At its recent gathering in Dublin, the World Rugby Council turned down two proposed law changes. The rejected proposals included allowing players to call a mark within the 22-meter line from kick-offs and requiring teams to play the ball once a maul has been stopped. Both changes fell short of the required 75% approval.
Meanwhile, four new law trials will be introduced on January 1. These include reducing the shot clock for conversions to 60 seconds, aligning it with the limit for penalty kicks, and setting a 30-second preparation time for line-outs to match scrums. Additionally, a play-on rule for uncontested line-outs will allow play to continue on a crooked throw if the opposing team doesn’t contest by lifting a player. New protections for scrum-halves at scrums, rucks, and mauls are also set to be added.
Changes to ruck and maul laws will restrict players who were part of the ruck or maul from interfering with opponents within one meter if they’re attempting to play the ball away.
The Television Match Official (TMO) will also see expanded powers. TMOs can now call clear infringements, such as knock-ons, forward passes, and stepping into touch, during the final attacking phases before a try. They can also monitor offside, maul obstruction, and completed tackles within the last two phases of play.
A decision on whether to make the 20-minute red card rule permanent has been deferred until after the autumn internationals, pending further data and feedback. This rule was recently applied to Fiji’s Semi Radradra and Scotland’s Scott Cummings, who each received 20-minute red cards.
