LAW AMENDMENTS

from April 2004 Council Meeting

These Law amendments come into effect on 1 June in both hemispheres.

3.5 SUITABLY TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED PLAYERS IN THE
FRONT ROW

Delete current 3.5(c)
Replace current 3.5(c) with new 3.5(c)
(c) When 19, 20, 21 or 22 players are nominated in a team there must be five players who can play in the front row to ensure that on the first occasion that a replacement hooker is required and, on the first occasion that a replacement prop forward is required, the team can continue to play safely with contested scrums.

Delete current 3.5(d)
Reletter current (e) as (d)
(d) The replacement of a front row forward must come from suitably trained and experienced players who started the match or from the nominated replacements.

3.14 FRONT ROW FORWARD SENT OFF OR TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED OR INJURED

Replace current 3.14 (a) with new 3.14(a)

(a) If after a front row player has been sent off or during the time a front row player is temporarily suspended, and there are no further front row players available from the nominated team, then uncontested scrums will be ordered. It is not the responsibility of the referee to determine the suitability of trained front row replacements nor their availability, as this is a team responsibility.

5.4 (a) Injury
Add a 4th paragraph:

If a player is seriously injured and needs to be removed from the field of play, the
referee has the discretion to allow the necessary time to have the injured player
removed from the field-of-play.

10.2 (c) Throwing into touch.
Amend to read:

A player must not intentionally throw or knock the ball with his arm or hand into
touch, touch-in-goal, or over the dead ball line.

13.1 Where and how a kick-off is taken
Delete current 13.1 and 13.2 including headings.
Amend heading to read: 13.1 Where and how the kick-off is taken
Amend text to read:
“(a) A team kicks off with a drop-kick which must be taken at or behind the
centre of the half-way line.”
“(b) If the ball is kicked off with the wrong type of kick, or from the wrong
place, the opposing team has two choices:

To have the ball kicked off again, or
To have a scrum at the centre of the half-way line and they throw in the
ball”

Renumber consequential paragraphs.

13.13 Drop-out incorrectly taken
Renumber to 13.12.
Amend text to read:
“If the ball is kicked off with the wrong type of kick, or from the wrong
place, the opposing team has two choices:

To have another drop-out, or
To have a scrum at the centre of the 22 metre line and they throw in the
ball

Renumber consequential paragraphs.

15 Tackle
Amend Definition to read:
“A tackle occurs when the ball-carrier is held by one or more opponents and is brought to ground.
A ball-carrier who is not held is not a tackled player and a tackle has not taken place.
Opposition players who hold the ball-carrier and bring that player to ground, and who also go to ground, are known as tacklers.
Opposition players who hold the ball-carrier and do not go to ground are not tacklers.’

19.10 Options available to Players not in the Line-out
Amend Exception 2 to read:
“Exception 2: The receiver may run into the gap and perform any of the actions available to any other player in the line-out. The receiver is liable to penalty for offences in the line-out as would be other players in the line-out.”

Delete:
“Penalty: Penalty Kick on the 15-metre line.”

3.4 SEVENS Players Nominated as Substitutes
Amend to read:
“A team may nominate no more than 5 replacements/substitutes.”