NRL announces experimental rules for trial matches

THE NRL will experiment with some rule variations for this seasons trial matches aimed at cleaning up the play the ball

Referee Ben Cummins during the Sydney Roosters v Melbourne Storm NRL Finals series game at Allianz Stadium, Sydney. pic Mark Evans

THE NRL has announced some experimental rule changes to take place in this weekend’s trial matches and in the All Stars game.

NRL Head of Football Todd Greenberg said referees would be encouraged to strictly police the new interpretations to ensure players were penalised for failing to play the ball correctly.

Teams will also be penalised for setting up a “wall” to prevent charge-downs on field goal attempts, a rule which will carry over to the regular season.

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A 35 second shot clock for scrums and 30 second shot clock for dropouts will also be introduced following their successful trialling in Round 26 last season.

“This has been identified as an area which needs to be addressed and there clearly needs to be some increased regulation of the play-the-ball,” said Greenberg.

“We have consulted the coaches and also worked with the clubs over the pre-season to ensure they are ready for the changes.

“It is a relatively minor offence but it is a source of frustration for many and it is clear there needs to be some penalty applied for failing to make a genuine attempt to play the ball.

“We understand how critical penalties can be in the context of a game, but a differential penalty will ensure that referees can apply the rules more vigilantly.”

The impact of the changes will be assessed before any decision is made regarding their introduction for the regular season.