Major rule to be introduced to Super League from 2025 season with full law changes announced

The new law will allow captains in all televised fixtures in 2025 – also including the Betfred Challenge Cup, and the Women’s Super League and Challenge Cup – to refer a range of on-field decisions to the video referee.

It follows the NRL in introducing the rule, which has been used in the competition down under since 2020 and also at the 2022 World Cup in England, with each team only allowed one unsuccessful challenge in each fixture. The challenge is only permissible in instances where the referee blows the whistle to stop play.

Decisions that cannot be challenged are: forward pass; roll ball; discretionary penalties (10m/marker offside, ruck infringements relating to the speed of the play the ball, tackled into touch or in-goal after the held call); the mark of a penalty; time wasting; dissent; deliberate forward pass; scrum penalties.

Other laws were also discussed following recommendations from the RFL’s Laws Committee, with head contact regulations in Men’s and Women’s Super League, Championship and League 1 remaining as they were in 2024.

This follows a significant reduction in concussive and sub-concussive events in the Super League in 2024, measured by the widespread use of instrumented mouthguards.

A contested drop-out that goes out on the full over the touchline, or fails to make 10 metres, will now be restarted with a play the ball 10 metres out from the centre of the goal-line, rather than a penalty kick from in front.

The green card now also applies to attacking players as well as defending players, while referees and video referees will now differentiate between active and passive players when awarding penalties for offside from a kick chase. An active player will be defined as one who takes part in and/or influenced the course of the game. A passive player will be defined as one who does not influence the course of the game.

Meanwhile, Adam Hills will succeed Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP as president of the RFL on a two-year term running until December 2026.

"I am both chuffed and stoked to be confirmed as the incoming president of the RFL,” the Australian comedian, presenter and rugby league enthusiast said.

“I plan to use my presidency (and the gold chains) to increase the profile of the great sport of rugby league, and to shine a spotlight on the Wheelchair, Physical Disability and Learning Disability variants of the game.

“Rugby league is not just a sport, it's a family, and I've already been bombarded with invitations to visit clubs from Workington to Cornwall and everywhere in between.

“I look forward to meeting as many members of the rugby league community as I can, and to swapping stories about the sport we love.

“I'm also looking forward to working with my two vice presidents, Danika Priim and Stephen Wild - who may have to share the chains when England play Australia."