How will this affect rugby punts?
The errant snap situation that happened in the Kentucky-Mizzou game doesn’t appear to impact rugby punts. Based on the wording of the rule, players who roll out to the right or left and attempt a fairly common rugby-style punt will not lose any protection from being run into or roughed unless they move 5 yards back from where they previously were.
Here’s how the rule reads in the updated rulebook. The usage of the word “behind” makes it clear that a player can move more than 5 yards laterally and keep his protection as long as he stays within the tackle box.