Rule changes

[POR]

At the  Leeds Rhinos’ academy game against the Bradford Bulls next Thursday will see two major law changes: tackles above the height of the arm pit will be penalised whilst kick-offs from the opposition’s 40-metre line – instead of halfway – will also be introduced.

[Dave W]

This rule might be easier to police if team shirts could be designed with this rule in mind - a band on the shirt round the armpit area, or a different colour above maybe.

[Kayakman]

1 minute ago, Dave W said:

This rule might be easier to police if team shirts could be designed with this rule in mind - a band on the shirt round the armpit area, or a different colour above maybe.

That is a very good idea and a unique way of looking at a problem...well done Dave!

[overtheborder]

44 minutes ago, POR said:

At the  Leeds Rhinos’ academy game against the Bradford Bulls next Thursday will see two major law changes: tackles above the height of the arm pit will be penalised whilst kick-offs from the opposition’s 40-metre line – instead of halfway – will also be introduced.

Without wanting to sound completely pedantic, in practice wouldn't tackles above the height of the armpit be essentially the same as a high tackle currently? Seems difficult to me to try to spot a tackle in the area between armpit and what's currently regarded as a high tackle, but maybe it's just me.

Interestingly though the most obvious type of tackle I can imagine it outlawing is the type where someone grabs onto a players shoulders from behind while chasing them down, which might force people chasing a winger for instance to make either a great leg tackle, or concede a try - so might lead to more points being scored, although I might well be talking nonsense too!

[overtheborder]

Interesting about the kick offs too for that matter - are these law changes strictly at academy level, or are they essentially pilot schemes for rules looking to be rolled out at all levels? If it's the latter, I'm not convinced elite level kickers struggle to reach the opponents' in goal areas from the kickoff as it is.

[Sports Prophet]

I don’t understand how Rugby League considers compromising tackling, one of the sport’s feature elements, is a requirement to avoid litigation from free people making their own decision to play a combative sport, whilst sports like boxing and MMA carry on with head contact as normal.

Whilst RU continues to soften and minimise contact, RL should be embracing its toughness and its profile as a sport with risk for injury, whilst setting strong sanctions for players who do play outside the current rules.

[POR]

31 minutes ago, overtheborder said:

Without wanting to sound completely pedantic, in practice wouldn't tackles above the height of the armpit be essentially the same as a high tackle currently?

Currently O high tackle is above the shoulders whilst the armpit is below the arms so I would think they want all tackles to be even lower than the  shoulder 

Edited June 9, 2023 by POR

[Adelaide Tiger]

55 minutes ago, Dave W said:

This rule might be easier to police if team shirts could be designed with this rule in mind - a band on the shirt round the armpit area, or a different colour above maybe.

Or how about every team partnering with a world famous fashion house to design strapless tops that gather just under the armpits.  Imagine the world-wide exposure when the tops are worn by Kate Moss et al on fashion show catwalks.

For those teams strapped - pun intended - for cash they could probably get a set of tops from Primark!

[StandOffHalf]

7 hours ago, overtheborder said:

Without wanting to sound completely pedantic, in practice wouldn't tackles above the height of the armpit be essentially the same as a high tackle currently? Seems difficult to me to try to spot a tackle in the area between armpit and what's currently regarded as a high tackle, but maybe it's just me.

Interestingly though the most obvious type of tackle I can imagine it outlawing is the type where someone grabs onto a players shoulders from behind while chasing them down, which might force people chasing a winger for instance to make either a great leg tackle, or concede a try - so might lead to more points being scored, although I might well be talking nonsense too!

It's called a seatbelt tackle. Illegal in RU, and often results in a sin-binning.

[Saint Toppy]

Presumably the refs will be allowed some discretion in the arm pit rule otherwise if you grab a player by the shirt collar and pull them down then it would be a penalty as it’s above the arm pit ?

[BadlyOverdrawnBoy]

Could be sponsored by Sure deodorant.

[bobbruce]

13 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

Presumably the refs will be allowed some discretion in the arm pit rule otherwise if you grab a player by the shirt collar and pull them down then it would be a penalty as it’s above the arm pit ?

It doubt there’s any discretion that would be a penalty under these changes. 

[Padge]

On 09/06/2023 at 13:30, overtheborder said:

Interesting about the kick offs too for that matter - are these law changes strictly at academy level, or are they essentially pilot schemes for rules looking to be rolled out at all levels? If it's the latter, I'm not convinced elite level kickers struggle to reach the opponents' in goal areas from the kickoff as it is.

The reason for it isn't what you are thinking. Its to reduce the gap between the teams so that a huge forward cannot build up as much momentum has they do now when they reach the first opponent.

[bobbruce]

2 minutes ago, Padge said:

The reason for it isn't what you are thinking. Its to reduce the gap between the teams so that a huge forward cannot build up as much momentum has they do now when they reach the first opponent.

Just have the scoring team restart the game with a tap on their 20. 

[EggFace]

On 09/06/2023 at 11:32, Sports Prophet said:

I don’t understand how Rugby League considers compromising tackling, one of the sport’s feature elements, is a requirement to avoid litigation from free people making their own decision to play a combative sport, whilst sports like boxing and MMA carry on with head contact as normal.

Whilst RU continues to soften and minimise contact, RL should be embracing its toughness and its profile as a sport with risk for injury, whilst setting strong sanctions for players who do play outside the current rules.

I wonder if these rules will be trialled in Australia outside of the NRL etc

[Padge]

29 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Just have the scoring team restart the game with a tap on their 20. 

I didn't come up with it, just explained the reasoning behind it.

[bobbruce]

2 minutes ago, Padge said:

I didn't come up with it, just explained the reasoning behind it.

I’m just saying what they should do 

[LR23]

On 09/06/2023 at 11:32, Sports Prophet said:

I don’t understand how Rugby League considers compromising tackling, one of the sport’s feature elements, is a requirement to avoid litigation from free people making their own decision to play a combative sport, whilst sports like boxing and MMA carry on with head contact as normal.

Whilst RU continues to soften and minimise contact, RL should be embracing its toughness and its profile as a sport with risk for injury, whilst setting strong sanctions for players who do play outside the current rules.

Not getting into the whole argument but just to point out that MMA is not ‘carrying on as normal’ at all. There has been a significant move away from hard sparring at all ages/levels and a lot of focus on proper training methods for children. It’s not just a ‘western’ thing either - in muay thai (a key component of MMA) they’ve just introduced a load of new rules for child fighters in Thailand and that’s not a place known for it’s health and safety. 
 

Admittedly it’s still a violent sport but steps are definitely being taken to reduce risks.

[bobbruce]

On 09/06/2023 at 11:32, Sports Prophet said:

I don’t understand how Rugby League considers compromising tackling, one of the sport’s feature elements, is a requirement to avoid litigation from free people making their own decision to play a combative sport, whilst sports like boxing and MMA carry on with head contact as normal.

Whilst RU continues to soften and minimise contact, RL should be embracing its toughness and its profile as a sport with risk for injury, whilst setting strong sanctions for players who do play outside the current rules.

There is nowhere in RL laws that says head contact is legal unlike boxing or MMA. That’s why they can use the defence of you new what you were getting into and RL can’t. RL has to minimise and punish head contact or it opens itself up to lawsuits from players saying they weren’t protected. 

[Dunbar]

45 minutes ago, Padge said:

The reason for it isn't what you are thinking. Its to reduce the gap between the teams so that a huge forward cannot build up as much momentum has they do now when they reach the first opponent.

 

42 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Just have the scoring team restart the game with a tap on their 20. 

It's interesting because that first collision, particularly the first drive of the match, is one of my favourite moments.

I remember having to endure an England RU International on the big screen at University and one of my Union friends was enthusing about how the first scrum of a Union International is a massive physical confrontation and I said wait till you see the first carry of a Rugby League International or State of Origin.  Now that is a physical confrontation. 

I feel it is a great shame we may be on the verge of deciding it may not have a place in our sport soon.

[Dunbar]

22 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

There is nowhere in RL laws that says head contact is legal unlike boxing or MMA. That’s why they can use the defence of you new what you were getting into and RL can’t. RL has to minimise and punish head contact or it opens itself up to lawsuits from players saying they weren’t protected. 

While deliberate contact with the head is illegal, everyone knows that when 26 players take the field for a high speed, full contact collision sport, head contact will occur.  Very often with your own team mates.

We don't need new laws.  We just need to enforce the current one's vigorously while still keeping the essence of the sport.

And for those who want a different experience, then we have tag or other versions where it is still Rugby League with a different emphasis. 

[bobbruce]

Absolutely I’m just saying why we can’t compare ourselves to Boxing or MMA where head contact is a big part of the sport. 

[The 4 of Us]

On 09/06/2023 at 11:14, Dave W said:

This rule might be easier to police if team shirts could be designed with this rule in mind - a band on the shirt round the armpit area, or a different colour above maybe.

Think the players will need to remove the X’s from their foreheads as well to avoid confusion. 

[Sports Prophet]

7 hours ago, Dunbar said:

 

It's interesting because that first collision, particularly the first drive of the match, is one of my favourite moments.

I remember having to endure an England RU International on the big screen at University and one of my Union friends was enthusing about how the first scrum of a Union International is a massive physical confrontation and I said wait till you see the first carry of a Rugby League International or State of Origin.  Now that is a physical confrontation. 

I feel it is a great shame we may be on the verge of deciding it may not have a place in our sport soon.

When I was at Uni in England, my mates were all rah rah’s. They didn’t have anything against league, but we were at a southern university and aligned with Wasps.

We went done the local to watch GB v Kangaroos and I was saying to the boys the same thing, watch this first hit up. 

Morely was subsequently sent off and we all watched an amazing match. The lads didn’t finish the game as new RL ultra fanatics, but they certainly finished respecting the game and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[NERugbyDad]

My son's currently with the academy at Newcastle Thunder and this is the email parents got about these changes if you're interested in the fully details and reasons:

The TaCKLE U18 Academy Law Modification Trial June -July 2023

PM

 

                                                  The TaCKLE Academy Law Modification Trial 2023                                         

                                                                                                                                 

 

Dear Parent / Player

 

Here at The Rugby Football League (RFL) we continue our commitment to undertake research and change policy to improve player welfare. We are writing to inform you about a law modification trial which will take place in the Academy U-18’s in June and July this year.

 

The TaCKLE Project

 

In 2021, the RFL and Leeds Beckett University started the TaCKLE project. The TaCKLE project is describing the Tackle and Contact Kinematic, Load, and Exposure of rugby league players. As part of the TaCKLE project, players in the Super League, Women’s Super League and Academy have received instrumented mouthguards. Instrumented mouthguards can accurately measure head acceleration events – both the number and the magnitude. This is the first time in the history of rugby league that we have the technology to accurately do this.

 

The overall aim of the TaCKLE project is to reduce concussions and high magnitude head acceleration events. There is an increasing concern relating to concussion, and the repetitive exposure to high magnitude head accelerations. Across sports and globally, we have seen numerous changes in concussion protocols based on new scientific research, which highlights the seriousness of this injury.

 

The TaCKLE Academy Law Modification Trail

 

To reduce head contact and high magnitude head acceleration events, which are both risk factors for concussion, the RFL and Leeds Beckett University are running a law modification trial across the Academy U-18 competition.

 

The research team at Leeds Beckett University and the RFL Head Contact Working Group proposed several law modifications, which could theoretically reduce head contact and high magnitude head acceleration events. It is important that these laws are practical and do not compromise the dynamics of rugby league, whilst also prioritising player welfare.

 

These laws were reviewed by 16 Super League coaches, 20 academy coaches, 6 performance staff, 2 medical staff, 11 match officials, 15 current players and 1 retired player. The laws were rated by the group based on importance (e.g., will the rule modification reduce the frequency of high magnitude head accelerations) and feasibility (e.g., does the rule modification compromise the dynamics of rugby league and is it easy to implement for players and referees).

 

The law modification with the highest rating of importance was;

Tackle height must be below the arm pit at initial contact, with a penalty awarded for contact on the head and neck at any point.

 

The law modification with the highest rating of feasibility was;

Kick off from opposition 40m. 

 

The TaCKLE law modification trial and the law modifications have been approved by the RFL Clinical Advisory Group, the RFL Board and the RFL Council. The TaCKLE law modification trial has also received ethics approval from Leeds Beckett University.

 

When will the TaCKLE law modification take place and what could happen?

 

The two law modifications will now be trialed across four rounds of U-18 Academy fixtures, between 15 June and 30 July.

 

The two law modifications will change some aspects of the game immediately. Based on research from Leeds Beckett University and other Universities globally, it is known that the biggest risk factor for concussion to both the ball carrier and tackler is when the tackler is in an upright body position and makes contact with the ball carrier high. The concussion risk is approximately 7-fold higher when contact is made with the tackler’s head/neck, than contact with the ball carriers’ torso, and over 2-fold higher than contact with the ball carriers’ hips.

 

The main cause of contact to the tackler’s head/neck is when the ball carrier dips and the tackler rises simultaneously, just before contact. Therefore, by reducing the legal tackle height to the arm pit, the tackler will bend lower, and less contact will be made with the ball carrier’s head. This will create a space for error, resulting in a higher tackle making contact with the chest, not the head/neck. This will reduce the risk of concussion to ball carrier and the tackler. This law trial does not change what is recommended for safe and effective tackling in RL.

 

We are aware that the change in legal tackle height to the armpit will initially result in more penalties than normal. This may lead to players becoming frustrated in the short-term. We ask for your support and patience during this period. Collectively we need to support players, coaches and match officials as we trial these new laws.

 

Eight match officials have been selected to referee these matches and they have already begun receiving extra training and moderation in applying these trial laws.

 

What will happen next?

 

Following the TaCKLE law Modification trial, the research team from Leeds Beckett University will look at changes in head contact, differences in the instrumented mouthguard data from before and after that trial, as well as general changes to the game. There will be an opportunity for players, parents, coaches and match officials to feedback on the trial.

 

The overall findings will be considered by the RFL Clinical Advisory Group and the RFL Board. If you have any questions regarding the TaCKLE law Modification trial, please contact either:

 

Professor Ben Jones

Professor Leeds Beckett University / TaCKLE Project Lead / RFL Strategic Lead Performance, Science & Research

 

Dr Sean Scantlebury

Research Fellow Leeds Beckett University / TaCKLE law Modification trial lead researcher

 

Paul Medley 

National Talent Progression Manager

 

The importance of this period of law trials should not be underestimated.  The players, coaches and match officials are part of something truly groundbreaking in the sport.  We have chosen the Academy U-18 competition because the players are of a high standard and coached by a full-time professional workforce who have the expertise to help players in modifying their tackle technique to make the game safer.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Dr David Rotheram

RFL, Chief On-Field Officer