New laws to streamline rugby
29 Jan 2013
Saru hopes that the new laws trialled in the 2013 season will improve rugby from a playing and spectator perspective.
The International Rugby Board has introduced 11 law trials that will be implemented from the start of the 2013 season. According to a statement from Saru, seven of these have a bearing on play and most of them are designed to make the game faster, with less time wasted, and so improve the overall spectator experience.
Extensive global research involving players, coaches, referees and on-field trials took place before the trials were introduced, according to Andre Watson, general manager of referees at Saru.
‘An example of this was the extended powers afforded to Television Match Officials [TMOs] during last season’s Currie Cup,’ said Watson. ‘This will be trialled worldwide this season with a view to it becoming law in 2014.
‘Some of the new law variations we will use in South Africa this season, were used by the Springboks during the outgoing tour in November 2012.’
New law variations in 2013 in South Africa
Five seconds at the ruck
When the ball becomes available at a ruck, the referee will call ‘use it’ and the scrumhalf then has five seconds to clear the ball by passing or running it. This will speed up play by not allowing the team in possession to slow it down, and giving the defenders less time to set up their defensive structures and the attackers the opportunity to be more creative.
Three-word scrum call
The four-step engagement call has now been shortened in senior rugby to ‘crouch-touch-set’. The word ‘set’ is shorter and quicker to say than ‘engage’ and is expected to produce better timing and adherence by the front rows. The removal of the spoken ‘pause’ does not take away the actual pause, as the two front rows are expected to remain stationary and still before engaging on the ‘set’ call. At amateur age-group levels, additional modifications have been introduced to minimise the risk of the ‘hit’ at engagement and collapsed scrums, and improve the safety of the players.
Quick throw-in
The non-offending team may now take a quick throw-in from anywhere between their corner post and where the lineout would take place.
Additional powers for the TMO
The expanded TMO functionality includes identifying foul play, and clear and obvious infringements in the last two phases before a try is scored. All officials (the referee, assistant referees and TMO) are allowed to initiate a referral and make recommendations.
Other modifications include:
– Increasing the squad to 23 players for international matches, with specialist replacements for each of the three front-row positions.
– The reintroduction of a stud on the front of the boot (this was banned in the 1980s).
– Allowing players to wear GPS units on the field.
– Allowing women to play with long tights.
– Stipulating that conversion kicks to be taken within 90 seconds of scoring a try.
– The option of choosing a scrum when the opposition knocks on or throws forward and the ball goes into touch.
– If a team is awarded a penalty or free kick in the lineout, they have the option of taking the lineout again without having to kick for touch.
47 Comments
29 Jan 2013, 13:05 pm
Pierre Spies is shopping for long tights as we speak.
Dragons!!!
29 Jan 2013, 13:11 pm
If a team is awarded a penalty or free kick in the lineout, they have the option of taking the lineout again without having to kick for touch.
I like this change.
29 Jan 2013, 13:57 pm
“The option of choosing a scrum when the opposition knocks on or throws forward and the ball goes into touch” Is this not the current law ?
I think it should read: the option of choosing a lineout……………..
29 Jan 2013, 14:10 pm
Liking the 5 second rule.
It will be farking hard to police though.
Expect more involvement from the touch judges.
29 Jan 2013, 14:26 pm
@John Galt-4: I’ve watched only a bit of the Varsity Shield matches last night but the referees tried to police the rule quite a bit. IMO it will speed up the game quite a bit.
The scrum sequence should also help a lot: the “engage” call was IMO the problem in the past
29 Jan 2013, 14:30 pm
@The_Don-1: LOL
29 Jan 2013, 14:30 pm
“The reintroduction of a stud on the front of the boot ” – someone please explain this to me?
29 Jan 2013, 14:50 pm
@bokfan1-7: It gives frontrowers extra grip when scrumming, but in the good old 80′s it was used extensively for, how do you put this, “agricultural rucking”. Suffice to say, many players ended up with a few studmarks running the length of their backs, especially if they ended up lying on the wrong side of an All Black ruck.
Suppose the IRB thinks that rucking with the boot is something of the past
29 Jan 2013, 15:05 pm
@China Bell-8: Howzit
Are you perhaps China Bell, the EP winger from the 80s?
29 Jan 2013, 15:06 pm
No, but he was the hero of Boet Erasmus
29 Jan 2013, 15:07 pm
I don’t know about the extra stud on the front of a boot. Not much rucking goes on in televised professional matches, but in non-televised matches, it is still too prevalent.
29 Jan 2013, 15:08 pm
And I allways thought he had the coolest name for a rugby player, ever. Should have been a bok
29 Jan 2013, 15:11 pm
@China Bell-12: Yes, a very good player – nice nic, good of you to pay tribute to him in this manner
29 Jan 2013, 16:35 pm
@China Bell-8:
> Suffice to say, many players ended up with a few studmarks running the length of their backs, especially if they ended up lying on the wrong side of an All Black ruck.
Ritchie will be the first to feel it, especially if he’s playing against a guy like Heaslip
29 Jan 2013, 16:53 pm
@victoriabok-14:
The front stud didn’t only leave marks, but actually holes.
29 Jan 2013, 16:56 pm
@The_Don-1:
“Allowing players to wear GPS units on the field”
Once again, Spies is probably shopping, since to me he looked lost on the field many times. Same goes for Daniel Adongo.
29 Jan 2013, 17:21 pm
@TooMuchRugby-16:
It’s probably going to be used for video analysis, if a fullback or wing wears one for a season you’d soon where he likes to position himself and if the opposing team gets hold of the data they’d know where he’ll be out of position and where to kick with the highest probability
They should legalize shock collares too, like the ones you get for dogs, imagine giving Spies a few thousand volts to wake him up, or a jolt to calm down Zeff Potgieter?
29 Jan 2013, 19:43 pm
@victoriabok-17:
Hehehe…
I can think of a couple of players to be fitted with the extra high voltage model. Zane Kirchner springs to mind……to be implemented whenever he even thinks of kicking an upandunder.
29 Jan 2013, 20:01 pm
@TooMuchRugby-18:
Lots of uses for it, a shock at the right time would sort them out asap
Habana if he goes for the intercept instead of the tackle
Hougie if he takes too long to kick
Jannie du Plessis if he let the scrum fall and give away penalties
Bismarck gets one every 5 minutes to keep him pissed
Morne every time he missed a kick
Bekker if he just hints at getting injured again
29 Jan 2013, 20:11 pm
@victoriabok-19:
Asking R 100-00 for a brandy and coke…………… wait, sorry, we don’t want to shock the Bulls supporters, only the players.
That could lead to heart attacks on the Oos Paviljoen.
Good list you picked and good reasons too.
29 Jan 2013, 20:21 pm
@nortierd-20:
Die manne drink deesdae Rum en Coke
Wat’s daai plek aan die Noordekant van Loftus waar hulle so lekker uithang?
29 Jan 2013, 20:21 pm
@TooMuchRugby-18:
trying to imagine what the hair would like.
29 Jan 2013, 20:25 pm
@charo-22:
The extra drag would slow him down even more
The 100 000 volts real 70′s style Afro?
29 Jan 2013, 20:25 pm
@victoriabok-21:
Sin Bin? of dalk Eastwoods?
either way, kuier is kuier en hulle mag maar….
29 Jan 2013, 20:27 pm
@nortierd-24:
Sin Bin, ja pappa
29 Jan 2013, 20:28 pm
Zane better watch out.
Just read in the paper they are into stealing dreadlocks now, just cut it off and sell it for extensions, kind of like a smash and grab.
Probably be the fastest Zane will ever run if he is in Sunny Side with a couple of guys chasing him with shears and scissors
29 Jan 2013, 20:30 pm
@victoriabok-21:
“Die manne drink deesdae Rum en Coke”
Nee wat VB, jy moet n slag kom kuier.
Dis mos nou Rum en Sparberry
29 Jan 2013, 20:39 pm
@nortierd-27:
Siesa man, hoe oud is hulle?
Wat’s volgende groen koeldrank, BMX en skoolmeisies?
29 Jan 2013, 20:46 pm
@victoriabok-28:
Jy sal my nie glo nie, die Taakmag drink hom al vir jare so
Red Heart en raspberry, sal nie vir hulle skoolmeisies noem nie, behalwe as jy hospitaal kos geniet
29 Jan 2013, 20:53 pm
@nortierd-29:
Ek **** die Takies se keuring is nie meer so streng nie, is dit waar?
29 Jan 2013, 20:56 pm
@nortierd-29:
> Red Heart en raspberry
Gee dit jou een van die hangovers wat jy vir my gemail het?
29 Jan 2013, 20:57 pm
@victoriabok-30:
Standaarde val so ietwat hier en daar om allowances te maak, maar hulle is nog heel ok
29 Jan 2013, 20:58 pm
@victoriabok-31:
Dink ek sal ook lyk soos van daai spul in die mail.
n hele paar is heeltemal hooters tooters toe
29 Jan 2013, 21:00 pm
@nortierd-32:
Hulle was nog altyd bliksems gewees
Ek weet hulle het altyd na opleiding vir ‘n paar maande saam met SWAPOL TIN gaan patrollie ry
29 Jan 2013, 21:02 pm
@victoriabok-31:
het vir jou n mail gestuur met n paar nice quotes
30 Jan 2013, 01:00 am
the five second rule t the ruck is really going to hurt the bulls and spring bokkes
no more human centipedes leading to charged down kicks
and no more bokke cheating at the ruck to slow down the ABs or Aussies
now we’ll see the difference in fitness levels between NZ and SA and this will reflect on the scoreboard
30 Jan 2013, 02:14 am
What the eff is wrong with this blooody sport!!!!
Every year they want to change the rules. Change the rules any more the the games might be called Netball.
Goodness me, 100yrs later and we still cant play by the rules!
What happened to the lineout where every man was his own jumper, do we remember that or are the CEO’s of the IRB 20yr old Facybookie fagots that need a virtual community group of fans, fans that have no clue about the essence of the game to begin with..
Rules of Revision
Unascertainably erratic
Grasping
Boys
Yearly
30 Jan 2013, 06:19 am
@The_Don-1:
awww come on the comp is still weeks away and the low blows have started.
Thats a real kick to the gonads –
(no pun intended considering the context)
30 Jan 2013, 06:20 am
The option of choosing a scrum when the opposition knocks on or throws forward and the ball goes into touch.
am i missing something here ? wasnt that always the case
30 Jan 2013, 09:42 am
@boktillzero-39: That’s what I said in no 3 above. The other team now have the option of taking a lineout if they wish to (or they can still take the scrum). Obviously JC didn’t read the comments !
30 Jan 2013, 13:09 pm
@Greenies-37:
Just wipe the spittle of your chin there..
30 Jan 2013, 13:11 pm
@the curse-36:
I’m afraid you might have point that the rule might hurt the Boks. Especially if Fourie du Preez are selected again, him being the grand master of waving his arms around and wasting time at the base of the ruck.
30 Jan 2013, 15:08 pm
i cannot believe this is not being debated?
42 hits?
30 Jan 2013, 21:58 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-43:
Do the amendments to the TMO jurisdiction go far enough for you to feel comfortable watching Super15…..2013?
30 Jan 2013, 22:03 pm
@TooMuchRugby-42:
Party ouens waai hulle arms, party nie
Ons almal kan nie net die heeltyd “jou ma se p**s” skree soos Bolla nie
30 Jan 2013, 22:09 pm
> The four-step engagement call has now been shortened in senior rugby to ‘crouch-touch-set’
> Increasing the squad to 23 players for international matches, with specialist replacements for each of the three front-row positions.
> The reintroduction of a stud on the front of the boot (this was banned in the 1980s).
> The option of choosing a scrum when the opposition knocks on or throws forward and the ball goes into touch.
Good all rules to improve and utilize the scrum more, the importance of the scrum has been eroded the last few years and this would turn it around and benefit countries with a good scrum
Without scrums rugby will turn into league
31 Jan 2013, 07:48 am
@Te Rangatira-44:
hi TR, i’m still in two minds about the whole thing.
probably yes, for a few games at least to get a sense of whether i can enjoy it without the feelings of extreme anger and disgust which overcomes me.
i dont expect the players will make any offort to play cleaner, at all, but if the refs and ar’s and tmo’s do their work and police it like it should be and its enough to recondition bad bahaviour to the extent the games actually become competitive then yes, i will
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