The primary focus of IAYRA HS Sevens is to introduce rugby to conventional student-athletes in a traditional environment: their schools. This requires resources – and modifications – that ensure access to faculty sponsors, school administrators, and school-based coaches.

With this goal in mind, the IAYRA regular season and Iowa State Championships will continue to be played under the Iowa Laws Modifications. These modifications were developed under the assumptions that:

1. Many teams would not have access to fields with uprights/posts,
2. Unfamiliar skills like lineout lifting – where young players can be dropped from height in compromising positions – can be more dangerous for inexperienced coaches to teach than tackling or rucking, which can be more easily translated to American skills.

Given these considerations, the Iowa Law Modifications were developed to produce the following effects:

1. No conversion kicks or kicks at goal. Since some of our fields may not have posts at all, this may be necessary. All trys are 7pts, nothing more.
   1. Starting in 2018, all IAYRA HS Varsity teams will kick conversion kicks and kicks at goal. The kicker has 45 sec from the time that the try is placed down to kick the conversion kick and kick the restart.
2. All lineouts are quick, with the offside line being the line of touch. Does not require coaches to know how to teach lifting safely, which is an area with youth where care should be taken due to the height/awkwardness of the falls that often occur early in. Also speeds up the game, while making the line of touch the offside line prevents teams from booting it all the way down to pin them in – with this change the quick lineout could be taken ahead of where the ball went into touch for balls kicked straight in.
   1. Starting in 2018, all IAYRA HS Varsity teams will use full lineouts.
3. No 22m drop out. Since drop kicking is a tertiary skill, a free kick is awarded wherever there is a 22m.
   1. Starting in 2018, all IAYRA HS Varsity teams will be use 22m drop outs.

The intent of these modifications is to get the players doing what they can do best: running for the goal line.

Due to the likely increase in speed such changes will have, the IAYRA and the Iowa State Championship will be officiated by no less than two referees on the field at any point in time, with each responsible for one end of the field. Given the fact that there is thirty forty five seconds between score and the awarding of the kick at half way for the team that was scored against, it is anticipated that play will immediately transfer to opposite attacking ends faster than any referee can be expected to keep pace.

 

The current rules modifications have proven to be good for growth and are planned to remain in effect at the High School Sevens level in Iowa for the indefinite future. These changes address the immediate needs of the target community, and the IAYRA Coaches Association will continue to review its transitional plan for bringing the Sevens played in Iowa high schools into full agreement with that played around the world within 5 years.

The long range goal for the IAYRA is to offer Iowans every opportunity to be Olympic medalists. The progressive Law changes that have been adopted for the IAYRA and the Iowa State Championship are designed to meet that goal.