Rugby
union is played by two teams of 15 players.
Although the aim of the game is simple, there are many laws
which make can make it hard for the new viewer to keep track
of what is going on.
[
You can download a word Document to read offline HERE
]
AIM
OF THE GAME
The
aim of the game is very simple - use the ball to score more
points than the other team.
You can run with the ball, kick it and pass it, but passing
forwards is not allowed.
Rugby union is a contact sport, so you can tackle an opponent
in order to get the ball, as long as you stay within the rules.
There are several ways to score points.
• A try - five points are awarded for touching the ball
down in your opponent's goal area.
• A conversion - two points are added for a successful
kick through the goalposts after a try
• A goal kick - three points are awarded for a penalty
kick or drop goal through the posts
DURATION
A game of rugby union has two periods of 40 minutes each.
KICK-OFF
The game is started by a drop kick from the middle of the halfway
line.
The ball must travel forwards at least 10 metres from the kick-off.
If it does not, the opposition get the choice of a scrum or
to play on. If a receiving player touches the ball before it
travels 10 metres, then play must continue.
If a side concedes a score then the team that has conceded the
points takes the kickoff to restart the match.
SCRUM
It is used for restarting play after the following:
• The ball has gone forward – either dropped (knocked
on) or passed forward.
• Accidental offside
• The ball has not come out from a ruck or maul
• A player carries the ball over his own try line &
places the ball down
• If a teams captain chooses to take a scrum when awarded
a free kick or penalty
Normally the forwards of each team make up the scrum. Formed
in 3 rows, with the opposition front rows so close their heads
interlock with one another.
The scrum is formed at the place where the infringement happened.
All scrums must take place at least five metres from the touch
or try lines.
LINE-OUTS
Rugby’s answer to the throw in.
The eight forwards and the scrum-half are the players who, normally,
make up the line-out. They stand in 2 lines 1 metre apart.
The line-out must be formed past the five-metre line and no
more than 15m in from the touchline.
The hooker is usually the player with the job throwing the ball
into a line-out. Their aim is to find the "jumpers",
usually the two second rowers.
And the throw must be deadly straight, otherwise the referee
will offer to have the line-out taken again, but this time the
opposition gets the throw in, or give the opposition a scrum.
THE RUCK
When it comes to rules and regulations, the ruck is one of the
more complex parts of rugby union.
When a tackled player goes to ground, they must release the
ball immediately.
As soon as that happens, the opposition will want to get their
hands on the ball, and the team in possession will not want
to give it away.
According to the laws, "the ruck is a phase of play where
one or more players from each team, who are on their feet, in
physical contact, close around the ball on the ground".
So to gain possession, both sides must try to drive over the
ball to make it available for their team-mates.
If the ball does not come out of a ruck after about five seconds,
the referee will award a scrum to the team he considers to have
the greater forward momentum in the ruck.
HANDS IN THE RUCK
Team-mates of the tackled player can use their hands, but only
if they are on their feet.
But no-one can attempt to handle or pick up the ball once the
ruck has formed.
Referees often blow up for penalties because a player off their
feet or from the tackler's team has used a subtle hand to bring
it back to their side.
But because of the sheer number of bodies involved in rucks,
referees can sometimes miss this particular infringement.
JOINING A RUCK
All players joining a ruck must be on their feet
All players must join the ruck from behind the 'hindmost' foot
of the last player.
Players cannot take shortcuts and join from the sides.
If the referee spots this, a penalty will be given to the non-offending
team.
USING THE BOOT
Is now not allowed.
Referees are particularly strict on this law for safety reasons,
so reckless rucking can mean time in the sin-bin or even a red
card.
THE MAUL
A maul occurs when three or more players, including the ball
carrier and at least one other player from either side, are
in contact together.
What makes the maul different to the ruck is that the ball is
not on the ground but in hand.
But like the ruck, the offside line is the "hindmost"
foot of the last team-mate bound to the maul.
Players can only join in from behind that team-mate. Anyone
who comes in from the sides will be penalised by the referee.
The team not in possession of the ball cannot deliberately collapse
the maul. This is for safety reasons.
As long as the tackler has a fair opportunity to contest the
ball, the referee will allow the maul to continue.
If the maul stops moving forwards the referee will often shout
"use it or lose it" to the team in possession.
This means they must pass the ball within a five-second time
period. If they do not the referee will call a scrum and the
team not in possession will be given the feed.
However if a player has caught the ball from a kick-off or a
drop-out and is drawn in the middle of a maul inside their own
22m line, the referee will award the scrum to their side if
the ball has not come out in time.
A maul ends when the ball is passed out or is on the ground.
OFFSIDE
Offside is a complicated part of rugby union.
In
open play if a player is in front of a team mate who possesses
the ball, the player is off side if they:
• Actively try to play the ball
• Do not retreat within 10m of an opponent who is waiting
for the ball
• Move towards the opponents or the place where the ball
lands without first coming back onside
The referee will award a penalty at the place where the offence
took place.
OFFSIDE AT A SCRUM, RUCK & MAUL
An imaginary line is drawn through the hindmost foot of the
last player in the scrum, ruck or maul.
At a scrum only the 2 opposing scrum half’s can break
this rule, but the defending scrum half must stay on his side
of the ball.
But most offside decisions in rugby union happen at rucks and
mauls, especially when the ball is being recycled a lot.
A player is offside if they:
• Join from their opponent's side
• Join play from in front of the last man hind most foot
• Do not join either the ruck or maul, but fail to get
behind the offside line
• Leave the ruck or maul, but do not get behind the offside
line.
OFFSIDE
AT A LINE-OUT
There are two different imaginary offside lines for players
involved in the line-out and those who are not.
First, any players not involved in the line-out must stand 10
metres back from the centre of the line-out. Players can only
advance once the ball has left the line-out, or, if a maul is
set up, the ball has been driven forward 1 metre.
Secondly, the referee will create a one-metre gap between the
two lines of forwards. This is the offside line between the
two sets of forwards.
Players must not encroach within this gap until the ball has
touched a player or the ground, unless they are jumping for
the ball.
No player can leave the line-out until it has finished.
OFFSIDE AT A KICK
If a player is about to kick a high up-and-under or a grubber
kick for a team-mate to run onto, the chasing player must be
level or just behind the kicker.
If they are not, the referee will award the opposition a penalty.
OBSTRUCTION
Sometimes, a player will deliberately get in the way of an opponent
because they think their rival has a good chance of getting
to the ball first, but it is not allowed.
You cannot charge or push an opponent when running for the ball,
except if the contact is shoulder-to-shoulder.
Blocking an opponent in order to stop them tackling one of your
team-mates, or moving in front of a team-mate in order to act
as a shield, is also outlawed.
Standing in a position which stops an opponent from playing
the ball is also considered to be obstruction.
Players running with the ball after it has left a set-piece
cannot make contact with a team-mate in front of them.
And flankers cannot block the opposition's scrum-half as they
try to advance around the scrum.
For all these offences, a penalty is awarded to the opposition.
THE 22- METRE DROP OUT
If the ball is kicked into a defending player’s in-goal
area, he can either: dab the ball down or kick it dead in the
in-goal area. Both result in a 22 metre drop-out.
A 22-metre drop-out is not awarded, however, if a member of
the defending team has either passed or carried the ball back
over the dead ball line before the ball is touched down by his
team mate.
In this case, a five-metre scrum is awarded to the attacking
team.
THE MARK
Taking
a mark happens when a player catches the ball from a kick when
he is inside his 22.
As they catch the ball they shout "MARK".
If they catch the ball cleanly, the referee will give that player
a free-kick on the spot where they caught the ball.
Only the player who has called for the mark can take the kick.
One thing to note is that a mark cannot be called when a player
catches the ball direct from the kick-off.
KICKING TO TOUCH kick-of
If a player is inside his own 22, he can kick the ball directly
into touch without the ball having to bounce first before crossing
the touch line.
If he is outside is own 22, or carries the ball himself back
into his own 22, & then he kicks to touch, the ball must
first bounce in the field of play before going out over the
touch line. If this does not happen then the resulting line-out
will take place opposite the point on the field where the kick
takes place
KICKING OVER THE IN-GOAL AREA kick-of
If a player kicks the ball into his opponents’ in-goal
area, and the ball continues on & rolls out of the back
of the dead-ball line, then the result is a scrum to the non-kicking
side at the point of the kick.
PLAYERS
There are 15 players in a team and the team is divided into
the Forwards and the Backs. The Forwards are seen as Ball winners
(scrum, lineout, rucks and mauls). The Backs are fast, creative
and are more often associated with scoring trys.
The 8 Forward positions are:
Number Position Basic Roles
Front Row 1 and 3 Prop Support hooker in front row of scrum
and lift jumpers at the line out
Front Row 2 Hooker Strikes for all in scrum and throws in at
line-outs
Second Row 4 and 5 Locks Push in second row of scrum and jump
at lineout
Back Row 6 and 7 Flankers Push at scrum and are first to breakdowns
Back Row 8 Number 8 As above
The 7 Back positions are:
Number Position Basic Roles
Half Backs 9 Scrum Half Puts ball into scrum and usually the
passer from scrums, rucks and mauls
Half Backs 10 Outside half/fly half Main decision maker, passer
and kicker
Three Quarters 12 and 13 Centres Create space for fast wings
outside them
Three Quarters 11 and 14 Wings Main try scorers of team. Fast
strike runner
Full Back 15 Full Back Safety sweeper. Last line of defence.
Also used as a strike runner
|
