The French Rugby Federation (FFR) and the National Rugby League (LNR) have ended an eight-year law trial ahead of the 2026\/27 club season.<\/p>\n
The two governing bodies confirmed that from next season, teams will no longer be permitted to make 12 tactical substitutions during matches, with the number returning to the global standard of eight.<\/p>\n
This comes after it was deemed that the trial \u201cproduced no significant improvement\u201d during its use in the Pro D2 and TOP 14<\/a>.<\/p>\n Aligning with World Rugby\u2019s charter<\/p>\n Confirmation of the trial\u2019s disbandment came after the latest French<\/a> \u2018Shape of the Game\u2019 meeting, which brought together all stakeholders in French rugby.<\/p>\n The initiative was spearheaded by the FFR and coordinated with the LNR. A joint statement from the two governing bodies read: \u201cFollowing on from the Shape of the Game work undertaken by World Rugby<\/a>, French rugby initiated a consultation phase in Marcoussis, bringing together all stakeholders in French rugby on March 13: the FFR, the LNR, professional clubs, unions, referees, and representatives from elite levels.\u201d<\/p>\n It continued: \u201cThe discussions at the \u2018Shape of the Game, French Style\u2019 led to a shared diagnosis based on the current competition format, which aligns with World Rugby\u2019s charter, emphasising the importance of diverse player profiles in rugby.<\/p>\n \u201cAll participants agreed that our competitions already offer an attractive spectacle, as evidenced by public enthusiasm, packed stadiums, and strong popular support, which does not preclude some evolution. Within this framework, France continues to advocate a clear and structured approach based on three priorities:<\/p>\n \u2013 Player safety, an essential condition for the sustainable development of the sport, from elite to grassroots;<\/p>\n \u2013 Fair play, sought to uphold the fundamentals of rugby;<\/p>\n \u2013 Continuous gameplay, a key driver of public appeal and understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n SA Rugby boss\u2019 \u2018tragic\u2019 verdict on B&I Lions prospect as ex-Scotland forward issues \u2018disrespectful\u2019 warning<\/a><\/p>\n Law tweak suggestion<\/p>\n The ending of the 12 tactical subs was the headline change from the meeting, but also resulted in the agreement to propose a tweak to the shot clock for place kicks.<\/p>\n \u201cThe FFR political steering committee on April 25 jointly decided to: Return to the rule of eight substitutions (ending the experiment with 12 substitutions per team initiated in 2018, which produced no significant improvement),\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n \u201cPropose to World Rugby an experiment aimed at reducing the time allowed for kicking a penalty and a conversion to 45 seconds (compared to the current 60 seconds).\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, it confirmed that French rugby would continue to oppose the implementation of World Rugby\u2019s 20-minute red card law as they believe that it poses \u2018a major threat to the sport.\u2019<\/p>\n