The NRL Auckland Nines tournament will include five-point tries and a golden try in extra time as part of the inaugural extravaganza at Aucklands Eden Park in February 2014.
The NRL Auckland Nines will see all 16 clubs compete for $2.6 million in prize-money in New Zealands biggest summer sporting event.
Thirty-one matches will be played over two days and will showcase some of the most innovative rule changes which have been announced today.
The most exciting is the introduction of a five-point try a change which is designed to reward teams for attacking play.
The five-point try can only be scored in the Bonus Zone located in the in-goal area between the goal posts at each end.
All other tries scored outside the Bonus Zone will remain as four points.
The idea of the five point try is an exciting new concept, said Nathan McGuirk, the NRL General Manager, Football Operations.
It will reward the attacking team who will be looking to pick up the extra point by scoring in the 'Bonus Zone' area.
At the same time, it also offers a good incentive for the defending team to keep chasing the player with the ball and try to prevent him from scoring in the 'Bonus Zone'.
In the event of a match ending in a draw after regular time games will be played over two nine minute halves and the winner will be the team who scores a Golden Try in extra time.
In qualifying round matches, the duration of the extra time will not exceed five minutes.
If no Golden Try has been scored to end the game the match will be deemed a draw, and competition points awarded accordingly.
In the finals, the match will continue until a try is scored - the usual modes of scoring through field-goals and penalty goals will carry no points value during the extra time Golden Try period.
Here are the other rule changes for the NRL Auckland Nines:
- Goal-kicks will not feature in the tournament with dropkicks taken in line from where the try was scored worth two points. Penalty dropkicks will be worth two points with a field goal in general play remaining at one point.
- Scrums will consist of five players from each team and will only be used in the event of a double knock-on or a mutual infringement.
- In the event of a successful 40/20 kick, play will recommence with a tap re-start to the kicking team 20 metres in from where the ball crossed the touch line.
- Matches will be re-started by the scoring team through a drop kick-off.
- Referees will have the power to send players to the sin-bin for five minutes for foul play.
Click here for more information about the NRL Auckland Nines, including how to buy tickets!
The NRL Auckland Nines will see all 16 clubs compete for $2.6 million in prize-money in New Zealands biggest summer sporting event.
Thirty-one matches will be played over two days and will showcase some of the most innovative rule changes which have been announced today.
The most exciting is the introduction of a five-point try a change which is designed to reward teams for attacking play.
The five-point try can only be scored in the Bonus Zone located in the in-goal area between the goal posts at each end.
All other tries scored outside the Bonus Zone will remain as four points.
The idea of the five point try is an exciting new concept, said Nathan McGuirk, the NRL General Manager, Football Operations.
It will reward the attacking team who will be looking to pick up the extra point by scoring in the 'Bonus Zone' area.
At the same time, it also offers a good incentive for the defending team to keep chasing the player with the ball and try to prevent him from scoring in the 'Bonus Zone'.
In the event of a match ending in a draw after regular time games will be played over two nine minute halves and the winner will be the team who scores a Golden Try in extra time.
In qualifying round matches, the duration of the extra time will not exceed five minutes.
If no Golden Try has been scored to end the game the match will be deemed a draw, and competition points awarded accordingly.
In the finals, the match will continue until a try is scored - the usual modes of scoring through field-goals and penalty goals will carry no points value during the extra time Golden Try period.
Here are the other rule changes for the NRL Auckland Nines:
- Goal-kicks will not feature in the tournament with dropkicks taken in line from where the try was scored worth two points. Penalty dropkicks will be worth two points with a field goal in general play remaining at one point.
- Scrums will consist of five players from each team and will only be used in the event of a double knock-on or a mutual infringement.
- In the event of a successful 40/20 kick, play will recommence with a tap re-start to the kicking team 20 metres in from where the ball crossed the touch line.
- Matches will be re-started by the scoring team through a drop kick-off.
- Referees will have the power to send players to the sin-bin for five minutes for foul play.
Click here for more information about the NRL Auckland Nines, including how to buy tickets!
