The NRL have made changes to the 40/20 restart rule, effective immediately.
Referees will blow their whistle to signal when a tap restart can be taken after a 40/20 kick.
The rule change comes into effect immediately, starting from tonight’s match between the Tigers and the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.
Previously play could only be restarted once the ball boy placed the ball on the touch line.
Last week a ball boy was left distraught after he was blamed for a disallowed Parramatta try during the Eels’ narrow loss to the Bulldogs on the weekend.
Parramatta’s Chris Sandow was thought he had scored a match-winning try after a quick-tap, only for it to be denied as the ball boy passed the ball to an Eels player rather than placing it on the touch-line.
NRL head of football Todd Greenberg said the rule change would eliminate confusion whilst retaining excitement.
“The tap kick was never designed to allow teams a lightning fast restart of play,” Mr Greenberg said.
“It was introduced to eliminate time wasting in setting up a scrum which often negated the advantage of kicking a 40/20.
“The clarification of the rule is aimed at keeping the game flowing while giving defending teams a chance to get into position.”
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