Quotes are.

1. Obstruction.

The application of the obstruction law will now focus on enabling the referee to allow play to continue unless the defending team has been materially disadvantaged.
The changes clarify the current obstruction policy and remove the ambiguity that caused some confusion for players and spectators alike during 2014.

An example would be where players cross but the tackle is still made just as it would have been without the crossing, play and the tackle count will continue as the attacking side have gained no advantage, or more to the point the defending side haven't lost out.

2.Concussion.

Teams will be allowed an extra "free" interchange in the event of a player suffering an injury that requires a pitch side concussion assessment.
The change is designed to safeguard players against unseen dangers of concussion by removing and sub-conscious pressure on medical staff to not be over cautious in removing a player from the field for an assessment.

3. Sin Bin.

The number of main areas in which sin binning is deemed to be the appropriate course of action is to be changed from 7 to 4 with the aim of helping referees impose immediate real time sanctions by reducing the number of on report decisions.

4. Video Referees.

A new law will be introduced to enable the referee to make a live decision during televised fixtures on any try before being referred to the 2 video referees. The system is similar to that used during the 2014 Four Nations and the NRL.
When a try is scored which the referee deems worthy of a review he will signal his decision " Try or No Try" before the video referees assess whether there is sufficient evidence to overturn his decision.
The process gives parity between televised games and non televised games with the referee being required to make a decision.

Pulled from the RFL website, is it me, or is this far too much of a definition for match officials to consider in the heat of the moment ?

"OBSTRUCTION

From 2015, the following indicators will be considered, in the opinion of the referee/video referee for an obstruction:

Offensive considerations:


Lead runner(s) (who do not receive the ball) must not stop in the middle of the defensive line.

Lead runner(s) (who do not receive the ball) must not run at (chest or outside shoulder of) defender/s and initiate contact.

The sweep runner must receive the ball beyond the inside shoulder of the lead runner.

If the sweep runner catches the ball on the inside shoulder of the lead runner and there is sufficient depth to the defensive line and the defenders are not impeded, play should be allowed to continue.

If the sweep runner catches the ball on the inside shoulder of the lead runner and there is insufficient depth to the defensive line, then play should only be allowed to proceed if the defenders are not impeded.


Defensive considerations:


Does the defender initiate contact?

Was there a wrong read by the defender?

Was the defence obstructed?


Ball carrier around the back of his team mate:


Must not disadvantage the defensive line.

Players who are tackled immediately- Play on.

Can concede or succumb to the tackle- Play on. "

You can just imagine the ref thinking of all that in the split second before blowing his whistle.

"If the sweep runner catches the ball on the inside shoulder of the lead runner and there is insufficient depth to the defensive line, then play should only be allowed to proceed if the defenders are not impeded."

That last part of the above statement sums the whole thing up for me "play should only be allowed to proceed if the defenders are not impeded." This should apply in all circumstances and have nothing to do with inside shoulders or anything else for that matter.

I may be showing my age but in the good old days there was only obstruction if a defender was instrumental in preventing or making a tackle more difficult. Oh for those simple days of yesterday.

Then perhaps some supporters could give the ref a break.

Easily done, i'll stay at home hahahaha

I know you don't mean that Colin, I do think with your background you agree that refs get a hard time.
In any walk of sport amateur or professional I do not believe the officials are the worse performers on the day.
I only tried officiating once and was never invited back.
Women's beach volleyball does tend to distract objectivity.

Reading it I think it makes it easier for refs and is a lot more sensible and should be easier for them to police. Obviously in the TV games they will still check everything but we get rid of the stupid situations like we had last season one example was in one of our games Tommy Saxton picked up a loose ball thrown by I think it was Tyrer and he picked up up right next to the touchline so his only option was to come back inside but that ment running behind Tyrer who had just passed the ball and the ref gave it as obstruction, in the new interpretations it should get rid of stuff like that.

I remember that well, couldn't understand the decision.
Didn't they score straight after that?

50 extra press up for Tyrer