#2. Major Grassroots Changes
The ‘Game On’ principles introduced by World Rugby include 10 optional law changes – with unions free to pick and choose from them based on the context and suitability.
They include.
- reducing teams from 15-a-side to as few as 10-a-side, providing both teams have an equal number of players and have agreed to the changes beforehand
- reducing the length of the game from 80 minutes to as short as 40 minutes – with the ability to split matches into quarters or thirds
- reducing scrums to a minimum of five players for 10-a-side games
- allowing teams to agree not to contest or lift in lineouts
- allowing teams to agree that penalties and free-kicks can only be kicked to touch from inside a team’s half, or that all conversions are from in front of the posts
- introducing weight-based banding for matches in age-grade rugby and lower tackle-height
- allowing matches to be played on surfaces including sand, clay or snow – with 10-a-side matches to be played on half a pitch;
- permitting the use of smaller balls in certain matches or competitions