RFU Council approves lowering of the tackle height across community rugby in England from 2023/24

[Phil E]

The first thing I noticed is that tackles must be made at the line of the waist, targeting the belly area and below.
So Questions...is it below the waist or below the belly, because my belly is above my waist

To support player welfare, the RFU Council agreed on Monday 16th January to lower the height of the tackle across the community game from 1st July 2023.

What to expect:

Reduced tackle height for all community rugby:

• Tackles must be made at the line of the waist, targeting the belly area, and below.
• The aim is to put players’ heads in the safest possible place by defining in law where the line of the tackle may start.

A greater focus on the actions of the ball carrier:

• Ball carriers will be encouraged to follow the principle that rugby is a game of evasion, and they should avoid late dipping and thereby avoid creating a situation where a bent tackler may be put at increased risk of head-on-head contact with the ball carrier through a late or sudden change in body height of the ball carrier.
• Match officials will focus on the actions of the ball carrier as well as the tackler when head contact occurs.

 

[Phil E]

The process of developing law variations and the law application guidelines is well underway. It is anticipated that new laws will be in place in the next few weeks. They will come into force from 1 July 2023.

A range of training and support will be put in place for players, coaches and match officials. This will include face-to-face workshops, webinars, e-learning and video guidance. Training will be rolled out from the spring, through the summer and into next season.

We understand this is a significant change and the game will have questions around the detail of the new law variation, what it means for coaches and players and how the tackle will be refereed during different phases of the game, for example close to the goal line versus counter attacks in open play.

Detailed FAQs and training materials will be provided over the coming weeks to give clarity for the game. This is the first in a series of communications to give the game sufficient notice of the law changes being made.

 

[crossref]

We understand this is a significant change and the game will have questions around the detail of the new law variation, what it means for coaches and players and how the tackle will be refereed during different phases of the game, for example close to the goal line versus counter attacks in open play

.

That

 

[Stu10]

RFU

www.englandrugby.com

To support player welfare, the RFU Council agreed on Monday 16th January to lower the height of the tackle across the community game from July 1 2023.

The RFU Council’s unanimous vote will result in law variations from next season, 2023/24, with the tackle height being set at waist height or below.

 

[DocP]

Will be interesting as it is only for community game, so Nat 1 and lower. How are we supposed enforce one thing but they see another on the telly. Will be interesting chats in the bar after

 

[Stu10]

I wondered why no one had replied to my post in the Law Changes forum... you are already discussing it here

 

[Stu10]

Greater focus on the ball carrier... does that mean dipping into a tackle results in a penalty? I guess we will find out more over the coming months, but I see this as being a challenge for referees.

 

[crossref]

Will be interesting as it is only for community game, so Nat 1 and lower. How are we supposed enforce one thing but they see another on the telly. Will be interesting chats in the bar after

If it's for safety and concussion.. why on earth doesn't it apply to the professional game as well

 

[Stu10]

If it's for safety and concussion.. why on earth doesn't it apply to the professional game as well

Any changes at elite level need to come from WR to avoid issues when teams from different countries play each other.

However, this move might put pressure on WR to make changes

 

[didds]

If it's for safety and concussion.. why on earth doesn't it apply to the professional game as well

This.
You guys that whist;le the community game - do you see "upright tackles" and subsequent head contacts as a genuine uissue, at the level we see (or perceive to see) in the pro game?
Obviously one head contact is one too many - but Im wondering if while this move is "a good thing" at community levels, it may be an "even better thing" at the higher levels?

 

[DocP]

This.
You guys that whist;le the community game - do you see "upright tackles" and subsequent head contacts as a genuine uissue, at the level we see (or perceive to see) in the pro game?
Obviously one head contact is one too many - but Im wondering if while this move is "a good thing" at community levels, it may be an "even better thing" at the higher levels?

At the level I'm at I hardly ever see a head clash, in fact I can't think of one. It is normally a seatbelt gone wrong or just upright that catches someone's head. Not like what we see in the Prem week in week out where the speed and force is so much higher.
I actually think at my level (9-12) the laws are ok and head contact is well dealt with and the players do their best to avoid upright tackles with good success

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Where most of us referee anyone who's 125kg can't manage more than a waddle whereas there's lots of 125kg blokes who can get a bit of gallop on in the upper echelons.

Bear in mind the pitch is same size as it was in 1871 (picks arbitrary date) whereas the 30 blokes running round on it are bigger, heavier, faster and stronger.

Fewer players?

Bigger pitches?

I haven't come across a head on head issue in the community game as AR or referee - I'm not sure whether I'm missing them?? - I have never come across a tackle that has made me wince and had one of the participants wobbling about or flat on their back. That said I have seen a few from my lad's games - quite a few in women's rugby

Most of the head contact I've dealt with is PK/YC stuff. The YCs tend not to be mitigating reds down but rather slidey up or indirect contact with the head. The only RC direct head contact I've done was one of the (was it Chris White?) if you find yourself pointing at the changing room it's a red.

There's enough "bloody 'ell t'game's gone soft" comments for each and every PK now - God knows what this current missive will bring. Some of the players in the weeds would never get up if the bent down to tackle somebody.

 

[didds]

seen elsewhere...

On RFU tackle height - implementing it at the lowest skilled level where application and data capture for genuine analysis feels like a hollow token gesture.

A trial like this needs to:
Have accurate implementation by players and refs
Accurate data capture
Impact assessments

Without those points above it’s just ghost data, we don’t have accurate injury reporting at these levels.

Varying coaching levels, so how do we know it’s been accurately implemented.

How do we judge the impact on the game, if head contact goes down is that a result of the tackle of the fact less tackles are being made?

This is all important as we see a further divergence between the social and professional sport that we see in no other (few sports)

 

[Marc Wakeham]

seen elsewhere...

On RFU tackle height - implementing it at the lowest skilled level where application and data capture for genuine analysis feels like a hollow token gesture.

A trial like this needs to:
Have accurate implementation by players and refs
Accurate data capture
Impact assessments

Without those points above it’s just ghost data, we don’t have accurate injury reporting at these levels.

Varying coaching levels, so how do we know it’s been accurately implemented.

How do we judge the impact on the game, if head contact goes down is that a result of the tackle of the fact less tackles are being made?

This is all important as we see a further divergence between the social and professional sport that we see in no other (few sports)

"They" can tick the box that they've done something, whilst totally avoiding the problem area.

 

[buff]

Will be interesting as it is only for community game, so Nat 1 and lower. How are we supposed enforce one thing but they see another on the telly. Will be interesting chats in the bar after

The discussion ends when you answer that the laws are different in the professional game. I know that will be different in rugby, but we seem to manage it well with ice hockey.

 

[Locke]

The discussion ends when you answer that the laws are different in the professional game. I know that will be different in rugby, but we seem to manage it well with ice hockey.

Could you elaborate on some of the differences between community and pro hockey and how it’s handled? Are there two separate sets of rules?

 

[buff]

There are several rule differences. The NHL and its feeder leagues have their own rule book. The IIHF has its own. The biggest is that body checking is generally not allowed in community hockey. There are exceptions for elite age group hockey from U-15 to U-20 but the vast majority of community hockey players of all ages play non-contact hockey.

 

[Stu10]

U19 have law variations... Maybe adult community rugby should have variations, but maintain the same core laws

 

[Balones]

Somebody has already asked me how they can tackle a player who is doing a pick and drive one metre from the try line and is about 300mm off the ground leading with his head. I know the intention is that the law is ‘flexible’ to suit different circumstances. I can’t wait to see the list of different circumstances and how it is written in law!

 

[didds]

Somebody has already asked me how they can tackle a player who is doing a pick and drive one metre from the try line and is about 300mm off the ground leading with his head.

Refer them to "O.B.'s conclusion"