The NRL will adopt a 20/40 kick next season.
The competition’s CEO Todd Greenberg and head of football elite competitions Graham Annesley announced an array of changes to be implemented next year.
They include:
- The introductions of a 20/40.
- A new scrum rule which allows teams to pick where they form the scrum.
- Players can’t tackle mid-air.
- A change to the mutual infringement law after the Grand Final controversy with the water carrier.
Meanwhile, the Commission has endorsed an on-field challenge system, which they will look to implement and finalise next year.
The NRL say a team in possession will earn another set via a tap-kick if they kick the ball from within their own 20-metre zone and find touch within the opposing team’s 40-metre line.
Regarding mid-air tackles, the NRL will move in line with the international laws, whether the player initiating contact is the attacking player or the defending player.
“We are constantly looking at ways to ensure the game is easier to officiate and is also innovative and unpredictable,” Greenberg told NRL.com.
“We certainly feel these changes will have a positive impact on the sport.
“There has been significant engagement with our fans, the Competition Committee as well as through the NRL coaches, the clubs, and the RLPA.
“Over 20,000 fans responded to an end-of-season survey, more than tripling the response to the 2018 online survey.
“We are constantly looking to evolve, and we believe these changes will lead to a more entertaining game for fans.
“The Competition Committee and the coaches all had the game as a spectacle at the heart of their discussions, along with other key considerations including player wellbeing and the impact on the sport at all levels, and that clearly aligns with the Commission’s overall vision for the sport.”
