KEY POINTS:
Flag Judges (FJs)
1. To distinguish the new role of the touch judges, they have been renamed flag judges. FJs can indicate offside at the tackle by raising their flag horizontally in the direction of the offending team. This flag raising will be mirrored by the opposite FJ so as to provide visual assistance to the referee. The referee however is not obliged to act on the offence.
Posts and flags around the field
2. Corner post, and post at corner of touch in goal and dead ball line are moved back 2 metres. This ensures consistency of touch along the entire length of the touch line and touch in goal line.
Inside the 22 metre line
3. When a defending player receives the ball outside the 22 metre line and passes, puts or takes the ball back inside the 22, the following can occur.
a. If the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is in line with where the ball was kicked.
b. If a tackle, ruck or maul is subsequently formed and the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is where the ball crossed the touch line.
Lineout
4. On a quick throw in, the ball can be thrown straight or backwards towards the defenders goal line, but not forward towards the opposition goal line.
5. A player peeling off at the front of the lineout can do so as soon as the ball leaves the throwers hands.
6. The receiver in a lineout must stand 2 metres from the lineout.
7. The non throwing hooker does not have to stand between the 5 metre line and the touch line. They must conform to law wherever they stand.
8. There is no maximum number of players in the lineout but there is a minimum of 2.
9. Neither team determines numbers in the lineout.
10. Pre-gripping is allowed.
11. If a lineout throw is not straight, the option is a lineout or free kick (FK) to non throwing team. Breakdown (tackle/post tackle)
12. Players entering the breakdown area must do so through the gate.
13. Immediately the tackle occurs there are offside lines.
14. The offside lines run parallel to the goal lines through the hindmost part of the hindmost player at the tackle.
15. A tackled player must immediately play the ball and may not be prevented from playing the ball by any player who is off their feet.
16. Any other player playing the ball at the breakdown must be on their feet.
17. If the ball is unplayable at the breakdown, the side that did not take the ball into contact will receive a FK.
18. If the ball is received directly from a kick and a tackle occurs immediately, and the ball becomes unplayable, the FK is given to the team who received the kick.
19. There are only 3 penalty offences (not including dangerous play) at the breakdown.
a. Offside for not coming through the gate.
b. Offside where defenders are in front of the last man on their side of the breakdown. i.e. the offside line
c. A tackled player must immediately play the ball and may not be prevented from playing the ball by any player who is off their feet
20. Repeated infringements can be dealt with as per current law.
21. All FKs are tap kicks including a mark and a scrum option is available for all FKs.
22. Dangerous play will not be tolerated. Eg. Diving over the breakdown.
23. The half back should not be touched unless he has his hands on the ball.
Maul
24. Defending players can pull down the maul.
25. Players joining the maul must do so through the gate.
26. If a maul becomes unplayable, the team not in possession at the start of the maul receives a FK.
27. The 'truck and trailer' is no longer an offence.
Scrum
28. The offside line for players who are not in the scrum and who are not the teams scrum half, is 5 metres behind the hindmost foot of the scrum.
Sanctions
26. For all offences other than offside, not entering through the gate, and Law 10-Foul Play, the sanction is a FK.
