The content includes notthing that is of any surprise, though it does clarify that - as women's teams outside the Premiership and Championship play to U19 rules they (like U18 and U15 teams) will not play to the new ELV on mauls (so pulling down a maul remains illegal ourside the top level leagues). What will happen if a lower level team plays a high level team isn't covered.
The full text of the statement is:
Experimental Law Variations
The RFUW will be supporting the IRB in trialling the 13 Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) for the 2008/09 season.Law 6 – Match Officials
- Premiership and Championship leagues will play full IRB Laws and will trial all 13 of the ELV’s.
- National Challenge 1 and below will play to the IRB U19 laws and will trial all the ELV’s with the exception that they will NOT TRIAL Law 17 The Maul
- All U18s Competitions will play IRB U19 laws and will trial all the ELV’s with the exception that they will NOT TRIAL Law 17 The Maul.
- All U15s Competitions will play to the RFU Under 14s Variations and will trial some of the ELV’s. They will NOT TRIAL Law 17 and Law 19 number 9 and 10, for Law 19 please refer to the RFU U14 Variations
1 – Assistant referees are able to assist the referee in any way that the referee requires
Law 17 – Maul
2 – Remove reference to head and shoulders not being lower then hips.
3 – Players are able to defend a maul by pulling it down.
Law 19 - Touch and Lineout
4 – If a team puts the ball back into its own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked direct into touch, there is no gain in ground.
5 – A quick throw in may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team’s own goal line.
6 – There is no restriction on the number of players from either team who can participate in the lineout.
7 – The receiver at the lineout must be two meters away from the lineout.
8 – The player who is in opposition to the player throwing in the ball must stand in the area between the five metre line and the touchline but must be two meters away from the five metre line.
9 – Lineout players may pre grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in.
10 – The lifting of lineout players is permitted.
Law 20 – Scrum
11 – Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum.
12 – Identification of scrum half offside lines.
Law 22 – Corner Posts
13 – The corner posts are no longer considered to be touch in goal except when the ball is grounded against the post.
For a full break down of the Experimental Law Variation please go to http://www.rfu.com/elv/pdf/irb-elv-guide.pdf
1 comment:
Standard rules on grounds of safety are that you play to the lower teams laws. Note for girls teams travelling outside of England, other Rugby Unions have decided on different ELV's they will apply and therefore when arranging any fixtures you need to agree on the laws to be played.
Simon
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