SYDNEY (Reuters) – A series of law variations have been introduced for the Super Rugby Pacific season, which kicks off on Friday.
The key changes, which aim to speed up the game and make it more attractive to fans, are listed below:
* Kickers will have 90 seconds to kick a conversion from the time a try is awarded and 60 seconds from the moment the referee points to the posts in the case of a penalty.
* Lineouts and scrums need to be formed within 30 seconds of the mark being set, and the ball will have to be used within five seconds of a ruck being formed.
* Television Match Officials (TMO) will only interrupt play when a “serious, clear and obvious incident of dangerous play” has been missed by the on-field officials.
* Referees can ask the TMO to help them make yellow card decisions but any extended video reviews will take place after the player has left the field, not before the yellow card is issued.
* The TMO will have eight minutes to either uphold a yellow card decision or upgrade it to a red card. In that case, the player will not return to the field but can still be replaced after 20 minutes under red-card rules introduced in 2020.
* Referees will now be able to issue a full red card for deliberate foul play, in which case the player will not be replaced after 20 minutes.
Source: SANZAAR
(Compiled by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Christian Radnedge)
