2016 LAW TRIALS - 5.7 (e) OTHER TIME REGULATIONS

[Ian_Cook]

Proposal
If time expires and a mark, free kick or penalty kick is then awarded, the referee allows play to continue. If time expires and a player then kicks to touch from a penalty kick anywhere in the playing area, the referee allows the throw-in to be taken, and play continues until the next time that the ball becomes dead.

Justification
Current Law when time expires denies a non-offending team all the options they are normally entitled to at a Penalty Kick.
• Current Law provides reduced consequences for infringing after time expires compared to the rest of the game.
• This proposal eliminates a negative tactic that can and does spoil the finish to close matches and instead provides a fair and appropriate conclusion.
• Trialled successfully in ARU NRC competition.
• If the team receiving the penalty wants to finish the half, they simply take ‘tap’ the ball first before kicking into touch.

 

[Dixie]

Current Law when time expires denies a non-offending team all the options they are normally entitled to at a Penalty Kick.

Nonsense! Options at a PK are set out in law 21.3 and 21.4:

[LAWS]21.3(a) Any player may take a penalty or free kick awarded for an infringement with any type of kick: punt, drop kick or place kick. The ball may be kicked with any part of the lower leg from knee to the foot, excluding the knee and the heel.

21.4 (a) Scrum alternative. A team awarded a penalty or free kick may choose a scrum instead. They throw in the ball.
(b) Lineout alternative. A team awarded a penalty or a free kick at a lineout may choose a further lineout into which they throw in. This is in addition to the scrum option.
(c) No delay. If a kicker indicates to the referee the intention to kick a penalty kick at goal, the kick must be taken within one minute from the time the player indicates the intention to kick at goal. The intention to kick is signalled by the arrival of the kicking tee or sand, or
when the player makes a mark on the ground. The player must complete the kick within one minute even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again. If the one minute is exceeded, the kick is disallowed, a scrum is ordered at the place of the mark and the opponents throw
in the ball. For any other type of kick, the kick must be taken without undue delay.
(d) A clear kick. The kicker must kick the ball a visible distance. If the kicker is holding it, it must clearly leave the hands. If it is on the ground, it must clearly leave the mark.
(e) Place kicking for touch. The kicker may punt or drop kick for touch but must not place kick for touch.
(f) Kicker’s freedom of action. The kicker is free to kick the ball in any direction and may play the ball again.
(g) Kick taken in the in-goal. If a player retires into in-goal to take a penalty or free kick awarded in the field of play and a defending player by foul play prevents an opponent from scoring a try a penalty try is awarded.
(h) Out of play in the in-goal. If a player retires into in-goal to take a penalty or free kick
awarded in the field of play and following the kick the ball goes into touch-in-goal, or on or
over the dead ball line, or a defending player makes the ball dead before it has crossed the
goal line, a 5-metre scrum is awarded. The attacking team throws in the ball.
(i) Behind the ball. All the kicker’s team at a penalty or free kick must be behind the ball until
it has been kicked, except the placer for a place kick.
(j) Kick taken quickly. If the penalty or free kick is taken so quickly that players of the kicker’s team are still in front of the ball, they are not penalised for being offside. However, they must retire immediately. They must not stop retiring until they are onside. They must not take part in the game until they are onside. This applies to all players of that team, whether they are inside or outside the playing area.
(k) In this situation, players become onside when they run behind the team-mate who took the penalty or free kick, or when a team-mate carrying the ball runs in front of them, or when a team-mate who was behind the ball when it was kicked runs in front of them.
(l) An offside player cannot be put onside by any action of an opponent.
Sanction: Unless otherwise stated in Law any infringement by the kicker’s team results in a scrum at the mark. The opposing team throw in the ball.[/LAWS]

That said, I have considerable sympathy for the real intent behind the change, which is to make a PK at the end of the game as much of a sanction as it is at any other time.

 

[Mandrason]

I just want to bring this back up quickly:
Has this law trial been brought into the law? If yes, where can it be found?

 

[chbg]

I just want to bring this back up quickly:
Has this law trial been brought into the law? If yes, where can it be found?

Only in (part of?) the Southern Hemisphere. Not in the north (apart from my trial in a pre-season friendly, whch did not go down well).

See also http://www.rugbyrefs.com/showthread.php?19978-Penalty-at-a-lineout

 

[Mandrason]

Thanks. After further research I've found out that its trialed here:

With the closed law trials kicking-off in Wales and Australia in August with the Principality Cup and National Rugby Championship respectively, 2016 will see other tournaments follow, including a number of World Rugby competitions, namely the Pacific Challenge Cup (March), U20 Trophy (April), Nations Cup (June) and Tbilisi Cup (June), providing valuable data from players, coaches and match officials for the LRG to consider.