Diving in any sport is frowned upon but rugby fans, and players, simply boil when they see someone feigning injury to get an opponent in trouble.
It will come as some relief, then, to hear World Rugby has outlawed play-acting [simulation] from all future games in the Northern Hemisphere.
The new ruling is one of seven primary amendments that have already been introduced south of the equator and that have been well received.
The sport’s governing body will now sanction players – after matches but during where possible – that pretend to be fouled or injured to get an opponent punished. This law change is an attempt to nip in the bud ‘a practice that has been creeping into the game’.
The ruling is effective as of July 1 so will not include this summer’s international Tests. The World Rugby amendment reads:
Play acting or “simulation” is specifically outlawed in the game in a move that formalises resistance to a practice that has been creeping into the game in recent years. Any player who dives or feigns injury in an effort to influence the match officials will be liable for sanction.
Other amendments include significant tweaks to the scrum, substitutions and a method to speed up play.
WORLD RUGBY’S MAIN AMENDMENTS
- Simulation outlawed [see above]
- The replacement of a player injured following foul play does not count as one of the allotted number of replacements available to that team.
- Advantage may be played following a scrum collapse if there is no risk to player safety
- Teams must be ready to form a scrum within 30 seconds of the scrum being awarded, unless the referee stops the clock for an injury or another stoppage.
- At a re-set scrum following a 90-degree wheel, the ball is thrown in by the team that previously threw it in rather than the team not in possession.
- The scrum-half of the team not in possession at a scrum may not move into the space between the flanker and number eight.
- When the ball has been at the number eight’s feet in a stationary scrum for 3-5 seconds, the referee will call “use it” and the attacking team must use the ball immediately.
