Former international referee Nigel Owens has come up with an idea to close the loopholes that have marred the spectacle of some matches this season.
Kicks are an important part of the game and exciting when used correctly, but there are laws that can create the dreaded “kick tennis”.
This has happened in both Scottish games so far, with players at least 10 meters away from the catcher not having to step back, just standing.
Once the player with the ball has advanced 5 meters, he is played onside, leaving little chance for a counterattack.
No attack options available
As a result, neither team can find the space to take any active action and end up kicking back and forth just waiting for an error.
Owens and others have called on World Rugby to take action and change the law after boos erupted during the Six Nations match between Scotland and France.
“There is a loophole in the law that has been used quite frequently in recent months,” the former exam judge wrote in his book. wales online column.
“If you are at least 10 meters from where the ball landed, you don't have to retreat. You can stay still until you are onside. You can stay still as long as you are not moving forward. .
“As the viral clip from Bath vs Gloucester earlier this year showed, it can create farcical situations that are not at all fun to watch.
“Can we close the loophole? Potentially. The solution is to have players retreat towards their own goal line until they are onside, regardless of whether they are within 10 meters of where the ball lands. It is possible to say that there is.
“Of course, this is going to be more work for the referees and their teams because they have to make sure the players are going backwards as well as forwards.
“But I don't think it would be that difficult to chase and it would probably give the catching side more space for counter-attacks and lead to fewer kicks. I'm wrong. Maybe, but I doubt this will have a negative impact elsewhere.
“Whatever the solution is, it's clear that something needs to be done to reduce the amount of kicking back and forth.
“We want to be proud of our game, but the strange situation this loophole creates can sometimes make it seem like you're watching tennis instead of rugby.”
Another problem for Owens
The 52-year-old also wants match officials to enforce the five-second rule more strictly, especially when both teams take box kicks.
“There are certainly areas in the game at the moment that I think need to be refereed more harshly,” he added.
“One of them is the five-second rule, which means players must use the ball within five seconds of the referee giving the command to use it. It was introduced because extending the ruck to accommodate box kicks further away was slowing down the game.
“This is a good law on paper and will definitely benefit the game, but the problem is that it is not being properly refereed at the moment.
“I often see games where the referee takes too long to make a decision, making it eight or nine seconds instead of five seconds. A judgment should be made.”
read more: Scotland v France: Five points from the Six Nations clash as Gregor Townsend's men suffocate again
