European rugby will today begin digesting the full implications of playing a new-look game next season.

International players and coaches down to grassroots amateurs are now faced with a 12-month global trial of the so-called ELVs (Experimental Law Variations) from August 1.

Thirteen of the 23 ELVs which have been experimented with in various competitions around the world including the Super 14 and England's County Championship will be introduced at all levels of the game.

These include the contentious - and potentially dangerous - change of players now being able to defend a maul by pulling it down.

Such action is currently a penalty offence and can result in a player being sin-binned.

There will also be no restriction on the number of players in a lineout, while an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet in a scrum will also be introduced.

A further number of ELVs are to be trialled in an unnamed elite northern hemisphere competition next term - probably the European Challenge Cup - such as free-kicks, rather than penalties, being awarded for the vast majority of offences.

And a further seven ELVs have been referred back to the International Rugby Board's laws group for more analysis.

England's first experience of them will be against the Pacific Islanders at Twickenham on November 8.

But they are also planned for competitions like the Heineken Cup, Guinness Premiership and Magners League, in addition to next summer's three-Test Lions tour of South Africa.

Among those in opposition to ELVs include the Rugby Football Union and all 12 Premiership clubs.

But International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset said: ''The (IRB) Council's decision to implement a global trial of Experimental Law Variations represents an important milestone for the future of the game.

''It vindicates the process that was adopted by Council in 2004 for future law amendments.

''The southern hemisphere will continue to play under the various ELV programme environments that exist in that part of the world at present.

''It would be unfair to change the playing environment under which countries in the south are currently playing in competitions such as the Super 14.

''Not one of the council representatives was against the global implementation of an ELV programme of some description.

''Many of the ELVs received unanimous approval as they had clearly shown potential to be beneficial to the game, thus meriting a further trial at all levels around the world.

''The Laws Project Group had recommended a global trial of all of the ELVs, but there were differing opinions between the council members on some of the ELVs in the area of the tackle and ruck, maul, sanctions and offside.

''The key point here was that the members did not dismiss these ELVs outright, but believed that further consideration and trials were necessary.

''In November 2009, Council will review all the ELVs that will undergo global trial, along with the sanctions ELVs that will undergo approved trials in specific competitions.

''Council will then decide at this meeting if all, or any of the ELVs should be accepted into full law.''

Suspicions remain throughout Europe, though, of a southern hemisphere-driven move towards establishing many ELVs as law in time for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.