Even though World Rugby tries to minimize law changes in a World Cup year, there are a few tweaks to the law book this year. While meant to be minor, there is some ongoing discussion regarding the impact of the new wording for Offside at the Ruck. Take the jump to read the details.

Stolen from RugbyReferee.net.

Law 6: Additional persons: Medical assistance

In previous law books, it said “only qualified doctors or physiotherapists” were allowed to enter the playing area to attend to a player. In the 2019 law book, it recognises that other trained medical people may be present so it’s now: “Appropriately trained and accredited first-aid or immediate (pitch-side) care persons may enter the playing area to attend to injured players at any time it is safe to do so.”

Law 15.4: Offside at the ruck

The new law defines the offside lines in a ruck as being a “line that runs parallel to the goal line through the hindmost point of any ruck participant.”

Previously it was the hindmost foot of the player on your own team. This recognises that in a ruck players are likely to be on the ground and not necessarily on their feet.

Law 19.30 Offside at the scrum

This change hasn’t been announced as such anywhere, but actually solves a problem for referees which we’ve just tried to “manage” for years.

In the picture here, assuming red strike the ball against the head, we wouldn’t then want the blue scrum half to get into the highlighted gaps between either flanker and the number 8. In law, providing the 9 doesn’t overstep the ball, they weren’t offside or doing anything illegal. But being in that space is never going to lead to a positive outcome so we’ve always managed them not to be there to reduce a flashpoint.

In the new 2019 law book, going into that space is now a penalty offence.

18.25 Blocking the throw at the lineout

Technically, this isn’t new, but it corrects an accidental omission in the 2018 law book. When the 2017 law book was simplified for 2018, this written element of law was accidentally missed out, even though the picture was retained. The wording returns now in 2019.
Law 18.25 Opposition players must not block the throw. Sanction: Free-kick.

Law 9.26 – Don’t drop a team mate

You may remember that last year, World Rugby added a new law to mandate that a player lifting a teammate, brings that player back down to ground safely. This is included in the 2019 law book as Law 9.26