Kick-off decision, extended squads: NRL proposes four rule changes for 2026 season
The NRL will implement a raft of rule changes ahead of the upcoming season, which will also include extending matchday squads from 17 to 19.
Michael Carayannis
December 30, 2025 - 11:28AM
The NRL are planning a radical change to the century old kick-off rule among other tweaks which could also see teams carry squads of 19 on game days.
It is understood the NRL have pieced together four potential rule changes which will now be discussed by clubs and the RLPA with the view of implementing them as soon as next season.
The NRL had been toying with potential changes in recent months but that has now come to a head.
It is understood the four alterations include:
KICK OFF
A drastic change to the kick-off rule which could see the scoring team kick-off.
Teams will have the option to kick or receive after being scored against.
The team that has been scored against will now have the option to kick-off or receive the ball to restart play. As it stands, the team which concedes a try or goal restarts play by kicking off.
It means momentum is hard to stop and can result in lopsided scorelines. In the 1997 Super League breakaway competition the scoring teams had to kick-off.
EXTENDED MATCH DAY SQUADS
Coaches will now be able to carry benches of six players but will still be only able to play four per game. It means game day squad sizes will increase from 17 to 19 but interchanges will remain capped at eight. This idea came out of a meeting with coaches, including Wayne Bennett, Ivan Cleary, Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart, Michael Maguire and Craig Fitzgibbon at the end of last season.
The plan was originally to have 21 players available but that has now been scaled back. It would allow clubs to carry specialist players on the interchange bench just in case they lose a starter. The NRL introduced an 18th man to help cover for headknocks or acts of foul play in 2021.
ACT OF SCORING
If an attacking player drops the ball in the act of attempting to score a try over the tryline they will not be penalised by a seven tackle set. Instead the defending team will receive the ball for an ordinary six-tackle set from the 20 metre mark to restart play.
PENALTY ZONE
Set restarts instead of penalties will be awarded from outside the 20-metre line of the attacking team. This is designed to speed play up. Full penalties will still be awarded inside the 20-metre mark. This season, penalties were awarded inside the 40 metres. Set restarts were introduced in 2020 but tweaked in 2022 where penalties were awarded inside the 40-metre zone of the team in possession.
The NRL will now engage with stakeholders to see if all – or some – are introduced in time for the NRL to launch at the double header in Las Vegas on March 1. Pre-season trials begin on February 7 with the Bulldogs taking on the Cowboys and the Dragons playing Newcastle in a double header at Kogarah Oval. Those four teams will then travel to Las Vegas.
The NRL made no new rule changes in 2025.
