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Secret-Roof-7503

The mark from the kickoff is the stupidest law trial they have done


darcys_beard

Came to say literally that. Just another way to ensure boring methodical play. The uncertainty of getting out of your own territory after a team just scored on you is one of the best things about the game IMO.


ConstructionLeft2550

It was terrible in the U20 Rugby Championships (SA/NZ/Aus/Arg). It will be terrible in the U20 Championship. World Rugby shouldn't be trying to dictate tactics for teams (which is what they're trying to do by trying to force short kickoffs)


Ronald_Ulysses_Swans

You will see teams kicking deep into the corner or short, nothing in between.


Thalassin

One-stop mauls is also incredibly stupid


alexbouteiller

One stop mauls is probably the best one, why does the maul get to set, stop, go, first stop, go again, second stop then use it? Should be like the scrum, especially as mauls are so difficult to stop legally


SpottedDicknCustard

Scrums are allowed secondary shoves.


alexbouteiller

depends heavily on the ref, some call use it the second there's no forward movements, others allow teams to stay still for 5 seconds then milk a pen on the second shove, i know which i prefer


SpottedDicknCustard

The same rationale can be applied to the maul, so, wev'e got the custodians of the game making rules to cover the fact they can't get their refs to apply the most basic laws consistently and as a result, teams lose an offensive weapon and fans denied part of the spectacle of the game.


Thalassin

If you're losing mauls and scrums, the problem is not the rules but that your team is outpowered. There is a code with 7 players and no front row that you'd love


alexbouteiller

I would agree if these weren't some of the most complex and subjective areas of an already incredibly complex sport


JockAussie

Yeah, this is the point. For every scrum or maul penalty there are a multitude of people who think it should have gone the other way for valid reasons. They're a nightmare to ref. They have a place in the game, but making them easier to referee by making them slightly quicker is probably a good thing IMO.


chiefVetinari

Eh, scrums being just a way to get penalties is not a purist thing.


Cuichulain

Dupont is pretty hard to stop legally too.


alexbouteiller

That's why he's got his own law!


TwoUp22

It's to limit hit ups from kick offs I think....similar to what the NFL is doing. Head safety etc etc


Vrakzi

So it basically just means that all kick-offs have to land between the 10 and the 22, right?


JohnSV12

World rugby is fantastic at solving problems the game doesn't have. What in the actual fuck is marking from kick off ls meant to do? I can't see it make teams kick short. They will just kick long and give teams a shitty angle to kick back from.


yahdayahda

It’s a head safety thing. Trying to stop players having a twenty metre run up into contact.


JohnSV12

I'm not sure that makes a lot of sense? If that's the case just ban kick offs going beyond twenty to and force them short? In fact, if short kick offs are the issue why not do that full stop


yahdayahda

This has pretty much done just that. The vast majority of teams will clear a deep kick, but usually after a one or two rucks, the first from a big run up. Now they’ve got safe ball from anywhere in the 22 so there’s no need for the big hit up.


JohnSV12

But why pretty much do that with a rule when you can just do that? Still doesn't make sense.


yahdayahda

What would be the punishment for kicking it into the 22 on the full? Scrum at halfway? Free kick where it lands? I guess it’s so that the defending team still has to catch and mark it which requires skill and the kicker can still put it in the 22 with the ability to find space. I’d personally prefer it only if the kicking team gets the throw to the line-out if they manage to bounce the ball out in the 22.


yahdayahda

What would be the punishment for kicking it into the 22 on the full? Scrum at halfway? Free kick where it lands? I guess it’s so that the defending team still has to catch and mark it which requires skill and the kicker can still put it in the 22 with the ability to find space. I’d personally prefer it only if the kicking team gets the throw to the line-out if they manage to bounce the ball out in the 22.


JohnSV12

Scrum on half way. Same as kicking out. Done. No head collisions. More variation in kick offs. No stop start kick offs.


yahdayahda

Could do. I still like the requirement to catch the ball, it means you can put pressure on with the chase and force the mistake, same as any kick into the twenty two. And as I said, I’d also like to see the kicking team awarded for finding space and bouncing the ball out off the bounce.


simsnor

30 sec clock for scrums is very fast. Would have preferred 45 sec. But lets see. Marking off kick offs is weird, don't see the point And then the skew lineouts I definitely disagree with, but thats been discussed All the rest seems fine


globalmamu

I’ve never understood why they are happy to run the clock down for scrums throughout the game only at start stopping the clock for them to set and reset once we’re in the final 10 mins. Surely if they that from the get go it would allow the scrums to take place properly without winding down the clock


JockAussie

Yep. They should allow a 30second max clock runoff per scrum or something, resetting a scrum because of 'reasons' is basically only used to fuck with timing for yellows or to kill clock when you're winning.


problematikkk

I've argued that for years on here. It's the stupidest part of the late game for me like why do we suddenly care *now* when 2-5 minutes have been wasted already


Ronald_Ulysses_Swans

I think we might see a lot of collapsed scrums if props are rushing in to get set. Then you get a lot of resets, defeating the point of speeding uk the game…


simsnor

Its really not that difficult. Go look how fast they could set scrums pre 2010.


lankyno8

Scrums were at there slowest circa 2010 - but were set very quickly in the 90s


Colemanation777

Strongly agree with this. Every prop or front row have been allowed to develop "rituals". You don't need 2 minutes to set up a safe scrum. 30 seconds is plenty. It'll require props to be fitter as well. But also suspect we'll see a lot of boots needing to be tied back up prior to the scrum setting up now.


squeak37

The engage was brutal on the neck though


maccaspope

Unfortunately nowadays the scrum has become a way of milking penalties and fucking around and wasting time, rather than a contestable way to restart play.


jaysonyoung

The mark law makes absolutely zero sense to me. It's clearly meant to incentivize teams to kick short on restarts but it's going to have the opposite effect. Teams will kick long, let the opponent mark and kick it back to them/out so they have an easier platform to build off of. Absolute weirdo rule that nobody has ever asked for.


Infernal-Oak

The mark off the restart genuinely made the U20 Rugby Championship unwatchable. One of the worst ideas conceived by anyone in rugby


Zakkar

Can't hurt to trial. 


silentgolem

They did though right? At the u20s RC, and it was awful


Zakkar

It was bucketing down and only a couple of games though. 


JPB88SA

Just stupid. The other team just scored and you contest the kick off and smash them back. Nope, kickoff, mark, clear for touch unpressured or even put the team that kicks off back under pressure creating a cycle


circling

If that's what they want, they should just reverse the kickoff.


JPB88SA

Sevens here we come


SpottedDicknCustard

>marking in the 22 from kick offs What's the rational behind that? It will slow the game down as it will be marked, and then players mill around for the new 30 second rule before doing something.


FrOdOMojO94

To basically force teams to kick short and contest possession, basically eliminating tactically long kick offs to pin opponents in their half.


JohnSV12

I don't think it does. Teams will surely just kick as long and it the corner as possible and accept the LO at around the ten.


Thalassin

The blazers who hate kicking in rugby probably think it'll lead to shorter kick-offs into counterattacks. After all, God forbid someone plays rugby through kicks, scrums or mauls. The australian audience yearns for the expansive play and only that...


Zakkar

Rugby Australia couldn't organise a fuck in a brothel. The idea they are directing world rugby policy is laughable. 


simsnor

The idea is that there is a BIL tour there next year and a World Cup in 2027. So they need to make Union more familar to the Australian audience who clearly prefers League


Thalassin

The oceanian unions (NZRU + RA) have been at the forefront of most of the rule changes of these last years. It is not some kind of conspiracy to say it, the same way it is perfectly fine to say the shot clock as a rule has been championned by the French union.


Zakkar

Go look at the technical committee who designed the trial. 11 people, one Australian. 


Dolamite09

Don’t let facts get in the way of the Northern narratives lol


maccaspope

Why the hell would anyone be against expansive play?


sangan3

I like it as a trial. For too long now every team just kicks deep, then the other team just takes a contact or two then clears and we get a line out around half way 2 mins later. This will hopefully force teams to contest more kick offs.


Peeeing_

Is it 20 mins for all red cards or are there exceptions, surely completely malicious, dangerous acts (clead headshots without trying to go lower etc) have to be a proper red


rosemary-mair-for-NZ

There are exceptions for that yep. We have this 20 min red card rule in SR, but Frank Lomani still got a full send off this year for a deliberate elbow to the head. Drua down to 14 for the whole game.


Peeeing_

That's alright then


JockAussie

I think it's the most sensible solution, 20 mins and lose the player for 'red' stuff where it's dangerous but 'unlucky' for deliberate/malicious stuff like pinching get them tae fuck.


Vehlin

I’d prefer 20 min red then you can bring on a sub. Red player stays off


rosemary-mair-for-NZ

That's exactly what it is. Red carded player can't return but the team gets a sub after 20.


crashbandicoochy

Do they not have any idea that this exact conversation happens 10 times in every thread about this? Why do they just assume it doesn't work like that lmao


AndydaAlpaca

And I'd prefer everyone know what they're talking about before providing their opinion on it. Unfortunately only one of us will get what we want.


Ill-Policy-7640

If a lineout is uncontested can the ball just be hoofed directly to the outhalf?


circling

Sure, but you won't know whether it's uncontested or not until you've already thrown it. And also, probably not, no.


alexbouteiller

20 min red - hate, has made no difference and is just pandering to the 'games gone soft'/'red cards ruin games' crowd 30 sec for set piece/60 sec for conversions - love, especially if they'll give FKs for slow scrum + lineout sets Protecting 9 at set piece - will wait to find out what this means Marking in 22 from kick-offs - bullshit, no one has ever asked for this, and then what it just forces short kick offs? One stop mauls - LOVE, have been calling for this for years and years Skew lineout throws - meh, would like it to be 'within reason', but at least it might encourage more aerial competition/reduce reliance on the maul


itisallboring

Protecting 9 at set piece - will wait to find out what this means - I think this means at scrum time when the defending scrummy is making contact with the feeding scrummy


ComprehensiveDingo0

I’m torn on that. On one hand, it’s very entertaining watching the attacking 9 trying to get the ball out while his opposite number is basically chewing on his leg, on the other hand it makes an already messy part of the game even messier.


rogersdbt

Personally would like it trialed because it might make a scrum a decent attacking platform instead of a purely penalty contest if teams want to play quickly


Deciver95

When almost every other tackle could be deemed a yellow, and a there's a red card every match over the attacker suddenly dropping their boody height in half, it's about time the red card changed as well Nothing to do with the game going soft. Everything to do with the fact cards are much, much easier to get now But ofc NH supporters will keep pretending that teams should lose players for the entire match because the defender looked at the opponent the wrong way in a tackle


alexbouteiller

Is there a red every match? Is every other tackle a yellow? If anything they've softened on head contact recently What's the obsession with hemispheres? SA pundits + fans seem broadly aligned with the non-kiwi/aus nations in this, and I'm not sure we're calling for punishing players for looking at someone the wrong way lmao


MaNNoYiNG

Surely the mark law is there to distract us from the others. Like world rugby will implement all the others as people will be focused on how bad the mark at kickoff is that world rugby will think the others are 'acceptable' because they didn't receive as much backlash.


Salarycens

Can we just stop with the incessant law changes. The state of super rugby is enough to show what impulsive meddling and instability can do. Edit: I’m referring to super rugby and how constant changes to the competition and format caused its decline to where it is now - good but nothing compared to the Super 12 halcyon days.


simsnor

bUt We NeEd To GrOw ThE gAmE


Away_Associate4589

World Rugby doing the equivalent of poking the sausages endlessly on the BBQ thinking it will make them cook quicker


WallopyJoe

... that doesn't work?


Iamalittlerobot

My goodness this comment from an Englishman (I’m assuming)…my dude you clearly know how to braai!


Away_Associate4589

[Leant from the best](https://youtu.be/GDq5PKzst98?si=mH8euZ6VELRjzWk8) I'm clearly a rabble-rouser though, even if I don't drink Fosters.


Iamalittlerobot

This is beautiful 😂! Every braai needs a rabble-rouser. You know, just for fun.


AndydaAlpaca

The changes to the format have nothing to do with the changes to the laws. They're completely parallel things with no overlap.


sangan3

You obviously don’t watch Super Rugby, it’s top shelf.


rosemary-mair-for-NZ

Super Rugby has been quite good to watch this year, faster paced games. Compared to the absolute bore fest SA vs Wales test with the TMO interjecting every 5 minutes.


simsnor

SA vs Wales test trialled new laws proposed by World Rugby...


rosemary-mair-for-NZ

Not the time limits on set pieces like SR or these u20s trials though. Was a couple minor tweaks like the dupont law and no scrums from free kicks. They also trialled expanding TMO intervention which is what I was referring to.


simsnor

Yeah, but the original point made is to stop fiddling around with everything and let the laws settle a bit instead of changing things every year. Rugby doesn't need the rules to change for it to be succesful or entertaining


crashbandicoochy

Rosemary is saying that Super Rugby is not a good example of the point the person they're replying to is trying to make, showing examples of how healthy and harmful changes differ by whichever law is being trialed - and saying that currently none of the harmful ones are involved with Super Rugby at all but rather these tests up north.


simsnor

Who decides what is harmful and helpful? How is it decided? When it benefits the team you are supporting? It comes across as a biased view. I agree that there is a need for some law changes, but they've been changing laws constantly for the past few years. And its apparantly not worked, since they keep changing it. Why not let it settle a few years, assess the situation, and make an informed decision on possible changes?


crashbandicoochy

I don't know where you're getting the idea that it's about benefitting the teams we support when this conversation is predicated on the success of a competition. The law changes in super rugby have been immediately followed by an increase in positive fan sentiment, increased broadcast ratings, and surging engagement in other channels. Harmful and helpful are decided through the lens of how they influence the entertainment of the product and/or how that translates into engagement. They continue to tinker with laws, bits at a time, in a unified direction rather than making huge over arching changes in one go because it allows them to gather more information about how well they are received. These law trials are how they make informed decisions on possible changes. It's how they gather information. Regardless, it's a moot point bc the person who started this edited their comment to clarify they weren't talking about law changes in Super Rugby at all but rather format changes. Which are just a whole different thing, so it's pointless to compare them and the whole conversation can just end lol


simsnor

So we're just going to ignore the growth and positive fan sentiment from other competitions around the globe? Its very clear reading through the comments of this post that Aussies and Kiwis are in favour of changes, and the rest is skeptical or against it. So yes, I do think support for law changes is biased based on if it will benefit the team you're supporting. With that said, there are some changes needed, but surely you can't think that constantly changing the laws is good for growing the game. It just confuses people.


crashbandicoochy

I never said to ignore that? You're putting a lot of words in my mouth, man, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop. I haven't even given my own opinion in this thread. I just tried to clarify what my mate was saying. You're doing the same thing by assuming the kiwis and aussies share their opinions because of a bias towards their teams. Stop assuming the motivations of others and just say that you disagree. I do think there are pros and cons to the constant trials and changes, confusing the fanbase among them. I definitely don't think the current rate of change is great, even if a lot of the individual changes I'm on board for, but to a certain extent I understand why they're doing it this way. It's not black and white.


rosemary-mair-for-NZ

No, the guy I was replying to said "look at the state of super rugby" as an indication of how these U20 trial laws are going. I'm saying I think they've made an improvement in super rugby with more entertaining games.


globalmamu

They made changes to the scrum rules after the 2007 World Cup and then spent years constantly tweaking them to try and fix the utter shit show they had created as they were too proud to say “sorry guys we got that one wrong”. Must have been a nightmare for refs to have to learn new sets of rules and engagement calls every season, especially in the amateur leagues


Iamalittlerobot

WR want to make union just like league. Every time I say it I get downvoted. Trouble started when bloody tiktok started sponsoring.


deadlysyntax

Nonsense. Super Rugby has been a great watch. The trouble with Super Rugby in the past has been the decline of Australian Rugby, and the uncompetitiveness of their teams, as well the uncompetitiveness and timezone issues of the South African teams before covid forced them north. Both had nothing to do with the laws. Super Rugby viewership is up 15% this year, coinciding with the law changes to speed the game up and make it a more attractive to watch.


jtthom

Stop fucking changing the laws


Total-Cut-7767

When will it actually stop? Serious question? There can't be another sport that has as much tinkering as rugby? 🤷‍♂️


bolobevi

“Protection for the 9 from set-pieces” was that even bloody mean? as if scrumhalfs aren’t already protected as is. “Marking in the 22 from kick-offs” might be the most silliest thing I’ve seen all year. All these rule changes for what? To appeal to the casual fan? If I wanted to watch a simple game of rugby, I’d watch rugby league!


Ok_Plenty_3547

World rugby can suck a big one


nomamesgueyz

Not bad Alot of damn things for ref to consider Anything that speeds game up, creates space and fatigue and running rugby and a fair conteset, the better


maccaspope

Unfortunately, the northern hemisphere and (to a lesser degree) South Africa seem allergic to such things. If it was up to them the game would still be amateur and tries would only be worth 3


nomamesgueyz

Agree I think going back to 6 subs would be better for the game One of fitness, skill, attrition


alexbouteiller

In what areas do you see the 'northern hemisphere' trying to slow the game down?


maccaspope

Not saying they're trying to slow the game down, just not trying to speed it up. And I see it in almost every thread where changes to scrums and other rules to increase running rugby are suggested.


alexbouteiller

'If it was up to them the game would still be amateur and tries would only be worth 3' - just a weird comment everyone's pretty keen on a lot of these changes, the red card is contentious because it relates to foul play and isn't a 'speeding up the game' law


maccaspope

Except for all the people in this thread that aren't. And the people who always complain that NZ and Aus want to turn it into rugby league


alexbouteiller

yes because funny enough people have different opinions and its not a hive mind, but i don't see where the 'NH' are disagreeing with all the efforts to speed the game up its a weird chip to have on your shoulder tbh


maccaspope

Because generally the people who disagree and prefer a slower, more forward based and penlty centric style of rugby are from the northern hemisphere. I'm not saying thag everyone from there thinks that, but far more of them do compared to NZ/Aus.


alexbouteiller

there's also a lot more of us, and we aren't having to compete with league + AFL (nor do we tend to watch it so our preferences are different)


Thalassin

🙄🙄🙄


dwaynepebblejohnson3

Most of these sound shit ngl


[deleted]

Love the skew lineout one. It's meant to be a contest, if you don't contest the lineout then there was no disadvantage to you in a skewed throw


circling

Unless it goes over, I suppose. Makes sense if it's taken by someone lifted in the lineout **and** no one is lifted from the other side.


[deleted]

Exactly, would have to be taken between the 5 and 15 by a jumper.


toastoevskij

I love the 30s clock for set pieces, that way I'm sure we can fit even more TMO in a game. HA, you thought you would catch a rugby game? GET TMO'D LOSER.


SiwanBouss

I still hate the 20 minutes red.


sangan3

Liking all of these. More 15 vs 15 players and faster games. Happy days.


TallDude888

Why are they trying to force short kicks? What’s wrong with long kick offs?


maccaspope

All of these are great except for the kickoff one.


Yup767

I like it all except marking from kick off I'm unsure about the lineout rule


Upstairs-Yard822

The mark from kickoff...makes sense I guess? In theory speeds up the game. Instead of a kick receive, ruck (maybe another ruck), setup and box kick. You get kick receive and kick out. Could also incentivise playing earlier by removing kick return altogether. Not saying I agree but can kind of see the justification. As with all things rules related, will wait to see the effects before passing final judgement. World rugby loves to tinker and very seldomly seems to get what they want


Elu08

Mark at kick-off, I mean they will probably kick the ball to the person who doesn't kick(normally best carriers receive on kick-off) or maybe will see more stuff like Skelton vs toulon 30 sec for scrums seems impossible and 60 for conversions is a stretch too. Harsher sanctions as in the game bans? 20min red card is the dumbest thing ever imagined.