New Super 14 Rules

The Super 14 will be the highest level competition to adopt the experimental law variations, developed at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and trialled in several domestic competitions last season.

CORNER POSTS:

1 - Corner posts will be positioned at the outside junction of the goal line and the touch line.

If a player is in possession of the ball and touches a corner post he will not be in touch unless he touches the touchline or the ground beyond the touchline.

If the ball is not being carried by a player and it touches the corner post the ball will be deemed to be touch-in-goal.

INSIDE THE 22m LINE:

2 - When a defending player receives the ball outside the 22m line and passes, puts or takes the ball back inside the 22m, the following can occur.

a. If the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is in line with where the ball was kicked.

b. If a tackle, ruck or maul is subsequently formed and the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is where the ball crossed the touchline.

LINEOUT:

3 - On a quick throw-in, the ball can be thrown straight or backwards towards the defenders' goal line, but not forward towards the opposition goal line.

BREAKDOWN (TACKLE/POST TACKLE):

4 - Players entering the breakdown area must do so through the gate (from the hindmost foot).

5 - Immediately the tackle occurs there are offside lines.

6 - The halfback should not be touched unless he has his hands on the ball. SCRUM:

7 - The offside line for players who are not in the scrum and who are not the teams' halfback, is 5m behind the hindmost foot of the scrum.

SANCTIONS:

8 - For all offences other than offside, not entering through the gate, and law 10 (foul play), the sanction is a free kick (rather than a penalty).