New year: New Rules

While the new local rugby season kicks off in one week's time we are already into Round 4 of Super Rugby and a chance to see how law changes are impacting on the game.

A number of trial law changes from 2017 will still be in place this season but there are six international law changes as well as one probably controversial NZ change that may take a week or two of chaos to sort out.

The six law changes approved for global trial this year relate to the scrum and tackle/ruck areas and we have seen most of them before.

At a scrum, the referee no longer has to signal when the scrum half can put the ball in.

The halfback is allowed to align his outside shoulder on the middle line of the scrum, thus allowing him to stand a shoulder width towards his own side of the middle line and basically putting the ball under his own front row.

However, the ball must still be put in straight.

Once the ball touches the ground in the tunnel, any front row player may strike for the ball with either foot to try and win possession of it, as is current law.

An addition is that now at least one player from the team putting the ball in must strike for the ball – a team cannot simply try and push the other off the ball without it being hooked.

The No8 in the scrum is now allowed to pick the ball up from under his second rowers' feet – usually the locks.

Previously, he was only allowed to pick the ball up from under his own feet.

At a tackle situation, the tackler (who is only called that if he goes to ground as well) must get up and can only play the ball from his side of the tackle "gate" rather than from any direction under the previous law.

This makes a lot of sense and should make the tackle easier for the referee to adjudicate on.

The biggest change is the re-introduction of the trial ruck law, used in the Mitre 10 Cup two seasons ago.

Under old law, a ruck was formed when a player from each side was in physical contact and on their feet over the ball.

Now, at a tackle, a ruck also commences when at least one player is on his feet and over the ball on the ground, with the tackled player and tackler still on the ground.

At this point, off-side lines are now created at the hindmost feet of players from each team.

A player who is on his feet in this situation can use his hands to pick up the ball, as long as it is immediate, even though a ruck is deemed to have been formed.

As soon as an opposition player arrives, no hands can be used.

This new ruling may make it easier for referees to adjudicate at the tackle/ruck area, but probably not by much.

Lastly, a player cannot now kick the ball out of the ruck – he may only hook it backwards.

For some older readers, doesn't this sound a bit like the old rucks?

The NZ-only law change was actually introduced two seasons ago but lacked teeth, pardon the pun, to be fully implemented.

Since 2016 it has been compulsory for mouthguards to be worn by players in all games of domestic rugby, but not so for ITM Cup and international matches.

There were sanctions in place, namely the first player caught not wearing a mouthguard had to go to the sideline and get one and not return to the field until a stoppage in play.

Players subsequently caught without one were to be sin-binned.

Most well-managed teams and pretty well all schoolboy teams complied with the requirement, but some teams that struggled to field a team each Saturday, relying on who turned up on the day, often had more players than mouthguards.

This season, a much stronger stance will be taken in this area.

The first player observed not wearing a mouthguard will be sinbinned for intentionally infringing this law.

At that point, the referee will advise the team captain that any further players not wearing mouthguards will be red carded and sent off.

Such red carded players will also receive a one-week automatic stand down.

The sin-binned player may return to the field after ten minutes only if he is wearing a mouthguard.

If he can't find one he may be replaced by another player, wearing a mouthguard, of course.

Any player who advises the referee of an opponent not wearing a mouthguard will also be sent to the sin bin for attempting to influence the referee.

This may seem a bit draconian but it should avoid tit-for-tat scenarios arising to inflame players.

I believe the reason for this hard line on mouthguards is that in an Mitre 10 Cup match last season there was a heavy head collision between two players, one of whom was not wearing a mouthguard, and this led to serious injury to both players – a loss of teeth for one and a very bad infection for the other.

Local rugby will be missing a few of last season's referees when the season starts.

Glen Collins has headed off overseas to crew international super yachts while Mark Chillingworth and Devon Purvis are still recovering from serious injuries sustained in vehicle accidents.

Neither are expecting a speedy recovery but we hope they can get back on the park before season ending.

Replacements are urgently needed.

Meetings are held at 7pm each Monday evening at The Grand Hotel are anyone is welcome, especially retiring players.