Experimental Law Variations adopted into Law proper 

1.       Assistant Referees – Assist the referee if requested
2.       Lineout and throw – Taken back into 22
3.       Lineout and throw – Quick throw in
4.       Lineout and throw – Receiver (halfback) 2 metres away
5.       Lineout and throw – Non throwing team must have a player in the 5m area who must stand 2m from line-of-touch & 2m from the 5m line
6.       Lineout and throw – Pre-gripping
7.       Lineout and throw – lifting
8.       Scrum – 5m offside lines
9.       Scrum – halfback offside lines
10.    Corner posts/flags – No longer touch in-goal 

Experimental Law Variations NOT adopted 

1.       Maul – Head & shoulders below hips
2.       Maul – Legally collapse
3.       Lineout and throw – No restriction on numbers  

Mauls cannot be pulled down anymore and the team throwing in the ball at a lineout determines the maximum number of players in the lineout.

LAW APPLICATION BEYOND 2009

All rugby is now being played under one set of laws, with the realisation that differences do exist between ‘senior’ levels of rugby and ‘age specific’ levels of rugby.  Eg: 

-          IRB Under 19 Variations

-          NZRU Domestic Safety Law Variations 

2010 Law Books

The NZRU is not going to print a NZ Law Book for 2010.  They will provide the following: 
·         IRB Law Books (pocket size)
·         NZRU pamphlets incorporating our Domestic Safety Law Variations (DSLV’s) and the Small Blacks Laws 

The IRB Laws are always available on the IRB website (www.irb.com)
 NZRU Domestic Safety Law Variations are available on the www.nzrugby.co.nz  website.

 Please acquaint yourself with these Law changes as we head towards the beginning of the 2010 rugby season.  There are many features and requirements of these newly written laws that we all need to recognise, learn and implement.

 Of particular importance, are the law section listed below.

 Noteworthy points: 

1) The specification in written law that a tackle that starts below the line of the shoulders and ends up above that line, IS a dangerous tackle. 

2) The definition associated with the Maul law has been altered where the word “occur” has been replaced with “begin”.  This has a major influence on whether a maul continues to exist when there are only players from one team participating.  Law 17.4 (f) and (g) further explain this. 

3) Law 19 – Touch and Lineout and Law 22 – In-goal are altered to incorporate explanations relating to a player ‘receiving’ the ball (when it is in motion) and a player ‘retrieving’ the ball (when it is stationary). 

4) The team that is NOT throwing-in the ball at a lineout must have a player between the touchline and the 5m line.  That player can now stand in only one position – 2m from the line-of-touch and 2m from the 5m line. 

5) Locks and loose-forwards must be bound into position PRIOR to scrum engagement.  This prevents any players, particularly the Number-8, using a “slingshot” motion as the scrum engages.