ELV Document
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ELV Video
ELV Wording Error
The IRB made a wording error when printing the info on ELV for 17.5 (b). Pulling down a maul. The correct wording indicates that it is only legal to pull down an opponent. It is not legal to drop a maul by pulling down a teammate.
The Update is available here ELV Maul Clarification
Here are a couple of points that need to be emphasized and/or clarified:
Pulling Down a Maul
- The explanitory notes refer to pulling down an opposing player. The actual wording of the Law simply refers to pulling down a player in the maul. While most of the time a player trying to pull down a maul will do so by grasping an opponent, it is legal to pull down a teammate who is part of the maul.
- I cannot emphasize enough that the maul can only be pulled down legally by grasping a player’s torso (shoulders to hips). Any taking out of legs is still illegal and dangerous. The referee must be aware of how the maul is taken down.
- Safety of players is one of the major concerns of the IRB. The IRB has undertaken injury surveillance in NZ, Australia and South Africa. The IRB has taken advice from a risk management consultant. The results were such that the risk of injury as a result of the introduction of the ELVs was not increased. This injury surveillance continues. In four years of experimentation at the Cambridge Laws Laboratory under the auspices of the RFU there were no injuries as a result of the pulling down of the maul. The Law was framed around their experiences.
Quick Throw-ins
- Although the Law is not clearly worded, the throw-in must reach the five-meter line before being played, regardless of the direction it is thrown. This means that a player cannot throw the ball to a teammate who is standing five meters back, but only one meter from touch.
Peter Watson
Chair, USA Rugby Laws sub-committee
