But, isn't this something that has been in the rules already? If a two-point try fails, there is no score and no kick, so the 2017 rules would indicate to start a 40s play clock when the ball becomes dead (unless media takes a timeout).
Kalle,
That is a 'gap' in the rules, to date, and is exactly the issue that Morningrise has raised. No, the ready-for-play interval for a free kick has been 25 seconds, even though the current rules, as we have discovered, don't really address this interval. I suspect this will filter back to Shaw (and Redding?), and they will provide an editorial change to state that the ready-for-play interval for a free kick is 25 seconds. As Morningrise stated, to simply add item "14. After a Try down." would be a very easy fix.
I'm sure you know this, but for anyone that may not know, until now, the 40-second interval has only been intended for regular scrimmage play, with the primary purpose of eliminating the inconsistency that was inherent with the previous 25-second interval that began when the R sounded his whistle and signaled (chop or wind) that the ball was ready for play. Some Rs were very quick at declaring the ball ready, while others took more time. Although the average time was probably around 10 seconds from dead-ball to RFP, some Rs would take 15 or more seconds, and that inconsistency was determined to be unacceptable. The solution - and a good one, IMHO - was to have a 40-second interval that started when the previous scrimmage play was over (in the absence of some reason to interrupt the game). But, again, the 40-seconds was reserved for regular scrimmage play. It did not apply to the RFP interval for free kicks, Tries, or either team putting the ball in play after a legal kick down.
Now, in an effort to reduce total game time, the rules makers are trying to squeeze a few seconds here and there by having a 40-second interval after TDs and after free kicks. IMHO, this will have little noticeable effect, unless the crews really, really, hustle to get the ball ready for the Try, and for the scrimmage play after a free kick. My guess is that coordinators will 'push' their crews to make this work, and they will. But, even then, I calculate only about 6 minutes of saved time, at best, in an 8 TD game, and even then, only if there are no TV breaks associated with these events. Maybe that's enough. I don't know. But, if they are looking to reduce total game time to 3 hours, they are a long way from that.
Robert