All the experimental laws for Australia's reboot

With Aotearoa in full swing in New Zealand, Australian rugby will restart their domestic competition this coming weekend and will have a host of different laws for the competition.

While New Zealand hasn’t used their golden point and red-card substitution laws in the opening three rounds thus far, there are a range of options that Australia will use which may confuse, but are going to be implemented to try and speed up the game and compete with the bigger Rugby League product in the country.

So in a nutshell, to help understand what other changes are coming to the game when it restarts this weekend in Australia, here is a quick factsheet to keep handy to understand how things will work with the experimental laws.

The most significant of these is the 50/22 law, where a team kicking from within their own half, bounces the ball out in the opposition 22, and therefore gets the throw in.

LAW CHANGES

1. When an attacking player carrying the ball is held up in the in-goal or knocks the ball on play restarts with a goal line drop-out. This is different to the current law, where a player held up would get a 5m scrum.

Drop-out is taken anywhere on or behind the defending team’s goal line.

Sanction: 5m scrum in line with the place where the kick was taken

Must be taken without delay. Sanction: Free-kick

Must cross the goal line and travel 5m. Sanction: The non-kicking team has the option of the kick being retaken or a 5m scrum in line with the place where the kick was taken

The defence must be back 5m

An opponent must not charge over the 5m line before the ball is kicked.

Sanction: Free-kick

If the ball crosses the 5m line but the bounces back play continues

2. When a kick enters the in-goal area and is forced by the defending team play restarts with a goal line drop-out

As above

3. A kick originating in the attacking 22m area cannot be marked by the defending team within their own 22m area. The kick can however be marked within the defending team’s in-goal area and play restarts with a 22m line drop- out

To claim a mark, a player must:

Have a least one foot on or behind their own goal line when catching the ball or when landing having caught it in the air; and Catch a ball that has reached the plane of the goal line directly from an opponent’s kick before it touches the ground or another player; and

Simultaneously call “mark” A player may claim a mark even if the ball hits a goal post or crossbar before being caught

When a mark is called correctly, the referee immediately stops the game and awards a 22m restart to the team in possession Any player may take the 22m restart

4. Red Card

A red carded player can be replaced after 20 minutes

If all substitutions have been used the Red Carded player cannot be replaced

5. 50/22

A kick taken from within the defending team’s 50m area that travels into touch within the opposition’s 22m area having first bounced in the field of play results in a lineout throw to the kicking team

Criteria

The defending team did not take the ball into their own 50m area; or A tackle, ruck or maul takes places within the 50m area; or An opponent touched the ball within the 50m area

Clarifications

The above does not apply if a player kicks the ball from a free-kick awarded

in the 50m area

The 50m area includes the defending team’s in-goal area

6. 22/50

A kick taken from within the defending team’s 22m area that travels into touch within the opposition’s 50m area having first bounced in the field of play results in a lineout throw to the kicking team

Criteria

The defending team did not take the ball into their own 22m area; or

A tackle, ruck or maul takes places within the 22m area; or

An opponent touched the ball within the 22m area

Clarifications

The above does not apply if a player kicks the ball from a free-kick awarded in the 22m

The 22m area includes the defending team’s in-goal area

7. Super Time

(2 x 5min periods of extra time) in the event of a drawn game after regulation time where the first points scored wins the match for the scoring team

First points scored in Super Time wins match

No conversions of tries

Losing team receives bonus point for being within 7 points

Team that kicks off match kicks off first period of Super Time