Tournament organisers have confirmed that 20-minute red cards will feature in this year’s men’s, women’s and Under-20s Six Nations.
The 20-minute red card applies to technical offences, and will mean that the offending team can replace the player who has been sent off “in order to punish the player not the team.”
If the player receives two yellow cards that equals a 20-minute red card, because if either offence is deemed dangerous or deliberate it would constitute a full and permanent red card.
The controversial law change is not likely to be welcomed across the board, but it has been stressed that referees will have the power to award a full and permanent red card for deliberate and dangerous acts of foul play.
The 20-minute red card is one of several law trials and innovations that will feature in all three of this year’s Six Nations tournaments.
Referees will go ‘on mic’ to explain key decisions in decisive moments within a game for the benefit of those in stadia, as well as being brought into broadcast coverage.
This feature is part of an ongoing effort to bring fans even closer to the key moments in fixtures and add another layer of understanding for fans following.
New for 2025 in the men’s Six Nations will be ‘Touchfinder’, an evolution of the Smart Ball technology.
‘Touchfinder’ is intended to support the team of match officials, specifically assistant referees, in identifying exactly where the ball crosses the touchline, purely from kicks into touch.
The TMO protocol has been revised, meaning the TMO will have additional power to identify clear and obvious infringements in the final attacking passage of play before scoring (knock on, forward pass and in touch) and specifically within the final two phases (offside, maul obstruction and tackle complete).
There are also two new global law trials to be introduced to encourage speed of play. ‘Protecting the nine’ will enable cleaner play at the base of rucks, mauls and scrums and allowing play on for uncontested lineouts that aren’t straight, creating fewer stoppages in play.
Instrumented Mouthguards will remain a feature of the men’s and women’s Six Nations, while for the first time, they will also be applied to the Under-20s tournament.
Sensors in the mouthguards monitor the frequency and magnitude of head acceleration during training and match play, and form part of the HIA process.
“Across the game, everyone is working together to ensure we are exploring new and innovative ways to make the game as safe as possible, alongside ambitions to enhance the spectacle for fans, and the experience for players,” said Julie Paterson, chief of rugby at Six Nations Rugby.
“The Autumn Nations Series was a great case study for the progress that is being made, and it is going to be incredibly exciting to see this continue and evolve through the Six Nations Championships.
“The law trials and innovations being introduced are intended to enhance the experience for fans, but they are also there to clarify areas of the game for teams, coaches and players, while supporting match officials, with a spotlight the vital role they play at the centre of our sport.
“New technology like ‘Touch Finder’ is testament to this, as is the option to go ‘on mic’ as they offer insight that benefits match officials and the fans and the teams involved.
“To continue the momentum created in the Autumn Nations Series 2024, across each of the 2025 Six Nations Championships allows us to ensure we are consistent in our approach and ambition to drive standards in all areas, across the elite men’s and women’s game together with development competitions.”