A countdown 'shot clock' on scrums, line-outs and kicks at goal could be introduced to help speed up the game before the Rugby World Cup. The sport's key stakeholders met last week to consider ways to improve the flow of international rugby. Other ideas include enhancing the in-stadium fan experience by broadcasting interactions between the referee and television match official [TMO]. The proposals will be considered by World Rugby over the coming weeks.

There already is a clock on kicks, the referees just need the balls to call it.

The referee can already penalize for time wasting.

The problem with line-outs and scrums is it is often not clear who is holding play up,

And at a scrum, safety comes first.

But if a prop fails to bind, or binds with the elbow down, blow immediately before the ball goes in.

If a prop is penalized three times, card them.

They weren't exactly northerly way back then.

Why?

From around 16:50 - Australia leading by 3 points win a penalty in the shadow of the posts, Foley delays taking the penalty kick (despite being urged to take the kick by some of his team) and Raynal awards a scrum to New Zealand.

This is a much better proposal for kicks at goal. No pressure on the kicker for time constraints. As for scrums, i'd say that it should just be the refs being more proactive at awarding free kicks for timewasting or alter the laws to allow the ref to award a penalty for blatant timewasting.

I'm less convinced by how 'scrum-clocks' would work. Stopping the clock for endless re-sets is perhaps better than a scrum using up 5 mins of playing time, but neither situation is very satisfactory. Maybe free-kicks awarded for delays etc at scrums should not include the right to opt for another scrum - you have to either tap & run, or kick?

Lineouts - not a massive problem IMHO, altho' the team meeting b4 each lineout can be irritating. Set period (20 secs, perhaps 30) for team to throw in after ball goes into touch - fail to do that, throw goes to other side.

Scrum put-ins = agree. Altho' have almost given up hope...

Hooker's feet outside the field of play at throw-ins - surely not even in the top 100 problems relating to rugby union and the laws of the game?

Pedant, moi?

A countdown timer on scrums and kicks at goal will be introduced in January to help speed up the game, says World Rugby. The 'shot clock' means players will have 90 seconds to take a conversion and a minute for penalties, or the kick will be disallowed. New rules also state scrums have to be started within 30 seconds and line-outs formed without delay, with penalty kicks to be given for timewasting. The rules come into place on 1 January. A clock for kicks at goal is already in operation in France's Top 14. World Rugby's director of rugby, Phil Davies, said: "World Rugby, member unions and competitions will work with broadcasters and match hosts to implement on-screen (stadia and broadcast) shot clocks for penalties and conversions to ensure referees, players and fans can view the countdown, mirroring what happens in the LNR (French national league) and sevens." World Rugby hopes the changes will improve the flow of the game and reduce the reliance on Television Match Official reviews, which add to stoppages in the action. Water carriers will also only be permitted to enter the field of play when a try is scored. "Only in a game with no tries, should a natural stoppage be used," added Davies.

What actually reading the law book and possibly applying it.

I love the comment on rugbyrefs - do this mean everything else is optional.

I do feel that the caterpillar rucks need to be addressed:

1. require the rear of a ruck to be two persons. 

2. Call the ball out when there is only one foot behind it 

3. Call out when the S/H touches the ball with his hands not when he picks it up . Usually the SH puts his hands on the ball then looks where his players and the opposition are before picking it up and the 5 second rule is rarely enforced. 

There is also an issue with players diving through a ruck and taking players out , enforcing the existing Law of the back foot and sealing off would stop this. 

Let us hope that common sense will ensure that existing laws are applied without the need for more administrative requirements on the clubs.   

Can't really see any good reason why you should get 30 seconds longer for a con than a pen... but definitely step in right direction I feel.

Absochuffinlutely.

I realise many people believe being the Ref is the easiest job on the pitch and they get everything wrong all the time apart from when the decisions go our way, in which case the ref is brilliant. My main worry is that as the laws become more complex and there are an ever increasing number of ways to "speed the game up" being a referee will become an increasingly impossible job. Social media makes it worse, where everyone believes they could do a better job.

I think everyone who criticises a referee publicly, should do a ref course and then ref an under 15's game. 

I don’t go to matches with TMOs so can’t comment on them but I can question whether the ARs are giving the referee the support he needs. Twice this season we have cited an opposition player - and that player has been banned - for incidents less than 5m from the AR and neither was given by them. A Nat 1 captain I spoke to said they were a waste of space and we could do as well with the old style Club TJ. When was the last time you saw an AR hold his flag out for foul play?

As the ARs are miked, they should not need to hold out a flag - and they have given decisions in the games I have watched.

I would call for bigger secondary signals from all referees. The crowd, those without ref mike, do rely on them to understand what has been given.