Thanks to John Devonport for submitting this article.
The Scottish RFU are experimenting with some key changes, particularly surrounding tackle/ruck, line out, scrum, maul, 22 kicks, flag judges, corner flags and sanctions (see below).
Leading nations in world rugby have joined Scotland's move towards a radical revamp of rugby's laws in a clear sign that the experiment to be launched in Scottish rugby next [this] month could pave the way for a more attractive game.
The 'experimental law variations' are the brainchild of an International Rugby Board's 'Laws Project Group' which featured a host of experienced rugby coaches, players and administrators from around the world. They were tried by student players at Stellenbosch University in South Africa over the summer (click here for the original article), and undergo their first senior trial in the new 'Super Cup' being played by Scotland's Division One clubs over the next three months.
Living.scotsman.com MPU
At the heart of the experiment is a desire to strip out a plethora of laws and baffling refereeing decisions and eradicate the turgid slowing-down of play responsible for an increasing number of dull, defence-dominated affairs.
Key facets of the game, scrums and lineouts, remain, but even they are affected by the changes ranging from allowing players to handle the ball in rucks and pull down players trying to maul, to a new five-metre space between scrums and back divisions, and quick throws backwards in the lineout. The new eagerness of Australia, England, France and Ireland to try out specific changes next year is a further indication that they are supported and widely acknowledged as being overdue.
Bill Nolan, a Scottish IRB member, chaired the laws group. In a Murrayfield briefing yesterday, he explained that the IRB's laws book had swollen to 147 pages through constant tinkering on interpretation, with a commercial guide trying to explain rugby's laws needing 197 pages.
"Clearly, we have a hell of a lot of problems," he said. "Most referees would tell you that it is becoming almost impossible to referee some parts of the game.
"Players are physically bigger now, you can't change the ground dimensions realistically and we did not want to devalue rugby union by taking out characteristics like the number of players, scrums, lineouts etc, but that still left us a lot to play with. We also felt we had to spend time experimenting on the field, at different levels - this is about improving the game for all standards and not just the elite end - rather than, as in the past, changing laws in London's East India club in the afternoon by discussion and debate.
"In an ideal world, we'd like to introduce the changes in the northern hemisphere in September, 2008, and in the southern hemisphere in January, 2009, but we have to wait and see how it goes."
Follow up:
Though 'flag judges' will replace touch judges to monitor more closely offside, officials will no longer be asked to constantly advise players, so ending shouts of 'ruck' or 'hands off!'.
With the 25-plus ruck infringements being reduced to just three - failure to enter through 'gate', offside when in front of last team-mate and playing or preventing playing of the ball when off feet - referees should have more opportunity to keep the game flowing.
However, Scotland's top four refs - David and Malcolm Changleng, Peter Allan and Andrew MacPherson - will not take part in the Super Cup to avoid them having to deal with different laws when also officiating in European and international tournaments.
Clubs will have to overcome the hurdle of starting the Super Cup, with its new laws, on 6 January, reverting to the final league championship weekend on 13 January and then stepping back to the Super Cup.
But Jock Millican of Heriot's insisted: "We're very excited about this opportunity and feel privileged to be able to have our small bit of influence on what these laws might do to improve rugby and make it more exciting for spectators, players and referees.
"The real positive thing is that [Laws Group] have tried to take away many of the 'cannots' and accentuate the 'cans', so, hopefully, coaches will look at it from a positive perspective rather than a negative one.
"The evidence from Stellenbosch was that the more adventurous coaches were the ones who came through well in the end; the ones that didn't try to embrace it and work out how to use them positively were the ones who didn't succeed in that league."
KEY LAW CHANGES
(1) Tackle/ruck
Over 25 penalty offences reduced to just three at breakdown
Players CAN handle the ball in the ruck, providing they are on their feet - kneeling on grounded body now counts as on feet
Tackler can also try to regain ball on immediately getting to his feet
(2) Lineout
Quick lineouts can be thrown backwards as well as straight
Minimum two players in lineout but no maximum, nor need to match opposition
(3) Scrum
Players not in scrum, except scrum-half, must now be five metres behind hindmost foot, creating more space
(4) Maul
Defenders CAN pull down maul by bringing down ball-carrier or others bound to him - not by chopping legs - so ending 'truck-and-trailer' offence
(5) Kicking from 22
If ball kicked straight out from inside 22, having been passed, kicked or carried back into 22, lineout awarded where kick was made not where it crossed touchline
(6) Flag judges
New name for touch judges reflects new focus on offside, which judges will 'flag' to offenders to give them chance to retreat before free-kick or penalty awarded
(7) Corner flags
Corner flags to be moved back two metres to allow players to score try in corner without being denied by touching flag
(8) Sanctions
Technical offences reduced from penalties to free-kicks, so all offences other than foul play, offside and not entering rucks through 'gate' will be free-kicks. All free-kicks also to carry option of scrum.
Source: David Ferguson, writing in The Scotsman
