Law trials and changes
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World Rugby and unions advancing evidence-based approach to injury-prevention
World Rugby has set out its 2019 plan to mitigate the risk of injury in the sport, beginning with a dedicated laws forum in March. In a year set to see the most rigorous tournament player welfare standards ever at Rugby World Cup 2019, the focus areas build on significant progress in the management of injuries, particularly concussion, (the latest Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project for the English elite game published this week demonstrates a 14.3 per cent drop in concussion incidence in line with other elite competitions) and reflect the international federation’s continued commitment to making the game as safe and simple to play as possible. The plan is centred on detailed research to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the causes of injury, both in a match and training environment, as well as a sustained and aligned approach to the implementation of prevention strategies across the game, from administrators, coaches, players and medics to referees. Approved by Council in November 2018, it focuses on five key pillars: * Law review: World Rugby, in collaboration with its unions and player representatives, will host a dedicated injury prevention laws review forum in Paris in March, kicking off the quadrennial laws review cycle. With the tackle responsible for up to 50 per cent of match injuries and 73 per cent of concussions in elite rugby, stakeholders will review the latest global injury surveillance data and consider the three-phase* approach to lowering the tackle height, while being encouraged to table suggestions for innovative and robust injury-prevention via possible law alteration. * Training load: Any player competing at Rugby World Cup 2019 must have a ‘load passport’ to encourage best-practice training load management between club and country environments (approved by the World Rugby Council in November 2018 and presented to tier one coaches), while all unions are encouraged to optimally manage load between club and national team environments based on published best-practice and guidance. * Injury surveillance: Under the revised premium standards for elite competitions approved by the World Rugby Executive Committee in September from 1 January, 2019 any competition applying to operate the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process must now: a) undertake detailed injury surveillance in line with World Rugby standards to create one comprehensive annual set of comparable and definitive global data, b) operate a Match Day Doctor at every match, c) implement minimum video review standards and d) enable World Rugby representation on any HIA review panel. * Game preparation: Unions encouraged to universally adopt the Activate injury-prevention warm-up programme developed by the RFU and University of Bath, which has demonstrated a 50 per cent reduction in concussions and a 40 per cent injury reduction at community level when used three times or more a week (more info here). * Tackle education: All unions encouraged to ensure professional environments provide comprehensive training to all young professional players in best-practice tackling techniques as educated within community rugby programmes such as Rugby Ready. (The FFR announced in December 2018 that they will host seminars with all professional clubs in France).World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: (...) “Much progress has been made, particularly in the priority area of concussion. While player safety is rightly an emotive topic, it is important to note that globally injury incidence has not increased, which is testament to the injury-management programmes implemented across the game. “However, we continually strive for enhancement, and with the full support of our unions and their respective clubs, we can make further advances, particularly in the area of training load management, which is a key contributor to match injuries. “Our major focus is the tackle, which is the most common facet of the game, and this year we will complete the initial reduced tackle height trials. We are also going to be hosting a wide-ranging laws forum in Paris in March, with a focus on injury-prevention and how evaluation and evolution of the laws might impact this area within the next four-year laws review cycle.World Rugby Chief Medical Officer Dr Martin Raftery added: "While the number of rucks and ball in play time has increased over the past five years, the overall global incidence of injury has not increased, which means that the sport's medical standards and injury-prevention programmes in elite adult rugby are having a significantly positive impact. "As a sport, we are continuing to drive evidence-based interventions to further reduce that injury risk and this should begin with training load management. Training accounts for approximately 90 per cent of all player load and is a significant contributor to match injuries, particularly non-contact injuries (35 per cent of all injuries). Behavioural change is required in the understanding and management of individual player load and we will be launching research-based player load guidance in partnership with International Rugby Players this year..
New alterations to the laws of the game
Meanwhile, the World Rugby Executive Committee has approved to adopt the revised Television Match Official (TMO) protocol into Law 6.16. The operated as a trial in the November window with the aim of reducing time impact and placing greater decision-making responsibility on the referee. The protocol can be viewed here https://laws.worldrugby.org/?law=6 Law 15 (Ruck): The Executive Committee has also approved amendments to Law 15.4 to further clarify the laws regarding offside lines at the tackle and ruck. The revised law can be found here https://laws.worldrugby.org/?law=15 These changes have immediate effect, with the exception of the revised TMO protocol which should be adopted for all competitions which commence after 1 January, 2019. This includes Super Rugby, the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup. Competitions that are already underway may continue under the old protocol until the current competition concludes. If these competitions wish to adopt the revised protocol now, they can do so.@Stargazer said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
OFFSIDE AT A RUCK
Each team has an offside line that runs parallel to the goal line through the hindmost point of any ruck participant. If that point is on or behind the goal line, the offside line for that team is the goal line.
Now, if only they would enforce binding at mauls and rucks and scrums...
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So the biggest concussion incidence is in the Tackler, I've yet to see any evidence presented by WR that lowering the height reduces tackler concussion. I'm not saying it doesn't but it should be evidence based. I guess I've missed them presenting that evidence?
@Machpants We were just talking about that. I can't prove this, but to me it seems the risk of injury to a tackler increases in a lower tackle, esp if his/her technique is flawed. Isn't a high tackle mostly dangerous to the tackled player?
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Umm
What a surprise, running at each other with your head down, means more concussions.
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- Training load: Any player competing at Rugby World Cup 2019 must have a ‘load passport’ to encourage best-practice training load management between club and country environments (approved by the World Rugby Council in November 2018 and presented to tier one coaches), while all unions are encouraged to optimally manage load between club and national team environments based on published best-practice and guidance.
What?? Where's the published best practice and guidance? This reads to me like they are assuming all unions are like NZ/Ireland and in charge of their "clubs" (and that all their national players are playing in their country).
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Funny how whenever something in the Laws goes against England there is a swift change. Twice now the offside law has changed due to games at Twickers.
@Crucial said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
Funny how whenever something in the Laws goes against England there is a swift change. Twice now the offside law has changed due to games at Twickers.
Sure, but this clarification wouldn't have helped England in the Lawes situation
The changes they made after the Italy game created confusion about offside lines at a ruck vs 'tackle with offside line'. Making them the same seems like a good idea
I look forward to seeing what the unintended consequence of this change is. Players suddenly swinging their arm/leg out in a ruck and putting players offside?
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- Training load: Any player competing at Rugby World Cup 2019 must have a ‘load passport’ to encourage best-practice training load management between club and country environments (approved by the World Rugby Council in November 2018 and presented to tier one coaches), while all unions are encouraged to optimally manage load between club and national team environments based on published best-practice and guidance.
What?? Where's the published best practice and guidance? This reads to me like they are assuming all unions are like NZ/Ireland and in charge of their "clubs" (and that all their national players are playing in their country).
@Bones said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
- Training load: Any player competing at Rugby World Cup 2019 must have a ‘load passport’ to encourage best-practice training load management between club and country environments (approved by the World Rugby Council in November 2018 and presented to tier one coaches), while all unions are encouraged to optimally manage load between club and national team environments based on published best-practice and guidance.
What?? Where's the published best practice and guidance? This reads to me like they are assuming all unions are like NZ/Ireland and in charge of their "clubs" (and that all their national players are playing in their country).
Published best practice/guidance, is presumably this: http://sandc.worldrugby.org/index.php?module=81
... and note that they're always careful to use the word "encourage" for things that they know damned well they can't enforce.
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@Crucial said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
Funny how whenever something in the Laws goes against England there is a swift change. Twice now the offside law has changed due to games at Twickers.
Sure, but this clarification wouldn't have helped England in the Lawes situation
The changes they made after the Italy game created confusion about offside lines at a ruck vs 'tackle with offside line'. Making them the same seems like a good idea
I look forward to seeing what the unintended consequence of this change is. Players suddenly swinging their arm/leg out in a ruck and putting players offside?
@Duluth said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@Crucial said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
Funny how whenever something in the Laws goes against England there is a swift change. Twice now the offside law has changed due to games at Twickers.
Sure, but this clarification wouldn't have helped England in the Lawes situation
The changes they made after the Italy game created confusion about offside lines at a ruck vs 'tackle with offside line'. Making them the same seems like a good idea
I look forward to seeing what the unintended consequence of this change is. Players suddenly swinging their arm/leg out in a ruck and putting players offside?
What I’d like to see is a directive that says you must be clearly and obviously onside rather than offside. If players don’t want to be pinged then they have to be careful.
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Watching Ireland v England and I've come up with one law change that will solve so much.
Ban the box kick.
Think about the things that are instantly improved:
Those long snakey rucks? Gone
Half backs rolling the ball back with their hands? Gone
A huge number of the aerial contests leading to injuries, penalties, and 50/50 cards are gone.
And teams have to actually run with the ball again, and the game doesn't need to be run by air traffic control -
Watching Ireland v England and I've come up with one law change that will solve so much.
Ban the box kick.
Think about the things that are instantly improved:
Those long snakey rucks? Gone
Half backs rolling the ball back with their hands? Gone
A huge number of the aerial contests leading to injuries, penalties, and 50/50 cards are gone.
And teams have to actually run with the ball again, and the game doesn't need to be run by air traffic control@mariner4life So illegal to kick directly from the ruck? Sounds good to me, we're shit at it anyway
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@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
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@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
Yeah, I actually like the sound of this rule as a whole.
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@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
other way around? While they are in their half you'll need to keep your wingers back? As soon as they cross halfway then you pull them up shorter?
I guess the hoping is more running from your own half? But i can't see too many teams having a crack at that, wingers are generally back any way. I don't think this makes a huge difference to game play, especially at the top level.
Just on your game clock suggestion, some games would be fuuuuucking long.
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@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
other way around? While they are in their half you'll need to keep your wingers back? As soon as they cross halfway then you pull them up shorter?
I guess the hoping is more running from your own half? But i can't see too many teams having a crack at that, wingers are generally back any way. I don't think this makes a huge difference to game play, especially at the top level.
Just on your game clock suggestion, some games would be fuuuuucking long.
@mariner4life said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
other way around? While they are in their half you'll need to keep your wingers back? As soon as they cross halfway then you pull them up shorter?
Ahh yes.
I guess the hoping is more running from your own half? But i can't see too many teams having a crack at that, wingers are generally back any way. I don't think this makes a huge difference to game play, especially at the top level.
I think such an idea (your half into their 22) wouldn't change anything. Such a kick would be a low percentage lottery. My erroneous interpretation would at least provide a little more room on the outsides.
Just on your game clock suggestion, some games would be fuuuuucking long.
True, they would. But at least at some point there'd be more than the turgid walls of defence that we've seen of late.
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@mariner4life said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
other way around? While they are in their half you'll need to keep your wingers back? As soon as they cross halfway then you pull them up shorter?
Ahh yes.
I guess the hoping is more running from your own half? But i can't see too many teams having a crack at that, wingers are generally back any way. I don't think this makes a huge difference to game play, especially at the top level.
I think such an idea (your half into their 22) wouldn't change anything. Such a kick would be a low percentage lottery. My erroneous interpretation would at least provide a little more room on the outsides.
Just on your game clock suggestion, some games would be fuuuuucking long.
True, they would. But at least at some point there'd be more than the turgid walls of defence that we've seen of late.
@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
True, they would. But at least at some point there'd be more than the turgid walls of defence that we've seen of late.
maybe. Or the rest keeps refreshing everyone.
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@Hooroo So as soon as the opposition look like getting into your half, you need to drop another defender back.
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby. So a proposal I'd be interested in trialling would be every scrum reset the clock is stopped until it comes out and general play commences.
@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby.
I wsa thinking a similar thing (so great idea @antipodean!) I wsa wondering about reducing subs benches to 5 though - rewards versatile front rowers and players, and means there is a much stronger incentive on stamina over raw power and bulk. Personally, I think it would lead to better rugby, as you have to compromise on big units who can't go 80, and then reward versatility in players on the bench
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So that would have to be a ful front row (safety and stopping golden oldie scrums) plus two backs, or a loose forward/back hybrid?
@Machpants i reckon you keep the 7 man bench but you're only allowed 5 subs.
Being able to sub half the team, and 80% of the big units is a bit of a joke when you think about it.
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@antipodean said in Law trials and changes set for 2017 and beyond:
For all of this, if the players had to run more during the 80mins, there would be more open running rugby.
I wsa thinking a similar thing (so great idea @antipodean!) I wsa wondering about reducing subs benches to 5 though - rewards versatile front rowers and players, and means there is a much stronger incentive on stamina over raw power and bulk. Personally, I think it would lead to better rugby, as you have to compromise on big units who can't go 80, and then reward versatility in players on the bench
