Super Rugby Pacific confirm law variations for 2023 season

Tue, Feb 14, 2023, 6:57 AM
Nathan Williamson


Super Rugby Pacific has confirmed the law variations that are set to be implemented for the 2023 season.

One of the key changes will be the implementation of shot clocks, designed to speed up the game.

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Referees will enforce 90 second time limits on conversions, 60 for penalty kicks, 30 for scrums and lineouts and 5 seconds for the ball to be used at rucks.

“We want Super Rugby Pacific to be the most entertaining, innovative and fastest professional rugby competition in the world," Tournament Director Matt Barlow said in a statement.

"We’ve listened to our fans and taken steps to reduce stoppages and video replays, increase flow and maintain the integrity of the competition and the safety of players in regard to yellow and red cards.

“Players, coaches and referees are excited about these innovations, and we believe they will create a better fan experience both at game and for those watching on television.”

Along with this, the competition will look to reduce the use of the TMO within general play.

This will see it only used to 'interrupt' play to investigate serious, clear and obvious incidents of foul play missed by the on-field match officials.

Any incident of foul play that is deemed at the Yellow Card level on-field will automatically be reviewed by the TMO during the 10-minute period the player is off.

They will have eight minutes to make a decision to either uphold the call or upgrade to a red card, which will once again see a player sidelined for 20 minutes.

Barlow also confirmed referees will have the power to issue a full red card for deliberate foul play in which a player can not be replaced after the 20 minutes has allotted.

The review process for dangerous play will be as vigorous as ever and we believe TMOs will be able to make better judgements about the seriousness of foul play offences without the pressure of having to watch replays under stressful time constraints," Barlow added.

"There is also the addition of a stronger deterrent for deliberate foul play with the referee having the option of issuing a full Red Card.

“We know players and fans don’t want to watch multiple frame-by-frame replays while they wait for the match to resume, so we believe we’ve struck the right balance.

“TMOs will still be reviewing the two phases before a try is scored and can still be called upon by the referee to check things like the ball being grounded when a try has been scored. The difference will be the Match Official Team will lead the process and viewers will not see as many replays.”

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/super-...season-2023213

Super Rugby Pacific 2023 – Law Modifications & Shape of Game Improvements
Title Guidelines
1) Golden Point If the match is tied at the end of normal time, the procedure will be:
• An up to 10 minute golden point period is played after a five minute break;
• The first team to score (by a penalty, drop-goal, try, or penalty try) will be the winner;
• One minute before golden point begins, the match Referee will do a coin toss to choose which team kicks-off and on
which side of the pitch they will play;
• Teams and match officials must remain on the field during the break;
• Coaching staff are not permitted onto the playing enclosure (i.e., those coaching staff in coaches boxes are not
permitted down pitch side);
• Injury time is added to this period of play;
• The Laws governing Tactical Replacements, Temporary Replacements and Permanent Replacements apply for the
entire duration of the match, inclusive of the Golden Point period (ie teams are not entitled to "reset" their
replacements).
If no points are scored in the Golden Point period then the match is declared a draw.
Points allocation from matches that go to Golden Point
1. Drawn match at fulltime goes to Golden point. If no-one scores any points in the 10min period then both teams
retain the competition points earned in regular time (ie 2 competition points each for the draw, plus if one team has
scored 3 or more tries than the opposition then they would get an extra bonus point).
2. Drawn match at fulltime goes to Golden point. Team “A” scores first in golden point. Team A gets 4 competition
points for the win (plus any bonus points for scoring 3 or more tries than the opposition, which for clarity could be 2
tries in regular time and 1 in golden point). Team B gets 1 competition point for losing within 7 points. Note in
another example if a team scores 3 or more tries in normal time, but normal time ends in a draw, and then that
team loses in Golden Point then they would get 1 point for the 3 or more tries and a further 1 point for losing within
7. The winning team in this example would get 4 points.
2) TMO Referrals driven by
on-field teams. Ref to
drive TMO.
TMO will not interrupt the game to instigate an investigation into an incident (foul play or otherwise) unless it is a serious
clear and obvious incident of dangerous play missed by the on field Match Official team.
The Referee can engage the TMO to assist with an incident they have identified but the Referee will direct that process.

3) Modified Foul Play
Process: Review system
All incidents of potential foul play identified by the Match Official (MO) team are reviewed to determine what level of
sanction applies. The following sanctions may be applied after the initial review by the on-field MO team:
• Play On: in the event no foul play is evident; or
• Penalty Kick: in the event foul play is evident but at a low level of danger and/or significant mitigating factors are
evident; or
• Yellow Card: in the event foul play is evident but at an increased level of danger and potential mitigating factor/s are
present; or
• Red Card: in the event foul play is evident and determined to be deliberate and with a high level of danger. The Red
Card would see the player removed from the match and not be replaced.
Any incident of foul play, that contains dangerous actions, that is adjudicated at a Yellow Card level on field will
automatically be reviewed by the TMO during the 10 minute period the player is off the field. The TMO will follow existing
laws and law application guidelines for specific incidents to determine the correct sanction for the incident. The possible
sanctions are:
• Yellow Card sanction in which the Player is entitled to return at the conclusion of the 10 minute period; or
• Red Card sanction in which the Player would be removed from the match but would be permitted to be replaced
after 20 minutes from the time of the incident.
The TMO will inform the Match Officials of their decision no later than 8 minutes into the 10 minute review period to
provide Teams sufficient time to make any adjustments needed and for the Player to be able to prepare to re-enter the
match in the case of a Yellow Card.
Any incident of foul play that does not contain dangerous actions but is adjudicated at a Yellow Card sanction (eg. technical
infringements, repeated team infringements) would not be subject to a review.
Any Player who receives two Yellow Card sanctions during a match, will receive a Red Card sanction in which the Player
would be removed from the match but would be permitted to be replaced after 20 minutes from the time of the 2nd Yellow
Card incident.
All post-match disciplinary processes will remain as in previous years.
4) Shot Clock:
Conversions – 90 secs
from try being awarded
Kickers will have 90 secs to kick a conversion. The ‘shot clock’ will start the moment the referee awards the try and ball
must be struck/kicked by the time the ‘shot clock’ reaches zero or the kick will be disallowed.
The TMO will sweep all try scoring plays whilst the kicker prepares for their conversion attempt. Once the TMO has cleared
the try he will provide an ‘all clear’ to the referee.
In the event of a conversion period being interrupted by the match official team for a formal TMO review or to receive the
all clear, the 90 seconds ‘shot clock’ will re-start once the try has been awarded. In this situation the referee will only call
game time on when the kicker starts his run up
Conversions can be taken with any ball e.g. it does not have to be the ball in play at the time the try was scored.
5) Shot Clock:
Penalty goal kicks – 60
secs from referee
pointing to the posts
Kickers will have 60 secs to take the penalty kick. The ‘shot clock’ will start when the team indicates their intention to kick
for goal and the referee points to the posts signalling the attempt.
The ball must be struck/kicked by the time the ‘shot clock’ reaches zero or the kick will be disallowed and the opposition is
awarded a scrum feed at the sight of the penalty kick.
6) Shot Clock:
Lineouts - 30 secs
In the event the Lineout is not formed within 30 seconds from the Assistant Referee setting the mark the sanction would be
the opposition is awarded a free kick 15m in from touch in line with where the ball crossed the touch line.
A lineout would be deemed formed within the time limit as per World Rugby Law 18.9 – 18.21.
7) Shot Clock:
Scrums – 30 secs
In the event a team is not present with required players to begin the scrum engagement sequence (ie. ready to “crouch”)
within 30 seconds from the Referee setting the mark for the scrum the sanction would be the opposition is awarded a free
kick with an inability to choose a scrum.
8) Sanctioning of deliberate
knock on’s.
Only penalize a clear and deliberate attempt to knock the ball forward, without trying to regain possession. Can be
escalated to yellow and/or penalty try if it denies a probable try or is judged to be an extremely cynical action denying a
clear line break opportunity.
If the actions of the Player demonstrated no intent to catch the ball, it should be deemed a deliberate knock on and
sanctioned with a penalty only. Yellow Cards would be reserved for extremely cynical actions that prevented a clear try
scoring opportunity or line break opportunity.
9) Removing designated
water breaks (except
under Heat Gudielines).
WORLD RUGBY LAW 6: MATCH OFFICIALS - ADDITIONAL PERSONS
28. Appropriately trained and accredited first-aid or immediate (pitch-side) care persons may enter the playing area to
attend to injured players at any time it is safe to do so.
29. The following may enter the playing area without the referee’s permission, provided they do not interfere with play or
make any comments to the match officials:
a. Water-carriers during a stoppage in play for an injury to a player or when a try has been scored.
b. A person carrying a kicking tee after a team has indicated they intend to kick at goal or a try has been scored.
c. The coaches attending to their teams at half-time.
10) Defending 9 not being
allowed past the midline
of the scrum
Modification Law 19:
30. Once play in the scrum begins, the scrum-half of the team not in possession:
a) Remains on that team’s side of the middle line within 1m of the scrum, or
b) Permanently retires to a point on the offside line either at that team’s hindmost foot, or
c) Permanently retires at least five metres behind the hindmost foot.

Bring back rucking,lol

Golden Point? What a f@cking joke.:mad:

Has "The Horse Guy" muscled his way into RA HQ??.

In this example "in another example if a team scores 3 or more tries in normal time, but normal time ends in a draw, and then that
team loses in Golden Point then they would get 1 point for the 3 or more tries and a further 1 point for losing within
7."
If the team leading at full time with the 3 or more tries, finishes Golden Point with fewer than 3 tries, do they still get the bonus point that they had at full time or does golden point become the new "end of match" because I'm sure there would be ab easier way to describe it if that was the case.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GIGS20

In this example "in another example if a team scores 3 or more tries in normal time, but normal time ends in a draw, and then that team loses in Golden Point then they would get 1 point for the 3 or more tries and a further 1 point for losing within 7."

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My reading is that if it's a tie at full time, the scorer of the Golden Point then gets 4 points, and the other side gets 2 (ie, a draw after full time), plus any try or losing bonus points. But doesn't that mean that the loser will always automatically get 3 points as they lost by 7 points or less?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GIGS20

If the team leading at full time with the 3 or more tries, finishes Golden Point with fewer than 3 tries, do they still get the bonus point that they had at full time or does golden point become the new "end of match" because I'm sure there would be ab easier way to describe it if that was the case.

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I'm not sure that a team with 3 or more tries at full time can finish the game with fewer than 3 tries - there aren't negative tries available to be scored. (With due deference to Mitch Lewis of the North Harbour Rays as the only ever scorer of an own try!)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sheikh

I'm not sure that a team with 3 or more tries at full time can finish the game with fewer than 3 tries - there aren't negative tries available to be scored. (With due deference to Mitch Lewis of the North Harbour Rays as the only ever scorer of an own try!)

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It's my understanding that the 3 or more tries bonus point is for 3 or more tries greater than the opposition, which has applied in previous super rugby seasons and is current in the 6 nations.So if a team finishes regular time on a draw, scoring 3 tries to nil, but then loses golden point due to the opposition scoring a try and the end of a game end up 3 tries to 1 do they get the tried bonus point or not?If the game is golden point, and a try is scored in extra time, does the conversion get kicked?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GIGS20

It's my understanding that the 3 or more tries bonus point is for 3 or more tries greater than the opposition, which has applied in previous super rugby seasons and is current in the 6 nations.So if a team finishes regular time on a draw, scoring 3 tries to nil, but then loses golden point due to the opposition scoring a try and the end of a game end up 3 tries to 1 do they get the tried bonus point or not?If the game is golden point, and a try is scored in extra time, does the conversion get kicked?

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Ah, yes, you are correct. I was thinking of the old rules where as long as you scored a certain number of tries (4, I think) you got the bonus point even if the opposition scored lots of tries, too. I think that it was changed as there was the potential for teams to collude.

As to scoring a Golden Point with a try, why bother to kick the conversion? I think the losing bonus point is for being 7 points or less behind, so even with a successful kick the loser gets a LBP. (Unless they score one of the GRR 9 point tries!)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sheikh

Ah, yes, you are correct. I was thinking of the old rules where as long as you scored a certain number of tries (4, I think) you got the bonus point even if the opposition scored lots of tries, too. I think that it was changed as there was the potential for teams to collude.

As to scoring a Golden Point with a try, why bother to kick the conversion? I think the losing bonus point is for being 7 points or less behind, so even with a successful kick the loser gets a LBP. (Unless they score one of the GRR 9 point tries!)

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if it's seven points or less then the only thing that would be affected would be points for and against. If its less than 7 points, the conversion would impact the losing team's bonus point.

Either way, there's a potential for it to affect ladder position, one incurs a greater risk than the other.

I really detest this bastardisation of match structure. Don't even like bonus points. No two matches are equal in terms of conditions, location etc. So the possibility of gaining extra competition points in such circumstances is totally illogical. I don't mind variations aimed at improving actual match play & player safety. I think that's the way forward to draw new audiences.

What's next? A wildly corrupt fixture like NRL & AFL? IMO the NRL has changed completely from what I knew due to continual knee-jerk changes. Deciding results basically on a whim in extra time in competition rounds is the golden turd on top of the heap. Games are decided often by chance and/or whether to referee has the balls to make a hard call or keeps the whistle in his pocket. But like a lot of cheesed off old farts, am still addicted. :dunno:

I don't recall from the dim past seeing many players down-hearted with a draw decided on-field after 80 hard fought minutes, depending on the circumstances. But I do recall the mutual respect generated.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shasta

I don't recall from the dim past seeing many players down-hearted with a draw decided on-field after 80 hard fought minutes, depending on the circumstances. But I do recall the mutual respect generated.

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And usually much more discussion in the bar afterwards!