Law Application Guideline - Players on the wrong side of the maul
A new Law Application Guideline - effective 1 June 2026 - has been issued relating to players who find themselves on the 'wrong' side of the maul and then cause disruption. This was an agreed action from the recent World Rugby Shape of the Game meeting in London, which recognised the need to focus on making the sport clearer and simpler for fans and players alike.
When players do end up on the 'wrong' side of a maul, it has been difficult for players to know what they can/can't do, hard for referees to manage, and tricky to explain to viewers and fans.
Those players often, after initial dominance at set up, then become ineffective in the contest, and in the way of the ball being played away.
What are the key observables?
- The contest for the ball is over, and
- player gets beyond the ball and/or into a pulling/dragging position.
There is no change in law. The guideline - which applies to new competitions starting from 1 June 2026 - helps clear up those messy situations when the contest for possession/space has been won.
Players are asked to recognise that when they get beyond the ball and out of the contest, they leave the maul. Referees are asked to identify, manage and/or sanction.