MRAI & RFU Game Regulations

Please find the link to the the RFU Midlands site detailing the relevant RFU Game Regulations, this also provides access to the wider RFU Midlands site for reference.

On review key areas found useful are:

Kick-off Times for League Matches

The default kick-off times for RFU League matches will be 2:15 pm. in November, December, January and February and 3:00 pm. at all other times. The kick off time may be varied by mutual agreement between the clubs, otherwise the default time will apply as provided in RFU regulation 6 item 44.

“Rolling” Substitutions (Replacements) at Levels 5 and below 

At Levels 5 to 8 up to a maximum of 3 players may be named as replacements and players will be allowed to “roll on and roll off” to the maximum of 8 interchanges allowed by RFU Regulation 6 item 63. 

At Levels 9 and below up to a maximum of 5 players may be named as replacements and players will be allowed to “roll on and roll off” to the maximum of 10 interchanges allowed by RFU Regulation 6 item 63 and locally varied by item 57.

Front Row Replacements   

All teams selected must contain at least four players suitably trained and experienced to play in the front row. Clubs playing in other leagues may nominate only three front row players if Game-On principles have been agreed for that match.    

Clubs must be able to replace a front row player at the first time of asking. Any club that is unable to do this (other than as exempted by MRAI 12.2) will face sanctions.

If at any time during a match a team are unable to field a suitably trained and experienced front row so that uncontested scrums are needed the team will not be allowed to replace the player that caused this so will play a player down (“man-off” regulation) for as long as uncontested scrums are needed as per RFU regulation 6 item 63.    

Clubs may mutually agree pre-match to apply “Game On” principles to allow matches to take place without contested scrums or associated sanctions as allowed by RFU regulation 6 item 55.