A 50:22 kick is a rugby union rule that rewards the attacking team with a line-out if they kick the ball from anywhere in their own half and it bounces inside the oppositions 22 before then bouncing into touch. The rule is aimed at reducing the number of scrums, rewarding good defense, encouraging counter-attack, and increasing the rate of ball in play. The hope is that with this rule, more space will be freed up across the pitch as players drop back to field tactical kicks. The defending team will keep an extra one or two players in the backfield, taking them out of the defensive line that is often strung across the field. The ball cannot be passed or carried back into the defensive half for the 50:22 to be played, and the phase must originate inside the defensive half. The rule was introduced in 2021 and has been successful, leading to its permanent adoption by World Rugby from July 1, 2022.