World Rugby has announced 11 law trials which take effect in the northern hemisphere on August 1st.

The trials change the requirements of the tackler, the definition of a ruck, the put in process for a scrum, reverse which team is awarded a lineout if the ball is caught in the field of play while the catcher has a foot in touch, allow a lineout from a penalty that is kicked after time expires, and more.

Please read on for the full text of the changes, view the USA Rugby Presentation (including videos), or schedule a Law Clinic to find out more.

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USA Rugby has provided the following guidance on hurdling:

We have been asked many times if this is Dangerous Play. This is not specified in Law 10.4, and the question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no because there are so many possible variations on the situation.

The short answer is that sometimes it is dangerous and other times it is not, depending on the circumstances. Each play must be judged on its own merit by the referee. Here are some factors to consider when viewing this sort of play:

1. Dangerous Play is not restricted to the specific actions listed in 10.4. That is a list of many of the most common occurrences of Dangerous Play, but the fact that an action isn’t listed does not mean the referee cannot penalize for something deemed dangerous when seen in a game. Here are some actions that aren’t listed in 10.4, but which definitely could be called dangerous:
   • biting an opponent
   • spitting on an opponent
   • punching a teammate
2. There is general agreement that if the defender is directly in front of the ball carrier and standing in a normal tackling position, and the ball carrier goes over the defender like clearing the high hurdles, this is dangerous. Here is an example that should be penalized. There are two reasons:
   • It is dangerous to the opponent because that action brings boots into close proximity of a players face/head.
   • It is dangerous to the ball carrier because if the defender manages to make contact while attempting to tackle, the ball carrier could get flipped and land on his head/neck.
3. Also remember that there are many examples that could be called “hurdling” that are just fine and we see them in almost every game:
   • Jumping over a player who is lying on the ground
   • Jumping to avoid the outstretched arms of a diving tackle attempt from the side.

In conclusion, if it is hurdling a standing (or crouched) defender directly in front of the ball carrier, it is dangerous. If it is something from paragraph three it is most likely fine. For the middle range, the referee needs to judge based on what is presented at the moment.

A clarification from USA Rugby and World Rugby:

1. If a player is part of the ruck he may attempt to kick the ball:
   1. If he makes contact with a player on the ground which results in foul play, the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.
   2. If he kicks the ball out of the scrumhalf’s hands the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.
2. If a player is not part of the ruck and then steps over or comes around the side of the ruck and kicks the ball:
   1. PK and possibly suspension.
   2. If he makes contact with a player on the ground which results in foul play, the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.
   3. If he kicks the ball out of the scrumhalf’s hands the sanction is a PK and possibly suspension/red card.

USA Rugby has adopted the 2016 World Rugby law clarifications.

“The major adjustments are the ball carrier in a maul may no longer slide to the back of the maul, the ball has to be handed back, and a scrum wheeled through 90º will no longer be a turnover, the original team will put the ball into the reset scrum”, says USA Rugby High Performance Referee Manager, Richard Every. “In Law 8, Advantage, it no longer states that a collapsed scrum needs to be stopped immediately, that the referee may play advantage, however, we encourage referees to always consider safety as the main priority, especially as this amendment is to support continuity in top professional rugby.”

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Referees, World Rugby has recently issued three law clarifications. Those clarifications have been truncated below, but the full descriptions are available via the links below.

Clarification # 7 – “The Bunny Hop”

Scenario: Team A are awarded a scrum. After winning the ball in the ensuing scrum, the hindmost player in that scrum grasps the ball with his feet or ankles and, whilst still bound to the scrum, bunny hops forwards with the ball still caught between his feet/ankles. Is this action legal?

Clarification: The action of “bunny hopping” as described is not permissible. Law 20.9 (b) states that All players: Handling in the scrum. Players must not handle the ball in the scrum or pick it up with their legs. Sanction: Penalty kick.

There is no ambiguity in this law. Law 20.9 (c) refers to winning the ball whereas 20.9 (b) relates to play after the ball has been won.

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