New Rugby Union Laws Explained
A Guide to the Experimental Law Variations Introduced in Rugby
Jul 10, 2008
Lineout
- If a team puts the ball back into their own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked directly into touch there is no gain of ground.
- A quick throw may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team's own goal line.
- There is no restriction on the number of players who can participate in the lineout from either side (minimum of two).
The introduction of the new ELV’s regarding the lineout has generally been supported by rugby enthusiasts throughout the world. The laws encourage teams to counter attack from deep and the fact that teams can take easily take quick lineout’s ensure that the ball will remain in play for longer periods of the game. However, the fact that there is no restriction to the amount of participants in a lineout has been criticized by New Zealand assistant coach Steve Hansen, who after seeing his side defeat South Africa in the opening Tri Nations game and first international game to use the ELV’s, suggested that the defending side held too great an advantage in the lineout due to the new rules.
Scrum
- Introduction of an offside line five meters behind the hindmost feet of the scrum.
The introduction of a new offside line at the scrum gives a huge advantage to the attacking side. During the Super 14 competition in the Southern Hemisphere playmakers such as Dan Carter and Matt Giteau used the additional space they received at scrum time to wield their magic and spark dangerous attacks. Although some critics have slammed the introduction of this law because it makes the game similar to Rugby League, most rugby fans will be excited as it will give inside backs the space and time in order to create more line breaks and attacking opportunities.
Maul
- Players are able to defend a maul by pulling it down
The changes introduced at the maul have certainly sparked the most controversy throughout the sport. Although introduced in order to encourage a more open and adventurous style, many traditionalists will be appalled that one of the main attacking weapons in Rugby will diminish. The rolling maul has long been used in order to commit defending players and march slowly down the field, as demonstrated emphatically by England’s 2003 World Cup winning team. However, the new law allows players to collapse a maul, making it extremely difficult to gain any ground. The introduction of this law also has safety issues, as many critics believe serious injuries could be easily obtained whilst collapsing a maul.
