Experimental Law Variations
2006 – 2008
ARLB Annual Seminar 2008
Steve Griffiths
Head of Technical Services
Technical Services
Training
and
Education
Anti Doping
Medical
Laws of the
Game
The Game
Artificial
Playing
Surfaces
Player
Players’
Clothing
Other forms of
the Game
Game
Analysis
2
Technical Services
Organisation
Game Analysis
Consultant
Training
Manager
Mark
Harrington
Corris Thomas
Head of Technical
Services
Steve Griffiths
Anti Doping
Manager
Game Analyst
Rhys Jones
Tim Rickets
Anti Doping
Officer
David Ho
Anti Doping
Coordinator
Medical
Manager
Chief Medical
Officer
Ilaria Baudo
Vacancy
Mick Molloy
3
4
ELV Topics
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The Genesis
Current Law
LPG and Objectives
Unions involved with different ELVs
The ELVs
Analysis of ELVs
Outcomes
The decisions
Current situation
Frequently asked questions
Current Issues
The Genesis


Conference on the Playing of the Game – 2004
Reviewed aspects of the Game –
• Rugby Today – Geordan Murphy – Rod Macqueen – Paddy
O’Brien
• Scrum – Bernard Laporte
• Lineout – Steve Hansen
• Tackle – Andy Robinson
• Ruck – Eddie O’Sullivan
• Maul – Marcelo Loffreda
• Decoy Runners – Clive Woodward – Jake White
• Attack /Counter Attack – Graham Henry
• Defence – Eddie Jones
6
COTPG - Attendees
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Coaches of RWC 2003 teams
Player Representatives
Referee Representatives
Media Representatives
IRB Council members
Coaching Representative
Medical Representative
7
COTPG – Outcomes
Laws Project Group
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Lineout numbers
Experimentation required at the tackle
Injury surveillance on collapsing maul
Turning a ruck into a maul
Consider refereeing process – two referees?
Investigate Touch Judges – Not Straight
Technical Penalties to Free Kicks
Corner post re-designation
Passing ball back into 22 and then kicked out on
the full – no gain in ground
8
LPG Process
IRB Strategic
Plan 2004
Reflection Modification
ELVs Begin
Stellenbosch
February
2006
IRB Governance
Structure 2004
Selected
Experiments,
Data, Information,
Analysis 2006 2008
Ideas – Think
Tank
Rugby
Committee
2004
Experiment
World Wide
2008 -2009
Objectives
Revised Law
Amendment
Process 2005
Laws
Project
Group
2005
The Game
We Have
COTPG
9
Current Law

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We have a great Game with unique
identities
Game has evolved
Last significant review in 1992
Moved to four year cycle of Law changes
in 2004
Current Law



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
Penalties can decide matches
In Excess of 45% of penalties come at
the tackle/ruck
Multiple offences possible
Player, coach and spectator confusion
Refereeing is difficult
LPG Objectives





Make game easier to play, referee and
coach.
Make the game more enjoyable for all.
Make it simpler to understand by
spectators.
Let the players determine the outcome of
the game, not officials.
Maintain the unique identities enshrined in
the Charter
Laws Project Group
Bill Beaumont – Vice Chairman
Graham Mourie – Rugby Committee Chairman
• Bill Nolan - Chairman
• Rod Macqueen
• Ian McIntosh
• Pierre Villepreux
• Richie Dixon
• Mick Molloy
• Bruce Cook
• Paddy O’Brien
• Syd Millar
Experimental Law
Variations
PLEASE NOTE ANY ELVS IN RED ARE NOT REPEAT NOT IN
OPERATION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Tackle and Ruck
Scrum
Maul
Lineout and Quick Throw
Into 22
Sanctions
Incorrect Kick offs and Restart
Assistant Referees
Corner Posts
Unions Experimenting
Stel SRU ARU ARC NPC RFU IRU FFR S14 Vod Tri NPC ARU
2ND
2
Tackle & Ruck
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Maul
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Scrum
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Lineout
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Into 22
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Corner Posts
✔
✔
✔
✔
Sanctions
✔
✔
✔
✔
Assistant Refs
✔
✔
✔
✔
1/2
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
1/2
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
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✔
✔
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ELVs
1. Tackle and Ruck
• Offside line at the tackle to be rigorously enforced
• Players must enter through the gate
• The only Penalty Kicks are for offside, foul play and
deliberate infringements
• A Free Kick awarded if ball is unplayable
• Players on their feet can handle the ball in a ruck (not
S14)
OFFSIDE AT THE TACKLE
Off side
lines
17
ELVs
1. Tackle and Ruck
• Offside line at the tackle to be rigorously enforced
• Players must enter through the gate
• The only Penalty Kicks are for offside, foul play and
deliberate infringements
• A Free Kick awarded if ball is unplayable
• Players on their feet can handle the ball in a ruck (not
S14)
OFFSIDE AT THE TACKLE
Players who wish
to play the ball
Off side
lines
Players who wish
to play the ball
19
ELVs
1. Tackle and Ruck
• Offside line at the tackle to be rigorously enforced
• Players must enter through the gate
• The only Penalty Kicks are for offside, foul play and
deliberate infringements
• A Free Kick awarded if ball is unplayable
• Players on their feet can handle the ball in a ruck (not
S14)
ELVs
2. Maul
• Mauls can be pulled down
• To date there is no evidence of significant injury arising
from the maul being pulled down
• A free-kick or scrum option is awarded if the ball
becomes unplayable
ELVs
3. Scrum
• Introduction of an offside line 5 metres from the
hindmost foot
Scrum Offside Lines
Offside line for
Scrum half
5 Metres
Offside line for
players not in
the scum and
who are not
Scrum Halves
5 Metres
23
ELVs
4 Lineout and Quick Throw
• Each side can have any number they wish
• No maximum numbers
• 2 minimum from each side
• Receiver 2m from Lineout
• Non throwing hooker 2 metres from the 5 metre line
•
Pre-grip of jumper permitted and Lifting legalised
• Option for not straight is lineout or free kick
• Quick Throw can be thrown backwards
ELVs
5.Kicking from inside the 22
 If the ball comes back into the 22 then is
kicked out on the full the lineout is back
where the kick was made
 If a tackle, ruck or maul occurs and then the
ball is kicked out on the full the lineout is
where the ball crossed the touch line
ELVs
6. Sanctions
The sanction is a Free Kick for all offences other
than offside, Law 10 - Foul Play and deliberate
infringements
7. Restarts
Errors in restart penalised with a free Kick
ELVs
8. Assistant Referees
To assist referee with offside at tackle
and other duties
9. Corner Posts
Not in touch in-goal
ELV Analysis

DVDs coded and digitised
– Visual materials
– Statistical analysis
Injury surveillance studies
 Questionnaires

– Players
– Coaches
– Match Officials
ELV Analysis


Degrees of adaptation
Criteria based analysis
29
Comparative Statistics - 1
ENG
ELV
(8)
ARU
ELV
(40
)
ARC
ELV
(12)
NZL
ELV
(11
)
VODA
ELV
(9)
S14
ELV
(75)
3N
ELV
(4)
CC
ELV
(2)
ARU
06
S14
07
3N
07
6N
07
RWC
07
6N 08
Matches
SCO
ELV
(8)
Scrums
21
18
24
20
22
25
20
19
17
22
20
16
17
19
16
Lineouts
28
26
28
31
22
28
26
22
34
37
31
30
31
31
28
Rucks/Maul
s
143
158
148
142
146
116
158
172
137
156
137
167
16
7
144
179
Penalties/F
K
24
22
28
31
28
43
28
29
25
22
21
18
21
19
18
Penalties
Average
Penalties
%
-
-
-
14
46%
11
39
%
16
37%
12
43%
11
38%
23
88%
20
93
%
-
16
88
%
19
91
%
17
91%
17
94%
Free Kicks
Average
Free kicks
%
-
-
-
17
54%
17
61
%
27
63%
16
57%
18
62%
3
12%
2
7%
-
2
12
%
2
9
%
2
9%
1
6%
Tries
10
7
7
7
9
6
5
4
3
6
5
3
4
6
3
Yellow
Cards
1.3
0.8
1.2
1.5
0.4
1.0
0.9
0.5
0.5
0.7
-
1.0
0.
5
0.7
0.5
30
Comparative Statistics - 2
SCO
ELV
(8)
ENG
ELV
(8)
ARU
ELV
(40)
ARC
ELV
(12)
NZL
ELV
(11)
VODA
ELV
(9)
S14
ELV
(75
)
3N
ELV
(4)
CC
ELV
(2)
ARU
06
S14
07
6N
07
3N
07
RWC
07
6N
08
Scrum
Success %
90%
91%
96%
90%
91%
88%
95
%
95%
88%
95%
90%
94
%
87
%
89%
92
%
Lineout
Success %
82%
77%
75%
71%
73%
71%
81
%
82%
65%
81%
80%
84
%
80
%
80%
83
%
Ruck/Maul
Success %
83%
90%
89%
87%
83%
83%
91
%
89%
91%
90%
92%
95
%
93
%
92%
94
%
R/M
Unplayables
(average)
5
2
2
2
1
3
1
0
0
1
-
1
2
1
1
Pen option
Tap%
50%
29%
46%
47%
56%
48%
39
%
53%
4%
15%
-
22
%
16
%
23%
14
%
Pen option
Scrum%
2%
2%
7%
9%
13%
8%
14
%
8%
4%
3%
-
0%
0%
3%
2%
Ball in Play
Time %
47%
45%
46%
46%
44%
42%
46
%
49%
39%
46%
36%
46
%
46
%
44%
50
%
Matches
31
Outcomes
 Still
a game for all shapes and sizes
 Shape of the Game unchanged
 Unique identities retained
• Scrum
• Ruck
• Maul
• Lineout
• Contest at the tackle
 Balance – Contest – Continuity – Attack –
Defence
What Happened








October 2007 LPG recommended application of all ELVs
worldwide
Request for experiment all ELVs in RS14
October 2007 Council approve of process
November 2007 – Woking – SANZAR agree to limited
trial
March 2008 Six Nations Briefing
May Council approve 13 ELVs plus request current Laws
re tackle to be refereed according to Law
3 ELVs for continued experimentation
August 1 13 ELVs implemented
33
Implementation
Programme






Explanatory Booklet – 7 Languages
Web based – download
Web video clips
DVD
RugbyReady product
Surveys to be undertaken – players,
coaches and match officials
34
There are more ELVs than
you think!!








Worldwide 13
IRB Law Book 90 degree scrum turnover
3 extra in Tri Nations
NZ - 3 extra in NPC
NZ - NPC CTE rather than CTPE
FFR/IRFU/SRU – U19 Variations for Scrums
SRU – Rolling Substitutions
SARU – TMO extension
35
What is going to happen?





December 2008 Individual Unions apply
for ELVs to become Law
March 2009 ELV Conference –
Recommendations to Rugby Committee
April 2009 Rugby Committee meets
May 13 Council decides
August 1 potential for global Law
application of one set of Laws
36
Experimental Law
Variations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Maul
Lineout and Quick Throw
Into 22
Assistant Referees
Corner Posts
LPG Objectives
 Make
game easier to play, referee and
coach.
 Make the game more enjoyable for all.
 Make it simpler to understand by
spectators.
 Let the players determine the outcome of
the game, not officials.
 Maintain the unique identities enshrined in
the Charter
Issues

Council decides that the Tackle and Ruck
must be refereed according to Law
– Sealing
– Handling in the Ruck
– Dangerous Charging
39
Enjoy Your
Rugby
40
Experimental Law Variations
2006 – 2008
ARLB Annual Seminar 2008
Steve Griffiths
Head of Technical Services