Law 3 Team

Law 3 Team

Numbers
1. How many players are each team allowed?
Answer: No more than 15 players in the playing area during play.

2. May a match organizer authorize matches to be played with fewer than 15 players?
Answer: Yes

• DSLV: where a team/s are unable to provide 15 players to start the match (including 3 front rowers), the game can still be played but that team forfeits the match (Unless played under Game On format).

3. May a team make an objection to the number of players in the opposition team?
Answer: Yes, and if there are too many players playing, the referee orders the captain of that team to reduce numbers appropriately – the score at the time remains the same.   [PK]

4. In international matches, how many replacements may be nominated?
Answer: 8

5. For other matches can the match organizer decide how many replacements may be nominated?
Answer: Yes, but only up to a maximum of 8.

6. When may replacements be made?
Answer: When the ball is dead and only with the permission of the referee.

7. What should the referee do if a player re-joins or a replacement player joins the match without the referee’s permission?
Answer: Award a PK to the opposition for misconduct.

8. In international law, how many front row players must be nominated?
Answer: Squad size of 15 or less - 3; squad size of 16, 17,18 – 4; squad size of 19, 20, 21, 22 – 5, Squad size of 23 – 6.

• DSLV: squad size of 15-20, 3 front rowers, squad size of 21, 4 front rowers, squad size of 22, 5 front rowers.

9. If a match organizer has determined squad sizes of 23 may be used but a team has only 2 front row replacements, how many players may be nominated in the squad?
Answer: 22

10. Prior to a match, what must teams tell the match officials of regarding the front rows?
Answer: The positions the front row players can play in.

11. May a front row player start the match in a different position?
Answer: Yes.

12. Who’s responsibility is it to ensure all front row players are suitably trained?
Answer: The teams.

Uncontested Scrums
1. If either team cannot field suitably trained front row players what must the referee order?
Answer: Uncontested scrums.

• DSLV: the team forfeits the match and competition points unless played under Game On format

2. May a match organiser stipulate the conditions under which a game may start with uncontested Scrums?
Answer: Yes.

3. How many players must be in a scrum if they become uncontested due to sending off, temporary suspension, or injury?
Answer: 8

4. When a font row player leaves the playing area, whether through injury or temporary or permanent suspension, what must the referee do?
Answer: Inquire as to whether the team can carry on with contested scrums. If not, the referee orders uncontested scrums, and if/when the player returns or another front rower comes on, contested scrums may resume.

• DSLV: This rule applies to a front row player who is sinbinned for not having a mouthguard.

5. When in a squad of 23 a player’s departure causes uncontested scrums, can a player whose departure caused the uncontested scrums be replaced?
Answer: no.

6. When may a non-front row player be allowed to play in the front row?
Answer: Only when no front row replacements are available.

7. What must happen when a front row player is temporarily suspended and the team cannot continue with contested scrums?
Answer: The team nominates another player to leave the field of play and another front row player comes on until the end of the suspension period.

8. What must happen when a front row player is sent off and the team cannot continue with contested scrums?
Answer: The team nominates another player to leave the field of play and another front row player comes on until the end of the suspension period.

• DSLV: 19 and 20 above apply to a front row player temporarily suspended for not wearing a mouthguard.

Permanent Replacement
1. May an injured player be replaced?
Answer: Yes, but the replacement is permanent.

2. Who can decide of a player is injured?
Answer: A. at national representative level, a doctor; B. in other matches, a medically trained person; C. the referee.

• DSLV: The referee must remove a player if it is believed the player is concussed.

3. May the referee order a player to leave the field to be medically examined?
Answer: Yes.

Permanent Replacement – Recognise and Remove
1. Must a player who has been concussed or is suspected of concussion be removed from the playing area?
Answer: Yes.

• DSLV: Blue Card protocols apply.

Temporary Replacement – Blood Injury
1. May a player with a blood injury be temporarily replaced?
Answer: Yes, for up to 15 minutes of actual time but that player must return as soon as the bleeding is controlled.

2. For international matched, who decides if an injury is a blood injury?
Answer: The match day doctor.

Temporary Replacement – Head Injury Assessment (HIA)
1. In elite adult matches which have been approved by World Rugby to use the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process, what is the process?
Answer: A. the player leaves the field and B. the payer is temporarily replaced for up to 10 minutes; if longer, that replacement becomes permanent.

Temporary Replacements – All
1. Can a temporary replacement be replaced?
Answer: Yes.

2. If a temporary replacement is injured can that player be replaced?
Answer: Yes.

3. If a temporary replacement is sent off, can the originally replaced player return to the field of play?
Answer: No except to comply law 3.19 or 3.20.

4. If the temporary replaced player is temporarily suspended can the originally replaced player return to the field of play?
Answer: No except to comply law 3.19 or 3.20.

5. If time allowed for a temporary replacement elapses during half time, what should happen?
Answer: The replacement becomes permanent unless the replaced player returns to the field of play immediately at the start of the second half.

Tactical Replacements Joining the Match
1.When may tactically replaced players return to play?
Answer: For A. injured front rowers, B. blood injury, C. HIA, D. injury due to foul play, E. law 3.19 and 3.20

• DSLV: any tactically substituted players maybe used again to replace injured players and players categorized in 33 above.

Rolling Replacements
1. May rolling replacements be permitted?
Answer: A match organiser may permit rolling replacements but only up to a maximum of 12.

• DSLV: Rolling subs are not permitted in NZ domestic rugby 15 a side games, unless they are played under the provisions of Game On.