To: CB Hon Secretaries
26th May 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Law Amendments 2009
The International Rugby Board (iRB) Council has ratified recommendations made by the iRB Rugby Committee and approved 10 of the 13 global Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) for adoption into the Laws of the Game. The recommendations were unanimously approved and the integrated set of Laws is to be implemented globally from 23rd May 2009 or from the start of the next domestic season where competitions transcend the implementation date. The new Laws will apply to all domestic rugby in England with effect from 1st June 2009. By this time, all domestic competition, including the County Championship, will have concluded.
In addition to the suite of global ELVs, three Union-specific ELVs were also approved for integration into Law. These include the ability for a Union to implement a maximum 15-minute half time in matches under its jurisdiction.
As a consequence, the 2009 Law Book has now been rewritten and can be viewed at http://www.irb.com/lawregulations/laws/index.html
The Law amendments can be found as Appendix 1.
Regards
Andrew Scoular
Community Rugby Director
Appendix 1 - Law Amendments 2009
1. ELVs Adopted into Law
The following ELVs are to be adopted into Law:
Law 6 - Assistant Referees able to assist Referees in any way the Referee requires
Law 19 - 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
Law 19 - A quick throw may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team’s goal line
Law 19 - The receiver at the lineout must be two metres back away from the lineout
Law 19 - 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 lineout
Law 19 - Lineout players may pre-grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in
Law 19 - The lifting of lineout jumpers is permitted
Law 20 - Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the Scrum
Law 20 - Scrum half offside line at the Scrum
Law 20 - The corner posts are no longer considered to be touch in goal except when the ball is grounded against the post
2. Union-specific ELVs approved by Council
a) Unions may implement rolling substitutions at defined levels of the Game
b) A Union having jurisdiction over a Game may implement a half time interval of not more than 15 minutes, but not at international level
c) A Union may implement the Under 19 Scrum Law Variation at a defined level of the Game under its jurisdiction
Submitted by on 24 Jul 09