Rule changes for new season

THE Rugby League has announced rule changes which started on Boxing Day and will apply across all domestic competitions this year.

They will be seen by Oldham fans for the first time when derby rivals Rochdale Hornets come to Whitebank in the rescheduled pre-season Law Cup game on Sunday (3pm kick off).

Commenting on the rule changes, RFL chief executive Nigel Wood said: “We will continue to look at how we can make rugby league the most entertaining spectacle it can be. I am confident the new season will be one of the most exciting to date.”

Main changes are —

::Maximum number of substitutions will drop from 12 to 10.

::A player who hits a corner flag while in possession will no longer be ruled to be in touch.

::Instead of being penalised, players who carry on playing after the referee has called ‘held’ will be instructed to go back and play the ball.

::Players converting a try or kicking a penalty goal will have the option of using a drop-kick method.

::New interpretations of touch-in-goal and dead-in-goal scenarios will be implemented.