- IRB Council approves trials for five Law amendments
- Full Union consultation and amendment evaluation undertaken
- Laws Representative Group comprises Union technical experts
- Successful trials undertaken at Cambridge and Stellenbosch
- TMO jurisdiction extension trial approved for elite competition
The International Rugby Board and its Member Unions have
sanctioned a global trial of five aspects of Law amendments following an
extensive process of consultation and evaluation.
The trial, approved by
the IRB Council at its Annual Meeting in Dublin on Tuesday, will commence at the
start of the next season in each hemisphere (August 2012 in the north and
January 2013 in the south) and will be applicable to both international and
domestic competition.
Aspects of Law approved for trial include limiting
the time that the ball is available at the back of a ruck and the positioning of
taking a quick throw-in. In addition to the suite of seven Laws approved for
global trial, three additional trials will operate during 2012.
A trial
extension of the jurisdiction of the Television Match Official will be
introduced later this year, while the number of nominated replacements in Test
Rugby will be increased to eight for a trial in the November window.
The
global trial has been sanctioned after an unprecedented evaluation process that
kicked off with submissions and recommendations for 20 potential amendments from
Member Unions and has culminated with recent trials of amendments to seven
aspects of Law as a package at dedicated playing environments in Cambridge and
Stellenbosch.
This evaluation process is in line with the remit of the
Laws Amendment Process approved by the IRB Council in December 2009.
Unlike previous amendment processes, the process of selection,
monitoring and evaluation has been steered by an independent Laws Representative
Group, comprising technical representatives from each of the 10 Tier 1 Unions
covering elite and community Rugby and representatives of the IRB Rugby
Committee.
Extensive evaluation of the Cambridge and Stellenbosch
University trials undertaken earlier this year determined that each of the seven
amendments could have a positive effect on the Game or clarify existing areas of
Law and therefore a recommendation was made to the IRB Council via the IRB Rugby
Committee to approve a global trial of all seven amendments.
The five
Law amendments to be trialled globally are:
1. Law 16.7 (Ruck): The
ball has to be used within five seconds of it being made available at the back
of a ruck with a warning from the referee to “use it”. Sanction – Scrum.
2. 19.2 (b) (Quick Throw-In) For a quick throw in, the player may be
anywhere outside the field of play between the line of touch and the player’s
goal line.
3. 19.4 (who throws in) When the ball goes into touch from a
knock-on, the non-offending team will be offered the choice of a lineout at the
point the ball crossed the touch line; or a scrum at the place of the knock-on.
The non-offending team may exercise this option by taking a quick throw-in.
4. 21.4 Penalty and free kick options and requirements: Lineout
alternative. A team awarded a penalty or a free kick at a lineout may choose a
further lineout, they throw in. This is in addition to the scrum option.
5. A conversion kick must be completed within one minute 30 seconds
from the time that a try has been awarded.In addition to the global
trials, the IRB Council approved three specific additional trials:
1. A
trial to extend the jurisdiction of the TMO to incidents within the field of
play that have led to the scoring of a try and foul play in the field of play to
take place at an appropriate elite competition in order that a protocol can be
developed for the November 2012 Tests.
2. A trial has been sanctioned
for the November 2012 Test window permitting international teams to nominate up
to eight replacements in the match day squad for Test matches. In line with
current practice at domestic elite Rugby level, the additional player must be a
qualified front row player.
3. An amendment to Law 3.4 (Sevens
Variation) to enable Sevens teams to nominate up to five
replacements/substitutes. Under the revision, which will operate from June 1
2012, a team may substitute or replace up to five players during a match.
Approval has been granted on player welfare grounds to recognise the additional
demands on players and squads owing to the expansion of the HSBC Sevens World
Series where there are three blocks of three events on consecutive weekends.
Council also approved the referral by the Laws Representative Group of
one potential Law amendment that was successfully trialled at Cambridge and
Stellenbosch for further consideration by the specialist Scrum Steering Group
(overseeing scrum force project) to be considered alongside the ongoing review
of the scrum.
The amendment that will be considered by the Group relates
to the engagement sequence and will see the referee call “crouch” then “touch”.
The front rows crouch then touch and using outside arm each prop touches the
point of the opposing prop’s outside shoulder. The props then withdraw their
arms. The referee will then call “set” when the front rows are ready. The front
rows may then set the scrum.
“We have a collective responsibility to
ensure that the Game is as enjoyable to play, officiate and watch as possible at
every level while player welfare is of paramount importance,” said IRB Chairman
Bernard Lapasset.
“Rugby is currently in good health with participation
growing around the world, but there is collective responsibility to ensure that
a structured process can be implemented to allow for global analysis and to
monitor trends relating to the shape and character of the Game as it evolves.”
“The approval of five aspects of Law for global trial is the culmination
of the Laws Amendment Process which was agreed by the IRB Council in 2009. The
journey to this point has been exhaustive and collaborative and has involved
full stakeholder consultation and I would like to thank Member Unions for their
buy-in and commitment to the process from the outset.”
“The Laws
Representative Group were encouraged by the outcomes of the initial trials in
Cambridge and Stellenbosch. The next step is a global trial with full buy-in and
which has been approved by Council on the basis that the amendments can have a
positive effect on the playing of the Game.”
“The global trials are not
fait accompli. It is essential at the end of the global trial process that
decisions made are in the best interest of Rugby worldwide,” added Lapasset.
