Players will not automatically be sent to the sin bin for throwing a punch during the World Cup as they are in the NRL.

The one‑punch‑and‑you're‑off stance adopted by the NRL four years ago when Dave Smith was the code's chief executive does not feature in the rules for the tournament to begin later this month.

While punching comes under the banner of striking, which is deemed an act of misconduct, there is no hard and fast rule for how it should be punished.

Instead, it will be left to the interpretation of World Cup match officials to determine if and how players will be sanctioned, whether by a penalty, sin bin or even a send‑off.

Last year's Four Nations featured a punch thrown by a frustrated Sam Burgess at David Klemmer that resulted in a cut above the eye for the Australian forward but didn't land the Englishman on the sidelines.

The fact the rules for the World Cup are not black and white on the consequences of such conduct leaves open the possibility of a wide range of interpretations on the field. 

Source: Stuff.co.nz