NRL players have been warned they will be sin-binned in 2018 if they give away repeated penalties close to the tryline.
In 2017, 18 per cent of penalties were conceded within 10 metres of the goal line, despite only 10 per cent of play-the-balls being made in the area.
Sin bins more than doubled to 43, but the new-look competition committee, including coaches Ivan Cleary and Paul Green and Greg Inglis - decided that should continue for penalties, given away while trying to slow the game down near the tryline.
"No team wants to be left a player short for 10 minutes so, if referees start using the bin, teams will be less willing to give away penalties," Cleary said.
Deliberate and dangerous foul play offences will also be sin-binned, while referees will be urged to penalise for incorrect play-the-balls if no effort is made by players to use their foot.
Cleary, Green and Inglis are joined by referees' boss Tony Archer, Darren Lockyer, John Lang, John Grant, Todd Greenberg, Wayne Pearce and Jason King.
