So you think you know the laws?

The IRB have just launched a superb guide to the new laws of rugby (ie. now that the ELV dust has finally settled). This really is a "Must See" for anyone and everyone - players, parents, managers, coaches, and those who occasionally referee! 

To begin with the guide has the text of all the laws - but with videos from real games illustrating most of the major points, making all the normally dry text far more easy to understand. You can also download a PDF of the entire laws.

However - that is just the start. The really clever thing is the "Law Exam" - and online test of all the laws. Each of the 22 laws - plus 7s, U19 variations and referee signals  - has its own module (so 25 in all) and you have to get five question right to pass each one.

But the really fun part is last one - the video test - which brings it all together and turns you into a video referee. Why did the referee blow his whistle in that clip? What should he award? What infringement took place while that try was being scored? What should happen next?

Its quite tricky - and frustrating when you get four right and then mess up on the fifth question and have to start again! Test a friend - see who can finish a module, or even the whole exam, first!

ELVs: IRB agree on the new laws

The IRB have finally agreed on which of the ELVS experimented with over the past 12 months will become a permanent part of the game. In terms of the number of law changes it sounds significant - ten out of 13 ELVs will be implemented - but once you look at the detail the phrase "damp squib" comes to mind.

For example none of the following changes will now be implemented:

• Pulling down of rucks
• Different numbers of players in line outs
• Replacement of penalties with free kicks for "minor" offences
  

Instead once the dust has cleared and the fanfares died away, the changes to be implemented from the start of next season, will be:

1. Assistant Referees (aka Touch Judges) will be able to assist Referees in any way the Referee requires (hardly a controversial idea)
2. If a team puts the ball back in their own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked directly into touch there is no gain in ground (virtually everyone agreed this was a good idea - but practically it will have no effect on the way your games are played as kicking for touch is pretty rare)
3. A quick throw may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team's goal line (as above!)
4. The receiver at the line-out must be two metres back away from the line-out (not a major issue)
5. The player who is in opposition to the player throwing in the ball must stand in the area between the five metre line and touch line and must be two metres from the line of touch and at least two metres from the line-out (which is more or less what used to happen anyway... unless you played Welwyn!)
6. Line-out players may pre-grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in (which most of us thought was legal anyway!)
7. The lifting of line-out jumpers is permitted (ditto!)
8. Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum (generally felt to be a good idea)
9. Scrum-half offside line at the scrum (again tidies things up a bit)
10. The corner posts are no longer considered to be touch in goal except when the ball is grounded against the post (in practice makes the try line about six inches wider)
    

So the revolution to change the game ends up being an administrative exercise that tidies up a few loose ends. Quite what the southern hemisphere nations - and in particular Australia - will make of it we will see. Some leading lights in Australia have made threats which boiled down to having a sulk and going to play by themselves if they did not get their own way - we will now see how serious they were...

ELVs RIP?

D-Day from the ELVs is, apparently, a mere few weeks away. On 13th May in London a two-day IRB meeting will be looking at the evidence of the worldwide trial - and despite the massive pro-ELV PR campaign it doesn't look good.

The way in which many top level games have decended into aerial ping-pong is an unexpected but common complaint. ELV supporters say that this just shows unimaginative coaching, but such is the growing tide of disatisfaction that it is possible that the entire ELV collection could be thrown out - even the bits that people say they like.

Certainly whispers in the press hint that the pulling down of mauls is dead in the water and variable number in the lineout also seems in trouble, surprisingly. However, even the five metres at the scrum rule is under threat, according to many correspondents. Indeed, as you read around, the impression you get is that there is even a growing counter-revolution campaigning to remove older law changes around things like the ruck, which some say made the game "safer" at the loss of fluidity.

So - watch the press - there could be yet more changes to your game before the start of next season.

RFU seeks your views on ELVs

We've been using the ELVs - the "Expermental Law Variations" - since the start of the season. So what do you think? Have you noticed? Have they made the game any better?

The RFU now want to know what you think - be you a player, coach, manager or spectator - and have published a short online survey. It takes barely five minutes to go through, so please pass on your opinions.

Note: There are a couple of questions about the ELV that allows a maul to be pulled down. Remember that this law does not apply to junior rugby so you will not have played it - but you may have seen it in action in games on TV.

The IRB ELV video: your summer homework!

Further to yesterday's post on the IRB's guide to the ELVs... here it now is! I guess I should have thought that someone else would already have converted it

Its just over 17 minutes long, but bear with it as its pretty important so please find time to watch it. Think of it as your summer homework. I know Simon from Saracens says there are better examples around, and no doubt there are, but this is the official guide and does have a useful voice-over commentary. It is, in short, the way the IRB say that the ELVs should work.

I must say that the maul stuff (though not strictly relevant) does look pretty dangerous - especially as presumably IRB have chosen the "cleanest" examples. The video does explain why the change is proposed, but as solutions go... well, I'm just pleased that its not going to be introduced in junior rugby!

Its also worth reporting that the ELVs debate is getting quite nasty (this New Zealand article ,and in particular the responses to it, are pretty typical). Its not inconceivable that there could be a real trial of strength between the RFU and other northern unions, and the IRB and the southern hemisphere (not sure where USA and Canada stand - a question that is far more relevant to the women's game).

In what is seen by many as a shot across the RFU's bows, the IRB announced this week that the the worldwide "trial" will be reviewed "within the first quarter of 2009". Quite where we will stand if the IRB push ahead and the RFU and its allies insist on keeping their variations could be interesting (and quite damaging to the game). After all, its a racing certainty that Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will vote in their favour, so the north and south squaring off against each other in 2009 must be a possibility.

One thing the video doesn't include is much about one major bone of contention between the RFU and the IRB - that of the replacement of many penalties (and scrums) with free kicks. There are other videos that cover this - including this lecture by a New Zealand referee called Paddy O'Brien (part 1 and part 2). Rather a lot of talking from the follicly challenged Kiwi, but the video examples are different to the IRB ones and maybe clearer at times.

ELVs: the movie

The RFU have circulated a new IRB video on the new laws coming in for next season. All clubs will have received copies (including RFUW registered teams, so I have been sent a copy as well).

Its about 20 minutes long and I think is required viewing for everyone before the season starts. The only snag is that as a DVD its not easy to put on the blog without some a breach of copyright and - more importantly - some decent ripping software and related expertise. If anyone can offer that then please get back to me asap. Obviously it would have been slightly easier if IRB had had the idea of bunging the thing on YouTube - but, hey, the IRB executive (see right) is not exactly the YouTube generation (and all male too I note...).

So perhaps when we have our first training session a viewing might be possible - and in the meanwhile if anyone wants to borrow the DVD before then get in touch.

Looking at it I reckon that - given the maul changes will not apply - the big area where the ELVs will have an effect is in the line-out. The fact that numbers put into the lineout by each team will no longer need to be the same opens up all sorts of tactical possibilities. As the defending team do you put extra players in to try to steal (but therefore have fewer in the defensive line)?

The quick throw becomes much easier to perform as well. Its not something we have used, or ever seen, in our games but maybe we should be looking at it in future?

Other than that things like the 5m line at scrums won't make much difference as most of the time you don't get up to the back foot anyway...

ELVs are here - as RFUW confirm their "support"

Last weekend was quietly historic as it was the first weekend to feature the new Experimental Laws (ELVs) worldwide with the most public example being the Tri-Nations game between New Zealand and South Africa. From now on every game you will see will (or at least should) be played to the new laws.

It was therefore appropraite that RFUW finally confirmed today what we all knew when they issued a statement "supporting the IRB in trialling the 13 Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) for the 2008/09 season". Interesting wording, incidentally - I'm not sure that the RFU have gone so far as to use the word "support" in anything they have produced on the ELVs...

The detail confirms that all the ELVs will apply to women's and girls's rugby, except for the Law 17 Maul ELV which will only apply to women's Premiership and Championship leagues - ie. not the lower levels of adult rugby as these are played to U19 laws - and also not U18 or U15 rugby.

The full statement appears on the Herts blog.

ELVs: the lighter side

This should raise a smile. Total Flanker uses his fertile imagination to consider how the ELVs might look if another sport followed similar logic...

On the other hand, and to be rather more serious, if anyone doubts how potentially dangerous the proposed maul changes are you should have a look at one of TF's earlier posts.

ELVs - the video guide

The IRB have now issued a some videos showing four of the ELV changes in action.

In addition there are more detailed notes. The videos available include the controversial maul rules (which will not apply to us, at least not next season), as well as changes affecting lineouts. The video on quick throws is particularly interesting, while the above example, illustrating the effect of the new rule which will mean that teams do not have to have equal numbers in the line-out, will open up a whole new range of tactical options (have more in the line than the opposition when defending, or less?)

All the videos - plus other significant discussion on the subject - are also now gathered together in a new section in the left-hand column.

Finally, Put Me In Coach has just produced the first in what is intended to be a detailed look at each ELV. The first looks at the uncontroversial rule on "Assistant Referees", but even here it raises a few questions.

Some sanity breaks out in ELV debate

Thanks to Spike (from Swaffham) and Simon Shutler for pointing out the good news that sanity has prevailed in the RFU and that - in England at least - the ELVs concerning the maul will NOT be adopted in U19 rugby, a decision which includes girls' rugby.

Note that all other ELVs will - at the moment anyway - still apply from next season.

It is easy to be critical of large organisations like the RFU, who can seem out of touch with the grassroots, but on this occasion that have been listening very carefully and are actually going out on a limb a bit by refusing to do what many other unions are going along with. As they point out, it could have some repercusions when it comes to youth internationals as we in England will be playing to different laws to everyone else, but it is good to see one organisation willing to put the grassroots ahead of the elite.

The RFU press release on the subject appears in full below.

The RFU Management Board has carefully considered a recommendation of the RFU Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) Implementation Task Group regarding introduction of some of the ELVs into the youth game in England.

The Management Board has approved the recommendation of the ELV Task Group that ELV 2 (shoulders must not be lower than the hips at the maul) and ELV 3 (pulling down the maul) should not be trialled in England at Under 19 level and below until:

• It has been demonstrated to be safe in the adult game; • The results of trials currently taking place in South Africa have been properly analysed by the iRB with specific reference to the safety of pulling down the maul at all rugby played at U19 and below; • Agreement has been reached on the safest method to pull down the maul and appropriate coaching techniques have been developed. • Sufficient time is allowed for the safest method and the appropriate coaching techniques to be communicated to all those involved in rugby at U19 level and below. The RFU will now discuss the issues that may arise with age grade cross-border competitions where other Unions are trialling ELV 2 & 3 with the IRB and affected Unions. However, the interests of young players and the safety concerns expressed by the game will take precedence. RFU Chief Executive Francis Baron OBE said: "We have received a large number of letters from the youth game expressing serious concerns over the introduction of some of the ELVs in the youth game. "It is established practice that Unions can apply variations to the Laws at youth level and many Unions exercise their rights in this respect. The RFU intends to exercise its rights in respect of the ELVs of concern to us and the game in England following discussion with the IRB and other affected Unions."

The ELVs explained

Remember the ELVs? The stack of "experimental" law changes that come in next season? Well the IRB have produced what is comfortably the most accessible and understandable guide to what everyone is likely to have to cope with from September.

The IRB Guide to the Experimental Law Variations is a well designed full colour guide which goes through all the changes in a logical order, with plenty of illustrations. The guide (which is dated August 2008!) will eventually be supported by a series of videos - though these are not yet available.

This really is essential reading for everyone - including those who stand on the touchline (so that you know what is going on!).

Be prepared for a whole new ball game next season

The IRB have announce that some of the new Experimental Laws (ELVs) will be introduced next year for an experimental 12-month period from 1st August 2008 - so from the start of next season - and for all levels of the game. There is nothing in any annoucements to indicate that the junior or female game will be exempt.

There is going to be significant changes in many parts of the game - and a degree of chaos I suspect at our level as we come across referees who know about the changes and ones who do not!

Not all of the 23 proposals are being trialed worldwide as the nothern hemisphere unions rejected any ELVs sanctions that reduced to free kicks from penalty kicks being tried out in the non-elite game. However, 13 rule changes will be in effect, and will apply to all:

Assistant Referees

• Assistant Referees can assist referees in any manner required when appointed by a match organiser [other than a change of title this does not actually change much]

Posts and flags around the field

• The corner posts are no longer considered to be in touch in-goal except when a ball is grounded against the post [If you knock the corner flag out while scoring it will now be a try, unless you actually step over the touchline as well. Means that we may as well get rid of the flags...]

Lineout and throw

• If a team puts the ball back into their own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked directly into touch there is no gain of ground [This means that you will no longer be able to run back into your 22, or pass back, so as to be able to kick the ball out on the full. In practice this is not something that we ever do].
• A quick throw may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team's own goal line
  There is no restriction on the number of players who can participate in the lineout from either side (minimum of two) [Again not hugely relevent as we have never taken a quick throw in our entire history, and probably would not go in for 14-player lineouts]
• The receiver in a lineout must stand 2 metres back from the lineout [Currently the scrum-half can stand as close as they like]
• The player who is in opposition to the player throwing in the ball may stand in the area between the 5 metre line and touch line but must be 2 metres away from the lineout [Ditto. Unlikely to make much difference as only Hannah from Welwyn has taken advantage of the old law by presurising the thrower]
• Lineout players may pre-grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in [In the junior game this was already allowed]
• The lifting of lineout jumpers is permitted [Effectively a restatement of current position]

Maul

• Players are able to defend a maul by pulling it down [The effect of this cannot be underestimated - and it is something that we will need to work on (like how to do it - safely). Potentially quite dangerous, it does mean that driving mauls will be a thing of the past. A pity as we've always been quite good at them.]
• Remove reference in Law to heads and shoulders not to be lower than hips [Again this has an effect on safety - heads below hips must be dangerous. Referees will hopefully still have safety in mind in the junior game]

Scrum

• Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum [No longer can the defending team come up to the backfoot. But half the time you forget anyway so this may be academic, but still an important tactical change]
• Scrum must be in close proximity to the scrum (as present Law) or must retreat five metres [Again I cannot see that this will affect our playing style]

There are also some extra changes for "elite Northern Hemisphere competitions" (presumably internationals, premiership etc, but clearly not relevent to us). These will include - for all offences other than offside, not entering through the gate, and Law 10 (Foul Play) - that the sanction will be a Free Kick instead of a Penalty. This may cause confusion as the game you watch on TV may well be noticably different to the one you play.

If you care about your game, this really does matter...

The proposed (and ever so slightly controversial) changes to the the laws known as the ELVs - the Experimental Law Variations - have been mentioned on the blog in the past. These rule changes are more than a boring technical matter only likely to be of interest to Joe and referees - many knowledgeable followers of the game say that these will make fundamental changes to the way the game is played.

These concerns are even being expressed by the RFU. Chief Executive Francis Baron has said: "We have a number of concerns about the ELVs and the proposed process that is being followed regarding their introduction."

Because of this the RFU are - perhaps uniquely in a situation like this - consulting everyone involved in the game at every level - including you. The RFU has compiled an online questionnaire and are "urging everyone with an interest in the future of our game to go to www.rfusurvey.co.uk and spend ten minutes completing the questionnaire so we can paint as accurate a picture as possible of people's views in England when the matter comes up for debate at the IRB in May."

So - what are these changes? Well, there are a fair few and the IRB have produced a summary, so maybe its worth highlighting some.

Some are a bit trivial, like touch-judges becoming "assistant referees". One is tempted to ask quite why this is deemed necessary, or more to the point why the heck rugby would be aiming to ape football, but there are bigger matters of concern... and the touchline is due to become a pretty crowded place (as we shall see later) so maybe the TJs need a higher profile?

So let's look elsewhere. Here's a good one...

Corner post, and post at corner of touch in goal and dead ball line not considered to be touch in goal unless the ball is grounded against the post.

This means that if you hit the corner flag on the tryline when scoring a try you will no longer be considered to be in touch. Instead you will only be in touch if you actually put a foot over the line. So a reasonably obvious indicator will be replaced with something that will require a TV replay, or in other words something that will lead to endless arguments at our level. Nice one.

Are you a forward (and especially a prop)? Well, looks like you could become close to unemployed as a whole raft of offences that previously resulted in scrums (or even penalties) will now become free kicks. These include...

• Line-out throws that are not straight
• Ball unplayable (ie. not emerging) from a ruck or maul
• Offences at kick-offs or restarts (ie. the ball not going 10m)
• All other offences (other than offside, not entering through the gate, and
  Foul Play).

Quite a few new offside lines appear. The scrum half and non-throwing hooker at a line out would have to stand 2m back, and the defending side at a scrum will now have to stand 5m back. In some drafts these extra lines will be patrolled by "flag judges" (cue hilarity as FJs and TJs - sorry ARs - collide while running different directions).

But all this pales into insignificance when compared with the next two belters....

• Players on their feet may handle the ball in the ruck.
• Defending players can pull down the maul.

Yes - you did read that right. Just think about what this means (again, especially if you are a forward) - essentially no more mauls, and an end to rucks too - at least as we know them.

So... this is important. It matters. And not just if you are a prop (who should now be considered to be on the endangered species list). You do not have to be a genius to read between the lines and see that the RFU is not exactly supporting all this and is looking to you to give them evidence to show that the games at large does not want the changes either. So spare a bit of time and follow the link

ELVs. Deadly dull - but could change the game you play

The laws of rugby union never stay still for long - if it is one thing that the IRB constantly do it is tinker around with them, either in the interest of safety or in order to make the game more "open" and so better to watch (but not necessarily play) - especially on TV. One reason for this is that rugby players are clever people and every time the IRB close one loop-hole, someone soon finds another!

Sometimes these changes are small things - like the changes in the law for the scrum which affected senior rugby in January. Sometimes its more major things like the points value for a try , or whether you can lift in line-outs (illegal until about ten years ago).

Currently doing the rounds is a series of "ELVs" or "Experimental Law Variations". The official documents on this are quite strikingly dull - eyes start to glaze over fairly quickly I find - but some carefully trained legal operatives armed with large quantities of caffeine and similar stimulants have now worked their way through it all.

Opinion seems divided - though there seems agreement that if these law changes do come in (and these things can happen quickly - in theory the new rules could come in as early as January 2008!) the change will be significant. In fact one referee's federation claim it will be "one of the most seismic changes in rugby's history". So what changes would we see if these rules came in? The answer is lots of things...

• Many offences at the "breakdown" (tackles, rucks, mauls, etc.) which used to be penalties would become "free kicks" - only offside, not releasing, or preventing a player releasing would remain penalties
• "Offside" laws would be "rigorously enforced" and would apply immediately a player was tackled, not when a ruck or maul forms
• The ball could no longer be passed back in the 22 and kicked out on the full (line out from where the ball was kicked)
• Mauls could be pulled down (so the end of the "rolling maul")
• Handling in the ruck would be allowed [though rumour has it that this one may have been dropped]
• Offside at the scrum would be 5m behind the back foot, not at the back foot as it is now.
• Removal of corner flags (so touching the flag would no longer rule out a try)
• Any number of players in a line out (though a minimum of two)
• Extra "flag officials" to mark the new offside lines

Why change? Well, Bruce Cook from the IRB says:

"What we want is a game that's easier to understand for players, spectators and referees, and to avoid the outcome of games resting so heavily on referees. To the casual observer, rugby has a minefield of laws, many of which are regularly interpreted in different ways by referees across the globe at every level of the game.

If you take the breakdown, for example - that's the biggest problem area. There are a heap of offences that can take place. Depending on what the referee thinks and what his assessment is of the situation, he will decide on whether he gives a penalty or not. And you'll have one referee that will penalise a certain situation and one that will not."

There have already been some experiments with the rules (see this match report) - and it is significant that the IRB see these as being a success:

Just looking at the Scottish games you're no longer seeing penalties occurring left, right and centre at the breakdown, and you get the feeling referees are no longer driving the outcome of games.

Generally it seems that backs love these new rules, forwards hate them - see Total Flanker's comments and this article in the Guardian last month.

What effect will it have on our game?. I suspect most girls teams will be delighted, especially the typical backs-based "southern sides".

However we (at U17/18 level at least) have always been rather forwards based - less so in 2007/8 thanks to Mike's coaching and the influx of great backs from the U14s - but it is still where out strength lies. It is, to be honest, a major reason why we can hold our own (or more) against theoretically "better" opposition - rarely losing a lead once we have gained it in what are generally low-scoring games. It would prompt a significant rethink about how we play our games.

So - watch the rugby press. Things that old men in dull suits decide in remote committee rooms thousands of miles away so as to get a bigger TV audience could change your game.

And those of you going in the referee course next month - why not ask what the current position is?