A stoked Jock Campbell has lauded Super Rugby Pacific’s overhaul of the offside rule that will discourage teams from engaging in a tedious game of “kick tennis”.
Officials on Tuesday revealed a law variation that they think will close a “loophole” and encourage counterattacking rugby when the competition begins next Friday.
The tweak has been endorsed by World Rugby and could be introduced at Test level later this year.
Traditionally, defenders in front of the kicker are put onside when a kick receiver either passes the ball or runs five metres with the ball.
But Super Rugby Pacific’s innovation will throw out those two clauses.
Instead, defenders will remain offside until they have been put onside by a teammate who has come from behind the kicker, or the kicker themself.
Under the new rules, a long kick will be tougher to defend, with a fullback or winger able to glide past any would-be tacklers isolated in front of the kicker and chasers.
Queensland Reds fullback Campbell said discouraging the tactic, employed by Super Rugby powerhouses the Crusaders and France in particular, would improve the spectacle.
“I’m stoked, I think it’s great,” he said after experiencing it in trial games against the Western Force and NSW Waratahs in the last fortnight.
Jock Campbell. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
“When I played France (on the 2022 Spring Tour) we made a mention of it and it’s tough to play against it.
“If done well it really stifles you, because they can leave a line of defenders up there knowing they’re going to kick it back.
“Catching a lot of balls in the back field; it’s silly having someone just waiting to tackle you once you’ve run five metres.
“It opens up the game. I think it was an old rule anyway. Who wants to see more kicking?”
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It is the latest in a series of law tweaks in recent seasons designed to increase ball-in-play time.
“Fans have been vocal in recent times about teams exploiting a loophole that’s seen a large number of players standing still while kicks go over their heads in what some people have called ‘kick tennis’,” Super Rugby Pacific chairman Kevin Malloy said.
“We don’t believe that’s the spectacle our fans want to see in Super Rugby Pacific.
“We want to open up the opportunity for teams to counterattack with the ball in hand, and we’re confident this tweak to the law will encourage that trend and encourage exciting, attacking rugby.
“With the full support of New Zealand Rugby, Rugby Australia and our coaches we’ve responded with a small change we think could make a big difference.”
piru
Roar Rookie
That was a funny game
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Something like that.
piru
Roar Rookie
I actually thought it was 10m anyway, regardless it shouldn't matter how far he runs, offside is offside. Good rule change, hopefully it's embraced by the NH
soapit
Roar Guru
Don't worry, you're not alone!
Don
Roar Rookie
Yep. Even when there's a few of his own jerseys still ahead of him. Sometimes the ref fell for it... :laughing:
Rakavi Fan
Roar Rookie
Good variation and similar (but not as good) as one which I have been advocating for a while now. But good nonetheless - anything to discourage aerial ping-pong and encourage more running rugby. The other variation I would encourage is to give the attacking backline at scrum time the opportunity to stand right up against their #8's feet and get the defending backline 10 meters (not 5 as is the current law) behind their #8's feet.
Bentnuc
Roar Pro
Good stuff. Like others I wasnt sure the rule had changed! As said before get rid of the stupid Caterpillar. Over box kicking is ridiculous. Also I would add no reset scrums. Ref has to make a call. If he cant make a call it's a tap to the feeding team and no option to set again
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
What a Law variation. In truth, it doesn’t seem to make much difference to me. Though, there are a couple of aspects not mentioned. I checked the online Laws for 2024 before I started writing, so I hope I’ve interpreted correctly. No player inside the 10m can be put onside by any action, as has always been the case. And if that player is not making a conscious, conspicuous effort to retire the 10 penalty there or scrum at the kick. It used to be that a player in front of the kicker, but outside the 10, could only be put onside by the kicker or a player behind the kicker. Still there. But it was also interpreted that a kicker could not put an offside player onside and then that player, originally offside, run forward and put another player onside, what I would describe as the relay effect. This aspect does not seem to be implied by the Law as I read it and I couldn’t find Law Interpretations in the material I downloaded from WR. I hope that the interpretation that you can only be put onside by the kicker or someone who was originally on side remains. It’s always been a difficult one to rule on, as with so many other laws, it has many layers acting at the same time. Refereeing, it’s never been a case of making one decision at a time, and yet there are plenty who won’t do it, but all too often happy to criticise.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Did they just stay home for coffee , wine and an afternoon nap( wink, wink).
cs
Roar Guru
Yep, back to the good ol' days of the fullback tearing through yelling 'onside'.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
And there was me thinking that all those chasing wingers were 2 metres off side on every box kick chase (well the wingers that actually chase that is)
HKRed
Roar Rookie
Welcome to Rugby! Where everything old is new again!
moondoggie
Roar Rookie
I always thought you had to be run onside and had to make an attempt to retreat. I only noticed in the last few seasons the run 5m rule...it has been 15 years since my last competitive game though!
Otago Man
Roar Rookie
Didn't the caterpillar develop as an outcome of a rule change after a 6 nations game where Italy didn't contest any English ruck so establish there was no offside?
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Traditionally!! Shows you how much I know. I thought the new rule was always the rule, I must have missed something over the last 58 years watching and playing. People ask me what happened there when watching a game, I usually reply - I don’t know. All I know is that rules are meant to be broken, hope it does improve the game. Get rid of the caterpillar as well.