Law Changes for the 2024-25 Season

Dear YHS members, 

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Following on from USA Rugby’s announcement last week, we wanted to further ensure that everyone within the community was aware of the upcoming law changes. Starting September 1, 2024, new laws will com into effect for the community game. The most significant of such is the lowered tackle height that will  take effect, following a successful trial in the spring friendlies in Midwest Senior Club competitions.

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Pre-season matches, friendlies, or competitions that start in August should apply these new laws immediately.

ensure further

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CHANGES FOR THE 2024-25 SEASON

• Tackles above the base of the sternum are liable to penalty, and ball carriers must not lead with their head into a tackler. The wording of the new Law specifically refers to players ‘running in open field play’, which is designed to exclude ‘pick and drive’ scenarios around the ruck and maul, and especially play around the try line where the ball-carrier’s height is usually low by design. Collisions in these aspects of the game are not at high speed and are rarely dangerous, so the new Law will not apply.

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A one-page guideline with the law text, details, and diagrams can be found HERE.

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PLEASE NOTE: Except in extreme examples of repeated infringement, there should be no increase in yellow or red cards from this change. This change adjusts the line of a ‘high tackle’ Penalty Kick from the line of the shoulders down to the base of the sternum. Where there is head or neck contact, in any scenario, use of World Rugby’s existing Head Contact Process to determine penalty kick, yellow card, or red card sanctions still applies and has not changed.

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• On kicks, players of the kicking team ahead of the kicker may not loiter, but must actively retreat until onside, even if they are more than 10 meters from where the ball is expected to land. Additionally, players are NOT put onside by an opponent running 5 meters with the ball, or passing the ball. This is a significant change; teams should ensure that all players understand it.

• The so-called "gator" or “crocodile" roll, where a player uses their own body weight to laterally roll/twist/pull a jackler to the ground, is considered dangerous play. A player may still be levered out of the contest or driven back - but not pulled forward.

• When awarded a free kick, a team may NOT opt for a scrummage.

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The information from World Rugby explaining the changes can be found HERE and the exact text of the laws can be found HERE.

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The new Game Management Guidelines for the 2024-25 season can be

found HERE.

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WR has also released the following Clarifications this year:

• At scrummage, some hookers have used a “semi/half brake foot”.  The brake foot must be in position to serve as a brake taking pressure off the head and necks of the front row until the call of “set”. See further info HERE.
• On conversion kicks, once a kicker is “finally settled”, that indicates to everyone that the next time the player steps, or lifts a foot off the ground to step, that will be the start of their “approach to kick” as per law 8.14. See further info HERE.