Rugby?s Radical Plans in The Times

[Rossm]

World Rugby is considering a global trial of the 20-minute red card ? where the player sent off is replaced by a substitute after 20 minutes has elapsed ? as part of a swathe of law changes aimed at improving the spectacle.

The sport?s world governing body also wants to explore the use of a shot-clock to speed up scrums and lineouts ? having introduced it for penalties and conversions ? and further down the line will look at the feasibility of lowering the height of the tackle in the elite game to the base of the sternum.

More immediately, referees have been told to crack down on water-carriers coming onto the pitch and the proliferation of ?caterpillar rucks?, by making the scrum half use the ball quicker.

These, and other potential changes to the laws of rugby, are recommendations from a recent Shape of the Game conference in London which gathered coaches, former players, referees and administrators during the Six Nations.

The most eye-catching suggestion is a world-wide trial for 20-minute red cards. The move has proved popular in the southern hemisphere, where it has been trialled in Super Rugby Pacific, as it punishes the offending player and team without spoiling the spectacle, as can happen when a red card is shown early in a match. However, its opponents fear it is a weak punishment that could lead to targeted thuggery.

The 20-minute red card would only be introduced alongside harsher sanctions for those sent off for dangerous tackles that made contact with the head.

World Rugby?s council will vote on the proposal in May, so there could be a global trial of 20-minute red cards as early as next season.

The governing body has moved to close several loopholes that are being exploited in the laws. Referees will be compelled to call ?use it? and start their five-second count at rucks earlier, to try to stop the formation of long ?caterpillar rucks? to protect a scrum half?s box-kick. They are heavily unpopular as they lead to predictable passages of play and several minutes of lost time from matches.

If an attacking player does not use the ball within the allotted five seconds after the referee shouts ?use it?, a scrum will be awarded to the defence, as is the standard ? albeit irregular ? practice.

Players will be asked to play the ball after it is clearly won and available in a ruck. If scrum halves move the ball down the caterpillar of players with their foot, the ruck will be deemed to be over.

The appearance of water-carriers will be restricted too. From July 2022, water-carriers were only allowed to appear at two allocated moments in each half. In January 2023, this was changed to allow them to also enter the field of play after tries, but World Rugby believe teams have pushed this too far.

For example, the Wales assistant coach Neil Jenkins was involved in an argument with the French referee, Mathieu Raynal, during Saturday?s Six Nations match against Italy. Jenkins questioned whether Stephen Varney, the Italy scrum half, had made a high tackle to which Raynal replied: ?Your job is to bring the water on.? Jenkins hit back with: ?Your job is to ref the game,? after which Raynal banned him from returning with water.

To stop this sort of behaviour, World Rugby want referees to re-enforce the present rule, where water-carriers can only come onto the field after the scoring of a try, unless no tries are scored in the first 15-20 minutes or there is a lengthy injury break.

World Rugby also want to deal with the emergence of ?Dupont?s Law? ? a loophole that the French scrum half, Antoine Dupont, readily exploited, which has led to dead passages in games.

Law 10.7, which covers offside in rugby, states that players who are in front of the kicker can become onside as soon as the kick receiver has either passed the ball or run five metres with it. This means that in a territorial kicking battle, a group of chasers can station themselves in the opposing half, well in front of their own kicker, so they can try to charge down the catcher as soon as he runs or passes.

This means kickers have often held the ball and stood still, which kills the spectacle, as it did when Finn Russell and Thomas Ramos engaged in a long, stationary kick-tennis battle in the Scotland-France Six Nations match.

In Super Rugby Pacific, they have tried to stop this happening with a law trial where players will remain offside until they have been rendered onside by a team-mate who has come from behind the kicker, or the kicker himself.

To remove more dead time from matches, World Rugby want to introduce a law amendment where teams cannot take a second scrum from a free kick which is awarded after a scrum, and it is also keen to trial a shot-clock for scrums and lineouts.

Under a law trialled early last year and then brought in fully for the World Cup, kickers have 90 seconds to take a conversion and one minute to strike a penalty, but there are set to be trials where that time is reduced further. Owen Farrell was timed-out when taking a penalty against Samoa in the pool stage, while Paolo Garbisi hit a post with a penalty that would have earned Italy an historic Six Nations win in France, when he rushed his kick with the clock ticking down after the ball slipped off the kicking tee.

In future, players could call a ?mark? when they catch the ball inside their own 22 from a kick-off, to encourage more attacking play from both the kicking and receiving team.

A specialist working group will be established to look at reducing the influence of the TMO after high-profile incidents where they have intervened, such as Ben Whitehouse?s call to penalise the England No 8, Ben Earl, for a no-arms tackle last Saturday against France, which led to Ramos kicking the winning penalty in a 33-31 victory.

Another group will look at the ?appropriateness? of lowering the tackle height to the base of the sternum in elite rugby, as is now the case in the community game in 11 countries including England.

The use and timing of substitutes will also be analysed, after the likes of South Africa ? with their ?Bomb Squad? ? and France have utilised powerful forwards from their benches, as rugby tries to create more space on the field while improving rates of injuries.

The World Rugby chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont, said: ?Change is in rugby?s DNA. Two hundred years ago we were born from a desire to change, and we are harnessing that same spirit to excite the next generation of fans and players.

?That means being bold, embracing change by dialling up the entertainment value, making our stars more accessible and simplifying terminology and language used to explain rugby to those who are yet to fall in love with it.?

Immediate law changes
? Referees to call ?use it? and start their five-second countdown at rucks earlier, to avoid ?caterpillar rucks?
? Hookers must maintain a full ?brake foot? by putting one foot forward at scrums to aid their stability
? A crackdown on water-carriers entering the field

Possible law changes (to be voted on by World Rugby council in May)
? Closing the ?Dupont Law? loophole, by tweaking the offside rule from kicks, to reduce kick-tennis battles
? Remove the option of a second scrum when a free kick is given at a scrum
? Outlawing the dangerous ?crocodile-roll? at rucks

Possible trials
? A shot-clock for scrums and lineouts
? Ability to mark the ball inside the 22m from a restart
? The ball must be played after the maul has been stopped once, not twice
? Further protection of scrum halves at the base of rucks and scrums
? Play on if a lineout is not straight, but the throw is uncontested

Areas for further analysis
? Possible global trial of a 20-minute red card
? A big safety review of the breakdown, and possible removal of the ?jackal?
? A review of the role of the TMO
? A review of how and when replacements are used
? Possible introduction of a lower tackle-height for the elite game

[Neils]

About time some of this was dealt with.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Caterpillars form because the opposing player can get so close to scrag the scrum half. My view is that players not properly bound and within a metre or so (maybe even well back, like at lineouts) of the back foot of the maul/breakdown should be deemed offside.

[Neils]

Also in The Guardian -

World Rugby reveals radical plans to speed up sport and broaden its appeal

    Reducing tackle height in the elite game among measures
    Global trial of the 20-minute red card set to be introduced

Gerard Meagher
Tue 19 Mar 2024 15.52 GMT
Last modified on Tue 19 Mar 2024 21.20 GMT

World Rugby is considering reducing the tackle height in the elite game and a global trial of the 20‑minute red card as part of a radical plan to broaden the appeal of the sport.

The governing body will also examine the possibility of reducing the number of replacements and reassess use of the television match official as it seeks to speed up the game and improve it as a spectacle.


The plan ? set to be delivered in five stages ? comes on the back of World Rugby?s Shape of the Game forum last month, designed to make the game more entertaining. More immediate changes include ?cracking down on the use of water carriers and encouraging referees to call ?use it? and ensure scrum-halves play the ball more quickly from rucks, but it is World Rugby?s longer-term proposals that could have a significant impact on the game.

A specialist working group will be established to assess the results of the community tackle height trials across 11 unions and ?consider appropriateness for elite rugby?. When the Rugby Football Union first announced the lowering of the tackle height in early 2023 there was uproar amid mixed messages as to just how far the threshold would be lowered. The trial has passed off far more successfully than its introduction but bringing it to the elite level would be a seismic change.

The introduction of a global trial of 20-minute red cards ? where the player who is sent off is not allowed to return to the field but is replaced after 20 minutes ? will be voted on at World Rugby?s council meeting in May as part of a comprehensive review of disciplinary and sanc?tioning processes.

It has proved popular in the southern hemisphere and would avoid matches being ruined as a spectacle by debatable red cards such as that shown to Freddie Steward in England?s defeat by Ireland last year. Opponents of the measure fear that introducing more lenient sanctions amid the ongoing head injury litigation sends the wrong message.

Another working group will be tasked with looking at research into the impact of fatigue and the number and timing of replacements in the elite game ?to determine options that might create more space on the field while improving injury rates?. Eddie Jones is among the senior ?figures within the game in favour of the reduction of replacements and more significantly, so too is the World Rugby chairman, Bill Beaumont.

World Rugby also wants to ?overhaul the TMO protocol which has come under widespread criticism for bringing too many lengthy stoppages to the game. Even as recently as last Saturday there were questions raised about the decision of the TMO to intervene and bring Ben Earl?s no‑arms tackle to the referee?s attention ? a penalty from which France ultimately scored the winning points against England.

World Rugby also wants to look at ?setting new minimum standards for technology providers? amid a number of complaints that replays have not been available or shown during the Six Nations. A major review of the breakdown, in terms of safety and improving the spectacle for viewers, will also be conducted by a working group.

From Tuesday, as part of the first phase of the plan, players will be expected to use the ball more quickly when the ball has been secured at a ruck/breakdown. In effect, it is an attempt to bring to an end the dreaded caterpillar ruck. Hookers will also be expected to maintain a full brake foot to aid scrum stability and safety during the engagement sequence while there will be a move to limit the number of times water carriers enter the field of play.


World Rugby has also recommended a number of law changes to be approved in May, ?including the closing of a loophole ? known as ?Dupont?s Law? ? which aims to ?reduce kick tennis?. The current rele?vant law states that players in front of the kicker are adjudged onside once the kick receiver has passed the ball or moved five metres with it. France?s Antoine Dupont has exploited it in the past but doing so leads to lengthy kicking battles. Removing the scrum option from a free-kick at a scrum and outlawing the ?croc roll? are also among the amendments to be recommended.

Unions and competition owners will be encouraged to implement a series of closed law trials including using a shot clock for scrums and lineouts, marking the ball inside the 22m line from a restart, ?insisting the ball must be played after a maul has been stopped once, rather than twice, greater protection for the scrum‑half and allowing the referee to play on if a lineout is not straight if it was not contested.

?The moves that we are making are grounded in our commitment to increasing relevance on a global basis and born from a desire to change for the better,? Beaumont said. ?That means being bold, ?embracing change by dialing up the entertainment value, making our stars more accessible and simplifying terminology and language used to explain rugby to those who are yet to fall in love with it. We have moved quickly.

?It has taken a special unity and commitment from across the sport to be able to present a package of enhancements to the council in May. I look forward to the discussions.?

[Neils]

Also The Telegraph -


World Rugby consider radical plan to broaden game?s popularity

Tackle height change will be just one of the initiatives considered by working group as well as reducing number of replacements
Gavin Mairs, Chief Rugby Union Correspondent 19 March 2024 ? 4:58pm


World Rugby are considering lowering tackle height in the elite game as well as reducing the number of replacements as part of a radical plan to broaden the global appeal of the sport.

The role of the television match official (TMO) will also come under scrutiny by what has been termed ?specialist working groups? as part of the world governing body?s bid to make the game more entertaining.

The move follows World Rugby?s ?shape of the game? forum held at the end of last month designed to make rugby more appealing to new audiences in an increasingly competitive global sports and entertainment market.

Specialist working groups are to be established to further explore aspects identified by the forum, including the examination of the impact of the lowering of the tackle height in community rugby in 2023 to below the base of the sternum and to consider ?appropriateness for elite rugby?. It is recognised, however, that this will not be possible in a closed trial, given the professionals are involved in domestic, cross-border and international stages.

The latest research on the impact of fatigue and the number and timing of replacements in the elite game to determine options ?that might create more space on the field while improving injury rates? will also be examined, with recommendations to be put to the World Rugby council in May.
Global 20-minute red card trial

The overhaul will also include review of the sport?s disciplinary and sanctioning processes with the objective of ?streamlining, increasing simplicity, consistency and fan understanding.?

World Rugby say key consideration will be the potential to combine stronger off-field sanctions for foul play with ?a global red card trial where a carded player is removed for the duration of the match but may be replaced by another player after 20 minutes?.

A review of disciplinary sanctions could also see it move away from its current process-heavy legal system.
Clampdown on caterpillar rucks

The new five-phase approach is designed to explore, adopt and trial the key outcomes centred on speeding the game up, encouraging greater ball-in-play time, reducing stoppages and increasing welfare outcomes.

The first phase, which comes into effect on Tuesday, will result in referees being asked to call for players to use the ball more quickly, from breakdowns, beginning a five-second count to ?use it? earlier as part of a move to eradicate the use of ?caterpillar rucks?.

Hookers will be expected to maintain a ?full brake foot? to aid scrum stability and safety during the engagement sequence, and a clampdown on water carriers speaking to referees and restrictions on their entry to the field of play.


Three more law adjustments will be made to the World Rugby council ahead of its meeting on May 9 to effectively scrap the ?Dupont Law? (that exploited a loop-hole where previously offside attackers are allowed to approach and tackle the ball receiver once he has run forward five metres) to reduce kick tennis, the removal of the scrum option from a free-kick at a scrum and outlawing the ?croc roll?.
?Shot clock? extended to scrums and lineouts

The unions and leagues will also be encouraged to stage closed-law trials including the expansion of the shot clock for scrums and lineouts and reduced kicking time, the ability to mark the ball inside the 22 metre line from a restart, promoting attacking options; ?play on? for lineout not straight if the throw in is uncontested, using the ball from a maul when it is stopped once, not twice, as well as protection of the nine at the base of the scrum, ruck and maul.

World Rugby are to also establish ?rugby labs? to test out new aspects of law in a controlled environment evaluated by data and player feedback, including scrum engagement sequence and the tackle/ruck area.
?Embracing change ? and targeting entertainment first?

Targeting the next generation of supporters will also include a review of the language and terminology that is used within the game, including how it is marketed and presented, to improve the in-stadium experience.

?Change is in rugby?s DNA,? said Bill Beaumont, World Rugby chairman. ?Two hundred years ago we were born from a desire to change, and we are harnessing that same spirit to excite the next generation of fans and players. The moves that we are making are grounded in our commitment to increasing relevance on a global basis and born from a desire to change for the better.

?That means being bold, embracing change by dialling up the entertainment value, making our stars more accessible and simplifying terminology and language used to explain rugby to those who are yet to fall in love with it.

?We have moved quickly. It has taken a special unity and commitment from across the sport to be able to present a package of enhancements to the Council in May. I look forward to the discussions.?

[Heathen]

For me the real plus of all this would be to keep the ball in play longer.

I would be even more radical in this respect to this. eg scrum called. Clock stops. Clock does not restart until after the scrum half put the ball in. If scrum went down, then play on (assuming no offence committed).

Lineouts. Stop clock if ball out of play. Restart clock as soon as ball is thrown in.

I would like to see the ball in play for a minumum of 60 minutes.

[Mellie]

I'd like referees to stop coaching players and just call situations as soon as they occur e g. tackle, ruck, maul etc. Then apply the laws, which should be simplified as much as possible. It is the players' responsibility to know the laws and abide by them.

To stop caterpillar rucks just call 'ball available' as soon as it is visible on 1 side or the other. At that point start the 5 second countdown and make it illegal to join the ruck from then. This would enable a disruptive counter-ruck to win a turnover if the side with the ball are not efficient enough in that 5 seconds.  It may mean sides will need to resource the breakdown to avoid that, freeing up space out wide.

[baldpaul101]

My thoughts:

Immediate law changes
? Referees to call ?use it? and start their five-second countdown at rucks earlier, to avoid ?caterpillar rucks? - the current 5 seconds is rarely enforced, why not try enforcing that first?
? Hookers must maintain a full ?brake foot? by putting one foot forward at scrums to aid their stability - thought that was already in place?
? A crackdown on water-carriers entering the field - agreed

Possible law changes (to be voted on by World Rugby council in May)
? Closing the ?Dupont Law? loophole, by tweaking the offside rule from kicks, to reduce kick-tennis battles - agreed
? Remove the option of a second scrum when a free kick is given at a scrum - dont understand the point? If a pack is dominant, they shoul;d be allowed to be dominant
? Outlawing the dangerous ?crocodile-roll? at rucks - agreed, thought this had already been banned?

Possible trials
? A shot-clock for scrums and lineouts - very good idea
? Ability to mark the ball inside the 22m from a restart whats the point here? Surely you want a team to be having to deal with the ball rather than stop the game & kick the ball? Am I missing something?
? The ball must be played after the maul has been stopped once, not twice - dont agree, just because some people see the maul as boring doesnt mean it should be de powered
? Further protection of scrum halves at the base of rucks and scrums - how much more protection do they need?
? Play on if a lineout is not straight, but the throw is uncontested - Can kind of see that one working

Areas for further analysis
? Possible global trial of a 20-minute red card - actually agree with this one, given the farcical red cards we've seen that have ruined games
? A big safety review of the breakdown, and possible removal of the ?jackal? - yes, clean up the breakdown, but the jackal is very important & the jackler needs to be protected, not outlawed
? A review of the role of the TMO - agree
? A review of how and when replacements are used - agree
? Possible introduction of a lower tackle-height for the elite game - generally agree, but not if it means more ridiculous red cards. we alreday see very few actual high tackles, most that get picked up are due to bad positioning or "rugby incidents" so not sure how lowering the tackle height is going to help. That said, contrary to predictions the lower tackle height at grass roots level has not ruined the amateur game


Generally I am not a fan of messing around with stuff that doesnt need messing around with, but some of the issues being addressed do actually need work
Forgot to add, I wouldn't call any of that "Radical" but thats where we are with journalism these days

[Neils]

From The Telegraph -


Rugby law verdicts: What is changing and how would it work?

Proposed law changes include reducing tackle height in elite game and global trial of the 20-minute red card
Daniel Schofield, Deputy Rugby Union Correspondent 20 March 2024 ? 8:51am
Related Topics



World Rugby is considering lowering the tackle height in the elite game as well as a global trial of the 20-minute red card as part of a radical plan to speed up the sport and broaden its appeal.

The governing body will also examine reducing the number of replacements and reassess the use of television match officials. 

Here?s our verdict on each of the key measures ? let us know in your thoughts in the comments section below.

New red card plans

The 20-minute red card, sometimes known as an orange card, is potentially the most divisive of World Rugby?s proposals. A sent off player would not be allowed to return to the field but could be replaced after 20 minutes. At a time when rugby?s authorities are grappling with a concussion lawsuit, would downgrading the punishment for a high tackle undermine their messaging? At the same time, plenty of matches have been ruined by early and often accidental actions ? see Freddie Steward in Dublin last year ? and it has proved a popular measure since it has been introduced in the southern hemisphere.
Verdict - 161 For & 79 Against

Lower tackle height

Despite the mixed messages and initial uproar at the Rugby Football Union?s decision to lower the tackle height in community rugby below the sternum in 2023, World Rugby will establish a specialist working group to look at those trials in 11 unions to ?consider appropriateness for elite rugby?. A year on the RFU?s trial has passed more successfully than was anticipated after some bungling messaging about lowering the height to the ?waist and below? which caused a mutiny among members of the governing body?s council. Taking it to the elite game would be even more challenging given the already high number of cards for high tackles.
Verdict - 89 For & 189 Against

TV match official

Many people in the game will welcome World Rugby?s proposal to look at the ?optimal remit? for the Television Match Official, via another specialist working group. The Six Nations showed several more examples of how the current system is flawed, from disallowing Sam Skinner?s perfectly good try in the Scotland v France game to TMO Ben Whitehouse intervening with Ben Earl?s no-arms tackle for France v England. Both decisions determined the result of those matches and inspired even more confusion about where the limits of the referee?s authority begins and the TMO?s ends
Verdict - 270 For & 17 Against
.
End caterpillar rucks

Without doubt, ending the dreaded caterpillar rucks will be the most popular measure among supporters. While England?s defeat to France was a largely thrilling affair, home supporters rightly booed the eternity that Alex Mitchell was allowed to direct three forwards to attach themselves to the ruck, allowing him extra space to get his box kick away. Such elaborate set-ups may no longer be possible. Now referees will be encouraged to call ?use it? much earlier, after which the attacking team has five seconds to get the ball away otherwise the defending team will be awarded a scrum.
Verdict - 338 For & 13 Against


Hookers need ?full brake foot?

This is a proposal largely driven by players? associations who have become aware of the dangers of ?axial loading? where the combined power of a scrum, which can be up to 1,000 newtons of force, can centre on a hooker?s neck. To discourage hookers from driving their heads into their opponent?s shoulder on the bind phase, hookers must have one foot set forward during the engagement sequence of setting up a scrum. This seems an easy win as hookers have long complained that the previous system has led to degenerative neck injuries. The brake foot should aim both scrum stability and safety.
Verdict - 304 For & 1 Against

Clampdown on water carriers

Neil Jenkins and Rassie Erasmus, we are looking at you. Once upon a time, water might have been taken on by a medic or physio. Now a battalion of coaches are entering the field of play at every possible to opportunity to both pass on instructions to their team and, more insidiously, to intimidate officials.

The latest example came at the weekend when Jenkins, the Welsh kicking coach, complained to referee Mathieu Raynal about his failure to spot a high tackle. As Warren Gatland said of Erasmus during the 2021 Lions series, ?if you?re the water boy running onto the pitch, you?ve got to make sure you?re carrying water.? Both the practice of coaches passing on instructions and abuse of referees should be eliminated.
Verdict - 320 For & 4 Against

‌Dupont law

Probably second to the caterpillar ruck in terms of unpopularity, Dupont?s law (or law 10.7b)i) to give its correct title) allows opposing players to be put onside by the a kick receiver either running five metres or passing the ball. This has led frequently to sustained bouts of tedious ?kick tennis?. The most egregious examples came in the Scotland v France Six Nations and in the Premiership game between Bath and Gloucester, where the kicking battle lasted 68 long seconds.

If World Rugby passes a resolution at its council meeting in May then players can only be put onside by a team-mate coming from behind the kicker or the kicker themselves. This seems to have resolved the problem in its trial in Super Rugby Pacific. The vast majority of supporters would welcome this being implemented globally.
Verdict - 299 For & 5 Against

‌Verdict

The vast majority of World Rugby?s recommendations or investigations propose some well-meaning solutions to some vexed problems. No one would mourn the death of caterpillar rucks or the interminable bouts of kick tennis. At elite level, rugby is an entertainment business and a lot of these proposed changes would seem to make the sport a more attractive proposition. The problem is the law of unintended consequences.

Rugby?s lawbook has become so dense and cluttered in recent years as laws pile upon laws seeking to rectify other laws. A case in point is that the problem of axial loading was a consequence of the ?crouch, bind, set? scrum engagement sequence that World Rugby introduced in 2013 to remove the ?hit? element of the scrum.

Older readers will know how removing rucking introduced a host of other problems, including the crocodile roll that World Rugby are now trying to outlaw. The 20-minute red card may well make rugby a more entertaining sport but will it also encourage teams to revert to a more upright tackling style? And if the scrum option is removed from a free-kick at a scrum will that encourage weaker packs to go to ground?