This would have a huge impact on the sport. World Rugby are considering introducing a major change to the line-out rule, that would be a major bonus for attacking teams.
The change would see attacking teams who kick the ball from their own half into touch inside the opposition 22' be awarded the line-out. The rule is being considered in order to reduce the number of collisions in the sport.
There is a similar law currently in use in rugby league, often refereed to as the '50-22 rule'. The rule would encourage more kicking from teams, and the theoretically reduce head injuries as players take the ball into the tackle less.
It could be trialled in the coming months, along with seven other suggestions that emerged from the recent welfare and law symposium in Paris. Other possible changes include allowing yellow cards to be upgraded to reds upon review while a player is in the sin bin, and lowering the legal tackle height to below the waist.
World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper had this to say about the changes:
Rather than just look at the laws to improve the game as a spectacle and then whether it has a player welfare impact, we have tried to devise laws that have a direct player welfare impact
That's the first time we've looked at it in that sense. This is really about looking at the shape of the game and working out what can actually have a material effect on some of the outcomes we're having in the injury rates.
The tackle rule in particular is likely to receive a lot of pushback from fans and players alike, as it would be a major change to the sport that could have massive ramifications. The kicking rule, while also a big alteration, would seem more likely to be considered.
