According to Nigel Owens, a former international rugby referee, the new tackle laws set to take effect in English rugby on July 1, 2023 will present challenges for match officials.
These laws include lowering the tackle height to the waist for all levels of play, except for the Premiership and Championship.
Owens also notes that a significant change in player behavior will be required to adapt to these new rules.
“Most importantly there needs to be total clarity for the referees because it is a contact sport,” said Owens.
“It is going to be very difficult, I would think, unless there is total clarity around this to have a shift in the behaviour to referee it.”
“Anything that comes in to enhance player safety, because that is paramount in the game, it should be welcome,” Owens told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“The only issue is there are a lot of questions around this by the players who play the game, ex-players and officials and everybody involved in the game. So there’s a lot of questions around this at the moment which we are finding it difficult to get answers to.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see how it all plays out, how will the game look and will it be a much safer game?”
He added: “I don’t think people are signing a petition not wanting to make the game safe.
“They are signing it because they want to know how this is going to better the game, how is it going to make the game safer.
“If the ball carrier is going to ground near the try-line, how are you going to be able to get below his waist to tackle him?
“How do you now set up a maul? Because the ball-carrier is on his feet, the defenders wrap around him and you can’t join a maul below the waist.
“There are a lot of question marks and that is what needs to be addressed.”
Sir Clive Woodward England XV (Mail Online):
15. Freddie Steward
14. Ollie Hassell-Collins
13. Henry Slade
12. Manu Tuilagi
11. Cadan Murley