The four radical new laws likely coming to the Premiership soon

They will ALL be active throughout the Rugby Championship with the English top flight reportedly ready to implement them also.

Check out the four controversial law variations below.

If the team in possession kicks the ball from inside their own half indirectly into touch inside their opponents’ 22, they will throw into the resultant lineout. The ball cannot be passed or carried back into the defensive half for the 50:22 to be played. The phase must originate inside the defensive half.

The intention: To encourage the defensive team to put more players in the backfield, thereby creating more attacking space and reducing defensive line speed.

Links to law: Law 18.8a

If the ball is held up in in-goal, there is a knock-on from an attacking player in in-goal or an attacking kick is grounded by the defenders in their own in-goal, then play restarts with a goal line drop-out anywhere along the goal line.

The intention: To encourage variety in attacking play close to the goal line and to increase ball in play time by replacing a scrum with a kick that must be taken without delay. An opportunity for counter attack is also created.

Links to law: Law 12 (restart kicks section), Law 21.16

To sanction the three person pre-bound mini-scrum by redefining the flying wedge.

The intention: To reduce number of events where the ball carrier and multiple support players are in contact (latched) prior to contact, and to protect the tackler who can be faced with the combined force of three opposing players.

Links to laws: New definition of ‘latched’
Amended definition of ‘flying wedge’
Deletion of definition of ‘cavalry charge’
Law 9.22

When a player is sent off, that’s the end of his game, but he can be replaced by a team-mate after 20 minutes. While the other changes are worldwide trials, the red card rule will only apply in the Rugby Championship, although there are reports that it could be in the Premiership soon.

The intention: The objective is to avoid games being spoiled as contests, which can happen if one team is reduced to 14-men for a long period of the match..