THE Six Nations is back and already there has been a sending off.

Peter O'Mahony was dismissed by Wayne Barnes away to Wales after clearing a ruck with his elbow.

And that made him the first Ireland player ever to be sent off in the competition.

What are the red card rules in rugby?

These are most commonly shown for foul or dangerous play with the player unable to continue and the team not being able to replace them, like in most sports.

With tackling a large part of rugby, referees often need to keep an eye to make sure that players' health and safety are not being threatened excessively.

These could include by tackling players targeting the head or producing tackles in the air – in particular spear tackles that see players tip their opposite number head first towards the ground.

Other acts of foul play include biting, eye gouging and stamping.

But unlike other sports, sending offs in the Rugby World Cup do not bring an automatic punishment of missing a set number of games.

Instead, the red carded player must stand before a panel who decide firstly if the dismissal was correct, before deciding their punishment.

The severity of the foul play could lead to players missing several months of rugby, in particular eye gouging, with former England star Dylan Hartley previously suspended for 26 weeks.

What is the new high tackle rule?

The new high tackle rule refers to a high tackle as: "An illegal tackle causing head contact, where head contact is identified by clear, direct contact to the head or neck; or the head visibly moves backwards from the contact point; or the ball carrier requires an HIA.”

Rugby has also introduced a specific framework to help referees decide when to give a yellow card, a red card, or just a penalty.

Red Card

• Shoulder charge (no arms tackle) direct to the head or neck of the ball carrier.
• High tackle with any contact between the tackler’s shoulder or head and the Ball Carrier’s head or neck, with high degree of danger.
• High tackle with first contact from the tackler’s arm, direct to the BC’s head or neck, with high degree of danger.

Yellow Card

• Shoulder charge to the body.
• A tackle with a high degree of danger which isn't on the head or neck.
• High tackle with any contact between the tackler’s shoulder or head and the BC’s head or neck, with low degree of danger.
• High tackle with first contact from the tackler’s arm, direct to the BC’s head or neck with low degree of danger.
• High tackle with first contact from the tackler’s arm, which starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up to the BC’s head or neck.

Penalty

• Shoulder charge to the body (no head or neck contact), with low degree of danger
• High tackle with first contact from the tackler’s arm, which starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up to the BC’s head or neck.
• High tackle with first contact above or over the shoulder of the ball carrier, but without contact to the head or neck of the ball carrier during the execution of the tackle.

What is a sin bin?

Sin bin is whereby the referee shows a player a yellow card for either foul play or a continuous run of wrongdoing.

Those cautioned are then temporarily suspended and must leave the pitch for ten minutes, with teams unable to swap that player during that time – so will be a man short.

If a player is shown a yellow card twice, he is sent off.

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