USA Rugby is the latest Union to announce it is to opt-in to World Rugby’s global law trial lowering the legal height of tackles in community rugby to below the base of the sternum.
With one trial exception, this will begin in August for their 2024-25 membership year.
The trial is primarily designed to reduce the risk of head-to-head and head-to-shoulder contact between ball carriers and tacklers. According to comprehensive World Rugby research, the risk of concussion is more than four times higher when the tackler’s head is above the ball carrier’s sternum. Like some other Unions, the sternum is the only change to law, with no additional sanctions inserted to cover the actions of the ball carrier. Any head contact event caused by the ball carrier can be sanctioned under existing law.
Education and implementation resources will be provided over the coming months for players, coaches and match officials, including Law documentation to be built into the USA Rugby Game Management Guidelines, and webinars and e-Learning modules provided via the USA Rugby Learning Center. Q&A sessions with expert coaches and referees will also be available. Each of the above will be communicated to all registered coaches, administrators and match officials on a monthly basis beginning in May.
USA Rugby joins unions in France, England, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Australia in implementing the opt-in variations across their levels of community rugby.
Supporting a better & safer game
Bill Goren, USA Rugby CEO, said on the implementation, “We are confident in the extensive work that has been done on this front, by both World Rugby, our fellow unions and stakeholders in the American community. As a contact sport, safety remains at the forefront of our priorities, so we are pleased to know these Law Variations will support a better and safer game. We understand there may be some adaptation required with the new changes, so we’ve provided an extended lead time for proper education and implementation ahead of the new membership year this September.”
Mid-west trial
Variations to be trialed in the Midwest will consist of a similar combination as those used in Ireland and New Zealand. Firstly, dangerous tackling will be deemed to include, but not be limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the base of the sternum. Secondly, the ball carrier’s height will not be directly penalisable unless considered dangerous (e.g. leading with the head).
Instead, referees will take the ball carrier’s height into account when considering a sanction against a tackle made above the sternum.
In addition, wording of the new Laws to be trialed specifically refer to the variation applying in open field play, which is designed to exclude ‘pick and drive’ scenarios around the ruck and maul, and especially around the try line where the ball-carrier’s height is usually low by design. Collisions in this aspect of the game are not at high speed and are rarely dangerous, so the new variations will not apply. World Rugby’s Head Contact protocol remains in place for all instances of head contact in any scenario.
USA Rugby will collate feedback on the Midwest Rugby Union trial before settling on the final combination of variations and exact language to be used in the full implementation. This will be then released in July, giving players, coaches and referees certainty on the Laws a full two months before implementation.
