2026 NORTHERN REGION UNDER 20 MEN GRADE COMPETITION RULES

REFEREES: World Rugby Laws apply, with addition to the Laws that came into effect this year, including New Zealand Domestic Law Variations (NZDSLV), including some Experimental DSLV’s:

U20 Men New Laws:

The Northern Region U20 Competition will be playing the new laws set out in NPC/FPC and Heartland competitions - These are detailed in the U20 Men Additional Rules Explanation below.

  • 50:22 Modification

  • Penalty Try and Yellow Card Modification

  • Free Kick Sanction Modifications

  • 20 minute Red Card


  • Law 3 Team: U20 Men have 23 players with Premier Rules.

  • Law 4 Players’ Clothing – As per NZDSLV (Mouthguards compulsory)

  • Law 19 Scrum – As per NZDSLV. Note: Development Men and Women, Divisional XV Men and Under 20 Men have no Scrum Restrictions

  • Head High Tackle framework in play – For all the following representative rugby - U13, U14, U15, U16, U18, U19, Development Men, Divisional XV Men, Heartland U20, Heartland Development, Development Women, HPC, and FPC, the tackle height EDSLV (primary tackler contact point below the base of the sternum) will apply.

  • Halfback Offside at Scrum – Not advance past the tunnel, remain within 1m of the scrum at tunnel – per DSLV’s

  • NO Game-ON Provisions

  • Cleaner play away from the Ruck/Maul/Scrum: A player who is, or was apart of the ruck may not play an opponent who is near it (within 1m, and who is attempting to play the ball away)

  • 30 seconds to form a lineout. Teams form the lineout within 30 seconds of a mark being made.

  • 60 seconds for conversions.

  • Croc Roll is now banned. A Prohibited action where a player laterally rolls/twists or pulls a player, who is on their feet in the tackle area, to ground. The action often lands on the players lower’s limbs.

  • Not Straight at an uncontested lineout. If the non-throwing team does not lift a teammate to compete for the ball, then play shall continue.

  • Not straight at contested lineout, is now a Free-Kick

  • No Scrum option at a free kick. It remains an option for penalty offences.

  • Referees and Assistant Referees will be appointed either by the relevant National Squad Referees coordinators, Provincial Union REO or Referees Association as co-ordinated by the Northern Region Referee Co-ordinator.

ELIGIBILITY: All players must have played for and be registered to a Club in the province they are playing for. Only in the situation where both unions are in agreement can a player play for another province.

PROOF OF AGE: It is the responsibility of the Manager of each team to carry with him / her proof that all players in the team comply with the age limit. Managers are to use the Northern Region Age Verification Sheet template. Players must be Under 20 as of the 1st January 2026.

TEAM NUMBERS: The maximum number of players in each squad is 23, of which 6 must be front-row trained. Up to eight substitutions may be made for any reason. (Refer Laws of the Game).

PLAYING TIME: The period of play shall be 40 minutes in each half with 5 minutes for half-time.

MATCH POINTS: Match points are to be awarded as 4 for a Win, 2 for a Draw, 1 for a loss within 7 points and 1 bonus point for 4 tries or more.

MATCH RESULTS: Notification of results must be via the RX Rugby Match Day App for Managers or, emailed through to your Provincial Union by 9.00am on the Monday following the game. The Provincial Unions will then send onto the NRRC Secretary sec.draws.nrrc@gmail.com who will collate results / points tables each week in the RX Competition Management System.

AFTERMATCH FUNCTIONS: There is no requirement for teams to present gifts after games.

ORDERING OFF & SIN BIN NOTIFICATION: Notification of all ordering offs and sin bins must be by the Referee through the RX Rugby Match Day App for Referees, or a completed form emailed to the Referees Home Union for sending on to the player’s Home Union. See Judicial-Discipline procedures for Home Unions dealing with disciplinary proceedings.

BEHAVIOUR STANDARDS: Teams are reminded that they are ambassadors to the sport, and to their Union, respect and good behaviour at all times. Bad language will not be tolerated on or off the field from player’s coaches and managers.


U20 Men Additional Rules Explanation

Modification Title

Modification Details

2) 50:22 law Modification

Aim:

Modification of the 50:22 law to allow pass back, ensuring any changes do not introduce unintended negative consequences.

Propose Modification:

Law 18.8.Where the game is restarted with a lineout and which team throws in is determined as follows:

a. General:

A player, in their own half, kicks the ball indirectly into touch in the opposition’s 22. This variation does not apply at a kick-off or any type of restart kick.

3)Penalty Try & AutomaticYellow Card Modification

Aim:

Suggested changes regarding penalty try/yellow card “double hit”—propose yellow cards only for incidents that meet the threshold, not automatically with penalty tries.

Propose Modification:

Law 8.3. A penalty try is awarded between the goal posts if foul play by the opposing team prevents a probable try from being scored, or scored in a more advantageous position. A player guilty of this may be cautioned and shown a yellow card or sent off. No conversion is attempted.


5)Free Kick sanction modification

Aim:

Develop draft law modifications to propose replacing set piece options with free kick options.

Proposed Modifications:

Accidental Offside

Law 10.5. A player is accidentally offside if the player cannot avoid being touched by the ball or by a team-mate who is carrying the ball. Only if the offending team gains an advantage should play stop. Sanction: Free Kick

Ending a ruck:

Law 15.17:

When the ball has been clearly won by a team at the ruck, and is available to be played, the referee calls “use it”, after which no further players may join the ruck and the ball must be played away from the ruck within five seconds. Sanction: Free Kick 

Not straight lineout throw:

Law 18.23:

The ball must:

a. Be thrown in straight along the mark of touch towards a lineout player;

Sanction: If the non-throwing team does not lift a teammate to compete for the ball, then play shall continue. If the non-throwing teamlift a teammate to compete for the ball, a free kick is awarded to the non-throwing team.

6) Speed & Consistency when ending a ruck

Aim:

Develop draft law modifications to encourage less slow play from the base of a non-competitive ruck.

Proposed Modifications:Ending a ruck:

Law 15.17:

When the ball has been clearly won by a team at the ruck, and is available to be played, the referee calls “use it”, after which no further players may join the ruck and the ball must be played away from the ruck within five seconds. Sanction: Free Kick


7) 20 minute Red Card

  • If a player is red carded, they may be replaced after 20 minutes by another player. The 20mins from when a player is red carded to when they may be replaced is measured as “game time”. This follows the same measurement of time already in place for a yellow carded player in the sin bin (mean sin bin clock is stopped when the game clock is stopped).

  • A player receives a yellow card and is sin binned for 10mins. If the same player, then returns to the field after serving their 10mins suspension and subsequently receives a 2nd yellow card, which equates to an automatic red card. After a further 20mins the red carded player can be replaced.

  • A player who has been tactically replaced, is able to return to the field to replace a red carded player. Note if you have unused replacements (e.g. #23) still sitting on the bench you do not have to use them to replace a red carded player before you use players who have already been substituted tactically (e.g. #12).

  • If a player is red carded and all eight replacements have already been used, then any players who have been tactically replaced can then replace the red carded player after 20mins (note players replaced due to injury are not permitted to replace a red carded player). While need to plan for all eventualities the reality of this situation happening is unlikely given the team would have had to have used all 8 replacements and had a player red carded prior to the 60th minute of the match.

  • If the red carded player was a front rower, and the replacement was off for an HIA, then the red carded player is unable to return (note this could lead to uncontested scrums if no further suitably trained front rowers were still on the replacements bench). To be clear, any red carded player cannot return under any circumstance.

  • The usual replacement laws continue to apply in that a replaced player may return for an injured front rower, injury due to foul play, HIA or blood.