ in all competitions commencing from 1 January 2025 and despite the EPCR tournaments having started last month, they will be introduced to the Champions and Challenge Cups.

EPCR hopes the changes can “promote speed, space, and contest” for the benefit of fans and players.

Match officials – including Ireland’s Eoghan Cross, who makes his Champions Cup debut as the referee for Stade Français’ clash with Northampton – will be focusing on these four areas.

Protect the scrum-half

There are a trio of elements to this change, all of which are designed to give scrum-halves more space to pass the ball away from cluttered areas.

Firstly, players like Caelan Doris will no longer be able to reach out from rucks and grab the scrum-half’s arm as in the manner below.

This confusing-looking law hack had become increasingly common in recent season, with the Champions Cup final between Leinster and Toulouse last year featuring several examples.

At that stage in May last year, World Rugby had already set the wheels in motion to outlaw this defensive play. Following trials in the U20 World Championship and elsewhere, the law trial is now in the process of being adopted in all competitions at all levels of the game.

So any defender who is, or was, part of the ruck may not play an attacking player who is near the ruck and who is attempting to play the ball away. “Near” is defined as within one metre of the ruck and the sanction is a penalty.

The change also means that defenders who are in mauls can no longer grab the attacking scrum-half as they look to play the ball away.

So any defender who is, or was, part of the maul may not play an attacking player near it and who is attempting to play the ball away. “Near” is defined as within one metre of the maul and the sanction is a penalty.

The third part of this amendment means that defensive scrum-halves can no longer come around towards the back of the attacking scrum and apply pressure there. 

The defensive scrum-half can go no further than the centre line of the tunnel of the scrum made up by the two front rows.

The intention again is to clear up the back of the attacking scrum so the ball can be played away more cleanly. We’ve all seen defensive scrum-halves pouncing on their counterparts or the opposition number eight to stop a scrum attack before it even gets going, but that can’t happen anymore as they’re no longer allowed past the front rows.

These law tweaks around protecting scrum-halves were in play during last year’s Rugby Championship. Many observers probably didn’t notice much change given that the tweaks mean things cannot happen any longer, but life was a little simpler for attacking scrum-halves. 

Perhaps the most noticeable change was around scrum-halves defending from scrums and the increased time the attacking side had there. So look out for the positioning of defensive scrum-halves and how teams search for new space to attack around the scrum.

Crooked throws

This change means that crooked throws won’t be called as such if the defending team doesn’t jump in the lineout.

Crooked throws won't be called unless they're contested in the air. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

The simple rationale here is to remove unnecessary additional stoppages in the game.

Again, this has been trialled in other competitions before now.

While getting into the air to contest lineouts could be more important than ever, given that crooked throws won’t be called up otherwise, defensive teams must still consider their maul defence and not wasting bodies by jumping for lost causes.

This change doesn’t seem likely to cause much confusion but it will be interesting if an obviously crooked throw is uncontested and the attacking team scores directly from that lineout. It may prove hard to digest for the team who concedes.

Speed up scrums and lineouts

This law trial means that match officials are being asked to enforce a 30-second set-up time for both lineouts and scrums.

Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

30-second lineout and scrum set-ups were supposed to be part of the recent Autumn Nations Series but didn’t transpire consistently, with some scrum set-ups still taking more than a minute.

Referees have always felt the need not to rush players in such a physically demanding area of the game but the law is now demanding that they speed up the scrum, as well as reminding teams to get into the lineout within 30 seconds and avoid ‘conferences’ to discuss their calling plans.

There won’t be any countdown clocks for this, so it’s up to the match officials to manage on the pitch. No doubt some fans will have their stopwatches out in the hope that the set-pieces really do speed up.

Quicker conversions

Conversions must now be taken within 60 seconds of a try being scored, whereas previously kickers were allowed 90 seconds.

EPCR says this will be managed by an on-screen shot clock “where possible.”

The 60-second limit applies even if the ball falls off the kicker’s tee and has to be placed again.