World Rugby is considering a global trial of the 20-minute red card as well as reducing the height of tackles in the elite game as part of a radical plan to increase the appeal of the sport.
The board will also examine the possibility of reducing the number of substitutions and reconsider the use of the Television Match Official in a bid to speed up the game and develop it as a spectacle.
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The plan, which is planned to be rolled out in five phases, comes on the back of World Rugby’s Shape of the Game forum last month, designed to make the game more fun. More immediate changes include restricting the use of water carriers and encouraging referees to call “use” and enabling scrum halves to play the ball more quickly, but World Rugby’s longer-term proposals could have a significant impact on World Rugby. game.
A specialist working group will be established to assess the results of community altitude trials across 11 unions and “assess suitability for elite rugby”. When the Rugby Football Union first announced the tackle height would be lowered in early 2023, there was uproar, with mixed messages about how much the threshold would be lowered. The trial ended much more successfully than it began, but bringing the change to the elite level would be a seismic shift in the professional arm of the sport.
The introduction of a 20-minute global red card trial (the sent-off player is not allowed to return to the field but is replaced by another player after 20 minutes) will be voted on at the World Rugby Council meeting in May. Comprehensive review of disciplinary and sanction processes. It has proven popular in the southern hemisphere and would prevent matches from being ruined as spectacles, such as the red cards shown to Freddie Steward in England’s defeat to Ireland last year. Opponents of the measure fear imposing lighter sanctions amid ongoing head injury litigation would send the wrong message.
Another working group will be tasked with examining research on the impact of fatigue in the elite game and the number and timing of substitutions “to identify options that could create more space on the pitch and improve injury rates.” Eddie Jones is among the senior figures advocating a reduction in substitutions and, importantly, World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont agrees.
World Rugby also wants to overhaul the TMO protocol, which has come under widespread criticism for introducing too many long pauses in play. Even as recently as last Saturday questions had been raised about the TMO’s decision to intervene and bring Ben Earl’s unarmed tackle to the referee’s attention; After this penalty, France scored the winning points to beat England.
World Rugby also wants to examine “setting new minimum standards for technology providers” following a number of complaints that replays were not available or not shown during the Six Nations. A comprehensive review of the safety and eyewear issues related to the fault will also be carried out by a working group.
From Tuesday, as part of the first phase of the plan, players will be expected to use the ball more quickly if the ball is stabilized at a concussion/break. In fact, this is an attempt to put an end to the dreaded mass of caterpillars. A move has been made to limit the number of times water carriers can enter the field of play, while hookers will also be expected to maintain a full brake foot during engagement to aid attacking stability and safety.
World Rugby has also proposed the approval of a number of legislative changes in May, including closing a loophole known as the “Dupont Act” aimed at “reducing bad tennis”. Current relevant law states that players in front of the kicker will be adjudged offside when the kick-receiver passes the ball or moves five meters with the ball. France’s Antoine Dupont has taken advantage of this in the past but doing so has led to protracted kicking battles. Removing the scrum option from the free kick option in Scrum and banning the “croc roll” are among the recommended changes.
Unions and competition owners will be encouraged to implement a range of closed legal exercises, including using a shot clock for scrums and formations, marking the ball within the 22 meter line from the restart, insisting the ball is played once the impact has been stopped. More protection for the attacking half, rather than twice, and allowing the referee to continue playing if the line-out is not straight and not challenged.
“The moves we are making are based on our commitment to increasing relevance on a global basis and born out of a desire to change for the better,” Beaumont said. “This means being bold, embracing change by increasing entertainment value, making our stars more accessible and simplifying the terminology and language used to explain rugby to people who haven’t yet fallen in love with it. We moved quickly. It took particular unity and determination across the sport to deliver an improvement package to the council in May. “I look forward to the discussions.”