RLIF 2016 update to laws and regulations
1st January 2016
The RLIF Board approved the following alteration to the laws of the game to be applied in all RLIF sanctioned games from January 1st 2016. The Board has also added a clause to the regulation concerning the eligibility of players for international selection. It clarifies the situation where a player was born in a state that no longer exists.
Interchange
For all RLIF sanctioned games the number of interchanges allowed shall be reduced from 12 to 10.
Eligibility
An additional clause has been added to the eligibility rules to recognise the situation concerning eligibility in States which no longer exist as follows: 3.14 A player will be considered eligible under Rule 3.1 (a) and (b) if the relevant qualifying country no longer exists as a sovereign state or political entity (the "State"). Where a qualifying birth certificate refers to a former State a player may nominate the country he wishes to represent from the federated entities that constituted that former State. Once a nomination of a country under Rule 3.13 is made, a player may not change the nomination to another entity of the State. A player eligible to play for more than one country is still entitled to change his country in accordance with Rule 3.3 but his new country cannot be a former entity of the State. The full regulation regarding the eligibility of players for international selection now reads:
Eligibility for International Rugby League
3.1 A player is eligible to play an International Match for:-
3.2 A player shall not be treated as having his principal residence in a country for the purpose of Rule 3.1(c) if he has not been present in that country for nine months in any period of twelve months during the three years up to the date of his selection.
3.3 A player who is eligible to play for more than one country shall be entitled to elect for which country he wishes to play. When a player plays a Senior International Match for a country, he is deemed to have elected to play for that country. Subject to Rule 3.5, once an election is made the player may not play Senior representative rugby league for any other country until the end of the next World Cup tournament, or the expiry of two years, whichever is earlier ("Election Period").
3.4 After the expiry of an Election Period, the player may elect to play for another country if he is eligible, but once he so elects (or is deemed to elect by playing in a Senior International Match) he may not play for another country until the expiry of another Election Period.
3.5 During an Election Period, a player may change from one country to another for which he is eligible pursuant to Rule 3.1, with the approval of the Federation (but he may only change once in each Election Period).
3.6 A player may not change their National Team during any Federation sanctioned International Tournament (including any qualification matches played as part of that International Tournament) in which that player is participating.
The burden of proof in establishing eligibility is on the player and the National Team that they wish to represent. If a player plays an International Match for a National Team which he is not eligible to represent, both the player and the National Team which selected him shall be guilty of misconduct.
Where a player considers that he is eligible to join a National Team squad on the basis of Rule 3.1 above, before he first joins that squad, he shall provide proof of his eligibility to the National Team wishing to select him. In the case of eligibility under Rule 3.1(a) and (b), the player shall provide the National Team with a copy of the relevant birth certificate and/or passport stating place of birth.
Where a player is not able to provide a copy of the relevant birth certificate and/or passport, the matter shall be referred to the Rules of the Game Committee and the player shall only be entitled to represent the National Team if they can provide satisfactory evidence to the Rules of the Game Committee that the player is eligible to do so. Save in extreme circumstances affidavits by a player will not be considered as satisfactory evidence.
National Teams shall, promptly upon request, provide the Federation with a copy of any evidence they have relied on pursuant to Rule 3.1 to 3.2. Where a National Team fails to do so, or the Federation do not consider the evidence satisfactory, the relevant player shall not be entitled to represent the National Team.
In the circumstances set out in Rule 3.10 above or in the event of the eligibility of a player to play for a National Team being uncertain or in dispute, upon the written request of any Member, Affiliate or Associate Member to the Chairman it shall be referred to the Rules of the Game Committee for determination.
The National Team which wished to select the player in question may appeal the decision of the Rules of the Game Committee to the RLIF Board. The decision of the RLIF Board shall be final and binding and not subject to appeal.
For the purposes of these Rules, a "Senior International Match" shall mean any match in which a player represents an RLIF member country, provided that the player is aged 18 years or over at the date of the match.
A player will be considered eligible under Rule 3.1 (a) and (b) if the relevant qualifying country no longer exists as a sovereign state or political entity (the "State"). Where a qualifying birth certificate refers to a former State a player may nominate the country he wishes to represent from the federated entities that constituted that former State. Once a nomination of a country under Rule 3.13 is made, a player may not change the nomination to another entity of the State. A player eligible to play for more than one country is still entitled to change his country in accordance with Rule 3.3 but his new country cannot be a former entity of the State