World Rugby has announced that, with immediate effect, it will no longer be possible to score a try by grounding the ball against the post protector.
The minor amendment to Law 8 was approved by the World Rugby Council during its special meeting held via teleconference today and follows a recommendation by the international federation's Rugby Committee and specialist Laws Review Group.
With defending players currently legally obliged to stay behind the goal-line and post-protector shape and size increasing for welfare reasons, it is increasingly difficult for teams to legally defend this area.
In some extreme cases, post protectors have been lifted or moved by defending teams, leaving the posts exposed and therefore increasing the risk of injury.
The post protector is no longer an extension of the goal-line and therefore Law 8.2 (a) will read:
A try is scored when the attacking player is first to ground the ball in the opponents’ in-goal.
LIST | The three temporary law changes we could see when rugby returns
Discussions about the Gallagher Premiership's return are ongoing, but it seems likely that in the short-term changes will have to be made to get rugby going again.
With nine rounds of regular matches left to play, RUCK.co.uk understands that Premiership Rugby is working towards a July start date, which doesn't give players much time to prepare.
Here are three possible law changes we could see temporarily moving forward.
1. Shortened halves
There hasn't been much discussion about this possible law change, but with the majority of players currently some distance off adequate match fitness, it could be a practical one in the immediate future.
Shortening halves from 40 to 30 minutes would give the games a better opportunity of being high-quality, entertaining spectacles and at the same time would protect player safety. It would make complete sense.
2. Uncontested scrums
One suggestion to help speed rugby's safe return from former England and Lions wing Ugo Monye would be for uncontested scrums in the early rounds.
"It's summer rugby, let's see the ball in play, let's see some backs moves on brilliant hard surfaces and we can chuck the ball around," said Monye.
"Uncontested scrums will allow forwards to spend a little bit more time in training to get the detail, to get their bodies up to speed technically as well as physically without rushing them."
3. Rolling substitutions
Already used at lower levels, this law could be quickly introduced to ease fears over player burn-out and injuries due to the long layoff. For example, the rolling substitutes would discourage players from carrying on if they pick up a knock and get themselves checked out.
The general rule for substitutes is that once a player has been substituted, he cannot be brought back in other than in four instances; (1) an injury to a front row player, (2) a player with a blood injury, (3) a player undertaking a head assessment injury (4) due to a player who has been injured due to a result of foul play.
With the rolling substitutes introduced, it means that players can be substituted for tactical purposes and not due to injury. This means that a player who started the game can be substituted during the match and later brought back to play.
