ELV recommendations approved

The International Rugby Board Council unanimously approved the recommendations made by the IRB Rugby Committee at its meeting on 13 May 2009 and approved 10 of the 13 global Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) for adoption into the Laws of the Game. They come into operation on 23 May 2009.

This means that rugby football will be played under one set of laws, eliminating the fragmentation which has gone with experimentation.

The midyear tours will thus be played under the changed laws. The changes exclude pulling down the maul, allowing for any number above two for both teams in the line-out and the requirement of having head above hips when entering a maul. There is also no change to the laws governing the tackle and the ruck and the sanctions which follow.

France will be allowed to use the present laws to complete its Top 14 and start with the changes at the start of their next season and the Super 14 will finish under its present ELVs.

The Chairman of the IRB, Bernard Lapasset, said: “One of the recommendations of the ELV Conference held in London at the end of March was the universal application of one set of Laws that govern the Game as soon as possible after Council. This was recommended by stakeholders from the international Game, including some of the world’s top coaches, referees and administrators.

“The implementation date approved by the IRB Council achieves that goal and represents the most suitable application date. 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.

“Today’s announcement brings to an end the extensive global ELV consultation and evaluation process which began with the Conference on the Game in Auckland in January 2004. The IRB would like to sincerely thank its Member Unions for their participation in what has been an unprecedented review of the Laws of the Game."

The new text of the laws will soon be available.

ELVs adopted into Law

The following ELVs are to be adopted into Law:

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 line-out must be two metres back away from the line-out.

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 line-out.

Law 19: Line-out players may pre-grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in.

Law 19: The lifting of line-out jumpers is permitted.

Law 20: Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum.

Law 20: Scrumhalf 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 .

Some unions will be allowed to introduce the following variations:

1. Rolling substitutions at defined levels of the Game.

2. A  half-time of not more than 15 minutes, but not at international level.

3. The Under 19 Scrum Law Variation at a defined level of the Game.