The Basic Rules of Rugby Union
There are 15 players on the field at any given time and the only ways to advance the ball down the field are 1) running and passing the ball to teammates, and 2) kicking the ball forward.
Very quickly:
1. The rectangular field has two H-shaped posts at either end which serve as goal
2. The goal posts rest on the goal line
3. A ball placed on or behind the opposing teams goal line is called a ‘Try’ and earns five points
4. A ball kicked through the uprights of the opposing teams goalpost is called a ‘Conversion’ and is worth two points
5. A "Drop-goal" happens when the ball is kicked through the posts just after touching the ground. The ball is dropped and allowed to hit the ground before being kicked. A drop goal is worth three points.
6. A Penalty Goal can also earn points and occurs when the ball is drop-kicked or place-kicked (when a ball is kicked off the ground) over the crossbar and between the uprights. After the kick, the ball can touch posts but not the round before it goes over and through. A Penalty Goal is also worth three points.
Players are split into two groups which can be identified by number:
Forwards: jerseys #1 through #8
1. Loose-head prop
2. Hooker
3. Tight-head prop
4. Left second-row
5. Right second-row
6. Blindside flanker
7. Open-side flanker
8. Number Eight
Backs: jerseys #9 through #15
1. Scrum-half (or Halfback)
2. Fly-half
3. Left wing
4. Inside-centre
5. Outside-centre
6. Right-winger
7. Fullback
Scoring and Play:
1. The game begins with a coin toss (no, really) and which determines whether teams kick or receive.
2. The team that begins with the ball is referred to as the ‘attacking team’. They stand in a line on the halfway mark of the field and face the ‘opposing team’.
3. A designated player from the attacking team drop kicks the ball toward the opposing team. The ball must travel at least 10 metres and the player who kicks the ball can choose whether to kick the ball a short distance or deep into the opposing team’s territory.
4. If the ball does not travel more than 10 metres, the opposing team can choose to either have the ball re-kicked or scrum at the centre line.
5. Players in each team must stay behind the ball, going ahead of the ball to do so can land a player with an offside penalty.
6. After the ball has been kicked-off, players from each team will fight or ‘contest’ for the ball. Once the ball is in possession of one of the players, the goal of the opposing team is to tackle him.
7. Once a player has been tackled and goes to the ground, he must release the ball. This is the exact opposite of Rugby League, where the player must hold on to the ball.
8. If a team is awarded a penalty, which is to say the other team committed a penalty against them, they can either:
* Kick the ball out of bounds and receive a lineout where the ball ends up.
* Take a free kick. Theoretically, the ball must be 'kicked' through the mark, although most teams will just toe-tap the ball over the mark.
* Take a penalty kick at goal.
* Either way, the guilty team must retreat 10 meters from the spot of the foul.
* The team that has been scored on always restarts play by kicking to the team that scored the points.
9. The clock will only be stopped in cases of:
* Injury
* Substitution of players
* On the advice of a Touch Judge
10. A referee can signal with his arms a knock-on, an advantage, a throw or whether the game will pause or engage.
Fast Fact
Advertisement
Nice and simple explaination, now to get the wife to a game!!!
There are however a few points in "Very quickly" that could cause confusion.
Point 3. A ball placed on OR BEHIND the opposing teams goal line is called a ‘Try’.
Point 6. A Penalty Goal can also earn points and occurs when the ball is drop-KICKED OR PLACE KICKED (where the ball is kicked off the ground)
hehehheheheheh
Hi there.
I was just having a bit of a look through the "scoring and play" section here, and while there are some good explinations in here I think some essential parts of the games structure have been left out. Simple things like: "You cant pass the ball forwards", or an explination of what a ruck/maul/scrum is, as these are the main differentiating points of this game. There are 3 points above discussing the kick off, but you can garantee there will be a fair few more rucks than there will kick offs!
Also, in point 8, you might want to add that there is also the option of taking a scrum.
Finally (and this may sound a little pedantic) rugby didnt come from a game of soccer played at Rugby school (as mentioned on the rugby home page), it came from a game of Football. Soccer and Rugby both got their birth from Football, but one didnt derive from the other.
Thanks for letting me have my speal!