WORLD RUGBY HAS approved 10 optional law trials which are designed to help rugby unions reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission as the sport gets going again.
The law trials include the removal of the choke tackle, an orange card, no scrum resets, and goal line drop-outs.
The temporary law trials are completely optional and can be implemented in a pick-and-choose fashion or completely ignored by World Rugby’s unions.
In acknowledging that “sustained close contact carries greater Covid-19 transmission risk than close proximity,” World Rugby is essentially looking at ways to reduce the amount of time players spend in scrums, mauls, and rucks, as well as lowering the height of tackles.
New Zealand Rugby has already confirmed it will not be using any of the trials as Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks-off on 13 June, and it’s understood the rest of professional rugby will follow suit.
World Rugby says the 10 optional law trials – which are based on an analysis of 60 rugby matches and were considered by its specialist Law Review Group – could be used “at elite or community levels” of the game.
The governing body claims that the law trials could “reduce scrum contact exposure by more than 30%, reduce contact exposure at the ruck by up to 25%, and reduce maul contact exposure by at least 50%.”
World Rugby has also approved additional hygiene measures to be used as rugby returns, including ball sanitisation and no spitting.
The 10 optional law amendments are as follows:
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1. Remove scrum resets when no infringement occurs [e.g. a collapse]
Instead of a reset, the referee would award a free-kick to the team who had the put-in to the scrum. With an average of 3.5 reset scrums per match, this would reduce transmission risk by 30%.
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2. Hookers must use a ‘brake foot’ to aid scrum stability
If they don’t, the offending team would be punished with a free-kick. The idea here is to increase stability on scrum engagement in order to reduced the need for resets.
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3. No scrum option on penalties or free-kicks
This is a straightforward – again, avoid scrums. World Rugby says there are 1.3 scrum penalties per match, so this change would result in the reduction of close-proximity playing time by two minutes.
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4. Goal line drop-out when an attacker is held up in-goal or knocks on in-goal
Again, this is to avoid scrums where possible. There are an average of 0.8 scrums on the five-metre line per match, so this would mean a two-minute reduction of close-proximity playing time.
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5. The introduction of an orange card [for possible red-card high tackle offences]
This would apply where a TMO/Citing/Hawkeye review is available. When the referee and their match officials are unsure of the sanction for a high tackle offence, the offending player would be removed from play while a review into their tackle takes place.
If deemed a red-card offence, the player does not return. If it’s a yellow card or penalty only, the player returns after 15 minutes. So even if it’s only a penalty, the offending team would have been reduced to 14 players for a 15-minute period.
The idea here is to change players’ behaviour from upright tackles to lower tackles, therefore reducing the transmission risk.
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6. Remove the choke tackle [and subsequent scrum reward for defensive teams]
With this trial, choke tackles would be called simply as tackles – rather than mauls – and teams would then have to present the ball and play.
World Rugby says there are 0.7 choke tackles per match – of which 70% become unplayable – and 25 upright tackles per match. The removal of choke tackles would ensure fewer players are involved in higher transmission risk activities.
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7. The ruck “use it” duration time is reduced from five seconds to three seconds
If a team doesn’t use the ball in three seconds after the referee calls “use it”, a free-kick would be awarded against them. The idea here is to ensure rucks don’t last as long as usual.
World Rugby says there are 14 “use it” calls per match. This law trial would result in a 25% reduction in close-proximity contact time at the tackle/ruck.
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8. No scrum for failure to “use it” at scrum, ruck, or maul
It’s simply a free-kick instead, with no option to pack down a scrum. World Rugby envisages quick-taps rather than the high-risk close proximity that is involved in a scrum.
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9. No one can join a maul if they’re not in it at the start
The sanction for someone joining a maul after it has started would be a free-kick. World Rugby says that capping the number of players who can join a maul in turn caps the proximity risk.
There are 8.2 lineout mauls per match and 60% of lineout mauls have all eight forwards involved.
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10. Only one forward movement at each maul
Again, the sanction would be a free-kick. World Rugby says that reducing the permitted forward movements of each maul to one would potentially halve total close-proximity time. So you can have one good effort at driving the maul forward and that’s it.
Generally, there are 9.3 mauls per match with an average of 12 seconds per movement.
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It remains to be seen which unions, if any, implement World Rugby’s optional and temporary law trials as the sport attempts to resume after the shutdown caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
World Rugby has also recommended the following hygiene measures around training sessions and games:
- Mandatory hand and face sanitisation pre- and post-match
- Regular ball sanitisation before, during and after matches
- Single-user water bottles/hydration
- Changing of jerseys, shorts and headgear at half-time where possible
- Prevention of huddles and celebrations involving contact
- Prevention of spitting and nose clearance
World Rugby recommends the following training measures:
- Forwards units – high risk transmission activity such as an eight-person scrum should be undertaken against a machine to limit exposure. Packs should be trained separately.
- Scrum and maul practice should take place at the end of a training session, preferably a day before a ‘down day’ to allow 24-48 hours before collective training.
- High transmission risk training should be avoided within 48 hours of a game.
The Ulster lads will be going mad to get their hands on the orange card
@alphasully: careful now Father Maguire…
The idea a choke tackle will increase your chance of getting covid on a field where everyone was just tested any more than say being in a lineout or ruck is patently absurd. Its like bringing a rule into soccer to say you cant kick the ball above waist high to avoid lads going up for headers
@TESSERACT2020:
all players to wear snorke and diving mask.
Players must not exhale inside their own 22 and once over the half way line only breathe through one nostril.
Any player caught taking more than 100 breaths per half will be green carded
We can all make up rubbish if we want.
@TESSERACT2020: they would have been tested a few days previously at best…its all about prevention….the closer u are for longer brings more risk….so this is mitigating against that and brings the risk down…not that hard to understand
What a load of cobblers
@Chris Mc: 100%. Just dont play until numbers are low enough and swab the squads week of the game and check temperatures like they’re doing. The game is goosed if these laws are implemented. If any player is worried about contracting the virus, just opt out
I can’t understand the Orange Card
First of all, why 15 minutes for an orange card where it is determined the offence isnt a red card. A yellow is 10 minutes.
Secondly a 15 minute sanction for Penaly Only??? That one I just can’t get my head around.
@Ian Frizzell: same as that Ian. That ones a real head scratcher all right.
@Ian Frizzell: the basic idea is to encourage people to get lower in the tackle, do that and you wont have to worry about it.
No
No
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No
Keep it the same.
Looking more and more like rugby league every day.
@David Delahunty: thats exactly what I was thinking. Basically replace scrums with free kicks and stop forwards from getting involved. The defensive lines will be packed
No choke tackle will add 5 years to Sextons career
Like every rule change since the game began, this will coincidentally suit New Zealand.
@TESSERACT2020: set up for a scrum, one of your front row is not set correctly break up take a quick free kick. Then your 8 backrowers don’t ever have to set a scrum at all.
@TESSERACT2020: Japan even more so! Will suit the fitter faster teams
@TESSERACT2020: Funny that NZ have decided not to implement them so.
These are OPTIONAL Covid-19 temporary law changes to allow rugby to return in all jurisdictions as quickly as possible. In other words, if the irish government indicated that no sport with more than 10 minutes of physical contact were allowed to return, the IRFU would have no choice but to implement these laws, particularly at youths or amateur level.
Personally, I am in favour of 2, 7, 9 & 10 regardless of COVID-19 to cut out some of the nonsense that goes on in the scrum and maul.
In addition, I agree 100% with the disposable water bottles and banning spitting or nose clearing.
The only one I could see being used is removing scrum resets
RIP rugby.
Might as well just get rid of the scrum altogether. Replace it with a tap and go.
The scrum is an integral part of rugby union. These look like an attempt to get rid of it altogether. Why not reduce the number of players per team by two and be damned.
If rugby authorities recognise that the scrum is a potential high risk area why not award a free kick automatically instead? It will help move the game along and will keep it interesting…
@Con Cussed: because we would then have a pack of 8 backrowers
@Chris Mc: it would mean some changes, might change the game too much ;(
@Con Cussed: I can’t see anything skillful or attractive about these pushover scrums where a try is awarded.Any big heap of mutton can achieve this.It can not be right that this try has the same value as that following a passing movement or a deft chip kick.
Any player from one to fifteen is cable of getting these mauled over try’s which is equal to five points,how many players are capable of kicking a drop goal which is only worth three points or even a meaningful touch kick.
This game needs to be up skilled and should no longer accommodate players with no kicking or ball handling skills.
Look to the Spring Boks or France if you want to remain relevant.
All this energy would be better devoted to convincing governments of what sport contributes to GDP and insist on bailouts like they are giving to other industries!
Huge rugby fan and miss it to bits but checking temperatures is a cynical way in every sport to get it up and running. You don’t have symptoms when you are contagious!
Plus transmission can happen with one minuscule contact so reducing the number of contacts in a game is just ridiculous ! We’re putting enormous pressures on players to “play ball” but they have family and friends at risk too.
These sound like the sort of rules that bitter aul fellas come up with in the clubhouse after seeing their team get destroyed by a visiting side. “Ah here, we’d have won if they weren’t allowed to scrum down against us, lads”
This is almost Waterford Whisperers stuff – that they have published such a load of rubbish implies they really do not understand the problem in hand.
Genuinely embarrassed that rugby has made this perceived contribution to a solution
Why can’t people especially in the media get rugby law terminology correct. Can someone find “choke tackle” in rugby law book and under what law is it? It’s not there. Law 14 states Tackle is defined as a player carrying the ball and held by an opponent and brought to ground while carrying the ball. Holding a player up is not a tackle there is no mention of the term “choke tackle” which actually a maul which is under Law 16 : when a ball carrier is bound by a player from both sides. If the ball becomes unplayable the ball carrier’s team loses possession through the awarding of a scrum.
There goes the game I love. I am thankful for having been able to play when it was less complicated and a joy to participate in
Hold up the attacker and you get a drop out? Serious reward and a lot of risk for attacking team
@Eoin Scanlon: back to use it or lose it. Take the ball into contact and you don’t get it back they get the kick out.
More straightforward just to abolish scrums altogether, the sport might become less boring as a result.
Rule 1 should be brought in permanently. Scrum resets waste so much time.