Faster, Safer, Smarter: Law Changes Coming to Community Rugby in 2025

Community rugby players can expect a handful of new laws in place when they take the field this season, all of which they will have seen in play on TV in recent times. 

The EDSLVs (experimental domestic safety law variations) have been introduced in two waves and both will be in play for club and school rugby this upcoming season.  

The aim of the trials are to increase player safety and improve the speed of the game.  

Laws we saw in action during the NPC and FPC that will be new for community players are the removal of the croc roll, removing the option of a scrum from a free kick and the ruling around offside in front of the kick (players must now retreat). 

New in 2025, which we are seeing in Super Rugby, are changes to timing at conversions (from 90s to 60s) and lineout (to be set within 30s), more protection for the scrum half when clearing the ball and a call of ‘play on’ if a non-straight lineout throw is uncontested. 

See below examples of all the law variations in place. 

Lineout not straight -play on if uncontested and free-kick only if contested. 

If the defending team are not lifted to compete for the ball, then play will continue in the outcome of a not-straight throw. If the non-throwing team lifts a teammate to compete for the ball, a free kick is awarded to the non-throwing team in the outcome of a not-straight throw. The non-throwing team cannot be offered a scrum or a lineout.

Croc Rolls 

There was unanimous agreement from all stakeholders that the croc roll must be removed from the game to protect player welfare. 

The law change will encourage players to remain on their feet and drive the jackler instead of using a croc roll. 

Definition of croc roll: A prohibited action where a player laterally rolls/twists or pulls a player, who is on their feet in the tackle area, to ground. The action often lands on the player’s lower limbs. 

Sanction: Similar to the Head Contact Process, the level of sanction is based on the degree of danger of the action and the proximity to limbs. A penalty of yellow card if the croc roll has a low-medium level of danger – dropping the player near or onto a lower limb, a red card if the it causes hyper extension of the leg, deemed a high level of danger. 

No scrum option from a free kick 

This comes into play to speed up the game after technical offences by avoiding multiple reset scrums 

Following this change we expect to see more quick taps at scrum, they must be played behind the scrum (around no8 position) and defending players who aren’t 10m must retreat. 

Offside in front of a kick 

This amendment aims to clear space for players to attack into by reducing loitering offside. 

Players in an offside position must be moving – walk, jog, run – towards their onside team-mates to be deemed as retreating. 

This is still relevant if the ball goes into touch, if the a quick throw-in is a possibility then offside players must still retreat. 

Timings 

The time allowed for kicks at goal changes to speed up the game, with conversions changing from 90s to 60s and lineout to be set within 30s. 

For conversions, the same ball doesn’t have to be used, and the referee can stop the timing if there is an injury or replacement in the way. For lineouts, the timing starts from when the referee or assistant referee makes the mark for the lineout and can also be paused for a genuine injury. 

Cleaner play from ruck, maul & scrum 

By tidying up the play at a ruck, maul or scrum it is hoped the speed of the ball will increase.  

Changes see players who are part of a ruck or maul not able to play an opponent who is near it and who is attempting to play the ball while the opposition halfback must not go past the centre line of the tunnel at a scrum. 

The laws only apply to when the ball is in the ruck or maul, as soon as it is removed open play begins. It is not just the number 9 protected by this rule, it is any player who comes into the clear the ball from a ruck or maul. 

The change doesn’t impact the ability to counter ruck legally on any opposition player. Match officials are asked to decide whether it’s a counter ruck or an action to play the halfback once they have gained possession and are then attempting to play the ball 

Click here for World Rugby presentation on the law changes with more in depth information.