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The law changes for the forthcoming season are not as significant as in previous years, the main changes in ‘Law’ being to incorporate last season’s Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) at tackle, scrum, lineout, obstruction and kicks at goal.
The major change this year is to the Maul Law to enable teams to commit opponents by re-starting a stationary maul. Clarification regarding how a scrum half throws in the ball is designed to ensure the throw-in is straighter and minor adjustments are made to 22m kicks, drop goals following a free kick, line out support and players throwing or placing the ball in touch at the tackle.
Definitions Added To Law
‘Pre-gripping’, ‘temporary suspension’ and ‘near - within one metre’
replacing ‘close proximity’.
Law 1 - Ground
Field plan dashed and broken lines are defined.
Law 3 - Number of Players
If a front row player is temporary suspended, the captain may nominate
any player of his team to leave the field to enable a front row player
to come on.
Law 4 - Player’s Clothing
No communication devices are allowed within the player’s clothing or
attached to the body.
Law 5 - Time
Referee keeps time buy may delegate to a touch judge or official time-keeper.
The referee is still the sole judge of time. Time must be allowed for an
awarded penalty, free kick or mark. Time must also be allowed for a scrum
or line-out awarded prior to time elapsing.
Law 9 - Method of Scoring
A drop-kick following a free-kick will be allowed if a tackle occurs
prior to the kick attempt. Kicks at goal must be taken within one minute
of indicating an intention to kick.
Law 10 - Obstruction
Last seasons ELV is incorporated into Law, i.e. players must not voluntarily
move or stand in front of their own team-mate carrying the ball and prevent
an opponent from making a tackle on either the ball carrier or potential
ball carrier.
Law 13 - Kick-off and Restarts
If a 22-metre drop-out goes directly into touch, and the receiving
team accepts the kick, the line out is formed on the 22 metre line.
Law 15 - Tackle
Last season's ELV is incorporated into Law. A tackled player may not
voluntarily place or push the ball into touch; the sanction is a penalty
on the 15 metre line (if touch in goal, 5 metres out on the 15 metre line).
Law 17 - Maul
If the opposition stops a ‘driving maul’, the team in possession is
allowed 5 seconds to re-start the maul moving forward. Failure to do so
will result in a scrum to the opposition (turnover). Teams will be allowed
only one attempt to re-start each maul; at the second stoppage, ‘use it
or lose it’ applies.
Law 1 - Line-Out
Last season's ELV is incorporated into Law. Supporting a team-mate
includes both up and lowering to the ground. Failure to lower a team-mate
to the ground will result in a free kick.
Law 20 - Scrum
With the exception of a 90-degree wheeling scrum turnover, last season's
ELV is incorporated into Law. A more than 90-degree wheeled scrum, resulting
in a turnover will remain as an ELV for this season.
At the ‘throw-in’ the scrum half must:
- Stand at least one metre from the mark on the middle line of the
scrum so that his head does not touch the scrum or go beyond the nearest
front row player.
- Hold the ball in both hands, midway between ankle and knee, with
its major axis parallel to the ground.
- Throw in the ball with quick speed, releasing it outside the tunnel.
Law 21 - Penalty and Free Kicks
Players can use any type of kick, but must propel the ball with the
lower leg (excluding knee or heel). A penalty or free-kick taken in-goal
which goes ‘dead’ or ‘touch in goal’ will result in a 5-metre scrum attacking
ball.
Law 22 - In-Goal
There is no reference to ‘double movement’ in Law. If a player’s momentum
takes him in-goal and he first grounds the ball a try is awarded. If he
is tackled short of the line but can reach and place the ball on or over
the line, a try is awarded.