The International Rugby Board has formally ratified a recommendation by their rugby committee to approve 10 of the 13 global experimental law variations (ELVs) into the rules of the game.
The recommendations of the IRB committee were unanimously approved and the integrated set of laws will be implemented globally from May 23.
Most of the ten ELVs which will become laws of the game relate to the line-out and scrum.
In addition to the suite of global ELVs, three Union-specific ELVs were also approved for integration into law.
These include the ability for a Union to implement a maximum 15-minute half time in matches under its jurisdiction.
IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset said getting the game back under a universal set of laws across the world needed to be implemented as soon as possible.
“The implementation date approved by the IRB council achieves that goal and represents the most suitable application date,” Lapasset said in a statement.
“All international matches from May 23 onwards will be captured, while domestic and regional competitions played across the implementation date will be played under the current ELVs until their conclusion.”
The 10 experimental law variations (ELVs) approved to be made law on Thursday by the International Rugby Board:
Law 6 – Assistant referees able to assist referees in any way the referee requires
Law 19 – If a team puts the ball back in their own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked directly into touch there is no gain in ground
Law 19 – A quick throw may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team’s goal line
Law 19 – The receiver at the lineout must be two metres back away from the lineout
Law 19 – The player who is in opposition to the player throwing in the ball must stand in the area between the five metre line and touch line and must be two metres from the line of touch and at least two metres from the lineout
Law 19 – Lineout players may pre-grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in
Law 19 – The lifting of lineout jumpers is permitted
Law 20 – Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum
Law 20 – Scrum half offside line at the scrum
Law 20 – The corner posts are no longer considered to be touch in goal except when the ball is grounded against the post
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