World Rugby have moved to outlaw tactics employed by Saracens during a recent Premiership match against Sale with immediate effect.
Pushing the laws to the very limit, Saracens players were seen to be joining a defensive ruck and then sliding around to the side of the ruck, whilst staying bound to their team-mate.
As long as they remained bound to their team-mate, they were not deemed to be offside or infringing on any rules.
Two occasions highlighted by World Rugby show Nick Isiekwe and Tim Swinson swinging around to the side of the ruck, getting themselves closer than usual to Sale No.9 Raffi Quirke.
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Their actions were not penalised by referee Thomas Foley as they were exposing a loophole in the rules.
Castres also did the same thing against Racing 92 earlier this month.
Defending teams were using the tactic to counteract the 'caterpillar' rucks that are now commonplace throughout the game, where attacking sides lengthen breakdowns to give the scrum-half more room to box kick.
But defences will now have to find another way after World Rugby plugged the loophole less than a month after Sarries first tried it.
"Adding players to your own side of the ruck, in order to advance closer to the opposition side of the ruck squeezes the space available and compromises the clearance of the ball from the ruck," say the game's governing body.
"These actions should be discouraged.
"If a player is fully bound and they have moved beyond the offside line then they must return to be behind the hindmost foot before being able to be involved in play, once the ball is out or is played from the ruck."
There is no indication as to how this action will be punished in the future but it is fair to assume it will be dealt with as an offside and result in a penalty to the attacking side.
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