In July 2021, World Rugby announced that a package of law trials, focused on improving the welfare of players, would be trialed across the global game. Those law trials are:
- 50:22: This law trial is intended to create space via a tactical choice for players to drop out of the defensive line in order to prevent their opponents from kicking for touch, reducing impact of defensive line speed
- Goal-line drop out: This law trial is intended to reduce the number of scrums, reward good defence, encourage counter-attacking and increase the rate of ball in play
- Pre-bound pods of players: Outlawing the practice of pods of three or more players being pre-bound prior to receiving the ball – the sanction will be a penalty kick
- Sanctioning the lower limb clear-out: Penalising players who target/drop their weight onto the lower limbs of a jackler – the sanction will be a penalty kick
- Tightening law relating to latching: One-player latch to be permitted, but this player has the same responsibilities as a first arriving player (i.e. must stay on feet, enter through gate and not fall to floor) – the sanction will be a penalty kick
The results of the survey will be used alongside detailed data analysis and coach, player, referee and medical feedback to help inform the decision of the Law Review Group (LRG), which will make a final recommendation to the World Rugby High Performance Rugby Committee, before the World Rugby Council considers the recommendations in May. Should the law trials be approved by the Council, they would become full laws of the game in July 2022.
A similar process was implemented ahead of the LRG making its recommendation as to which closed law trials would progress to be considered for global trial implementation. At this stage the Captain’s Challenge and 20-minute Red Card were considered, but not progressed into full global trial.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “These player welfare-focused law trials have been invaluable and I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in making them such a success. Now it is vital that World Rugby has a complete picture of the impact of these trials for players, fans, medics and officials alike.
“That is why we are calling on everyone in the rugby family to have their say on these law trials and let us know your views, including the key question as to whether each of these trials should be accepted into full rugby law.
“As I said at the beginning of the year, 2022 is the year of player welfare for World Rugby and together with the rugby family we can ensure that this year, the laws of the game are the keeping up with all the developing science in this area.”
The Global Law Trials survey is available in the following languages:
English: https://forms.office.com/r/8mykKAL3Bt
French: https://forms.office.com/r/bxA0KMj1pY
Spanish: https://forms.office.com/r/tPgPYi242P
Japanese: https://forms.office.com/r/2GCfy9PADa
