SPECTATORS GUIDE TO RUGBY

The sport of Rugby is often referred to as the"father" of American football. Football evolved with many of the sameprinciples, strategies and tactics. However, there are several obviousdifferences.

Rugby is played at a fast pace with few stoppages andcontinuous possession changes. All players on the field, regardless ofposition, can run, pass, kick and catch the ball. Likewise, all players mustalso be able to tackle and defend, making each position both offensive anddefensive in nature. There is no blocking of the opponents like in football,and there are a maximum of seven substitutions allowed per team. A rugby matchconsists of two 40-minute halves and is considered to be a gender equity sportas approximately 25 percent of all players in the U. S. are female.

FIELD OF PLAY

Rugby is played on a field, called a pitch, that is longerand wider than a football field, more like a soccer field. A typical pitch is100 meters (110 yards) long and 70 meters (75 yards) wide. Additionally, thereare 10-22 meter end zones, called the in-goal area, behind the goalposts. Thegoalposts are 'H'-shaped cross bars located on the goal line and are the samesize as American football goalposts.

THE BALL

The rugby ball is made of leather or other similarsynthetic material that is easy to grip and does not have laces. Rugby ballsare made in varying sizes (three, four or five) for both youth and adultplayers. Like footballs, rugby balls are oval in shape, but are rounder andless pointed than footballs to minimize the erratic bounces seen in football.

PLAYERS & POSITIONS

On the field of play, both American football and soccerhave 11 players per team. Rugby has 15 players with those same players playingboth offense and defense. In rugby, each team is numbered the exact same way.The number of each player signifies that player’s position. Players numberedone-eight are forwards, typically the larger, stronger players of the teamwhose main job is to win possession of the ball. They would be the equivalentto American football linebackers and lineman. Players numbered nine-15 arebacks, the smaller, faster and more agile players. Their main role is toexploit possession of the ball won by the forwards. Backs may be equated torunning backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks in American football.

STARTING THE CAME

Just as in American football, rugby begins with a kickoffto the opponent from mid-field. Provided that the ball travels beyond the10-meter line, any player from either team may gain possession of the ball.

MOVING THE BALL

Unlike American football, rugby, has no blocking.Additionally, rugby does not have downs and it is not required to reach 10yards and stop. Rugby is continuous like soccer. The person with the ball leadsthe attack and there are several ways to move the ball. Any player may carry,pass or kick the ball and play is not stopped .and therefore continues when theball hits the ground or when a player is tackled.

Running: When running the ball, players maycontinue to run until they are tackled, step out of bounds or run beyond thegoal line. Players run the ball to advance toward the opponent's goal line.

Passing: The ball may be passed to any player.However, it may only be passed laterally or backward, never forward. Playerspass the ball to an open teammate to keep it in play and further advance it.

Kicking: Any player may kick the ball forward atany time. Once the ball is kicked, players of either team, regardless ofwhether or not the ball hits the ground, may gctin possession. Players typicallykick the ball to a teammate in an effort to advance it or to the opposing teamto obtain relief from poor field position.

SCORING

There are four ways for a team to score points in rugby:

Try: Five points are awarded to a team for touchingthe ball down in the other team's in-goal area. This is much like a touchdownin American football.

Conversion: Following a try, two points are awardedfor a successful kick through the goal posts. The attempt is taken on a line,at least 10 meters, straight out from the point where the ball was toucheddown. This is like an extra point in American football.

Penalty Kick: Following a major law violation, thekicking team, if in range, has the option to "kick for points." Threepoints are awarded for a successful penalty kick. The kick must be from thepoint of the penalty or anywhere on a line straight behind that point. The ballcon be played if the kick fails.

Drop Goal: Three points are awarded for asuccessful drop kick. A drop kick may be taken from anywhere on the fieldduring play. A drop goal is similar to a field goal in football; however, inrugby the kick is made during the course of normal play. The ball is alive ifthe kick fails.

RESTARTING PLAY

There are two methods of restarting play following astoppage caused by either the ball going out of bounds or because of aninfraction of the laws.

Line-Out: If the ball goes out of bounds, it isrestarted with a line-out. Both teams form a line perpendicular to thetouchline and one-meter (three feet) apart from one another,' A player of thenon-offending team calls a play and throws the ball in the air in a straightline between the two lines. Players of each team may be supported in the air bytheir teammates to gain possession of the ball. This is similar to a jump ballin basketball.

Scrum: Rugby's unique formation, the forerunner ofthe American football line of scrimmage, is the method used to restart the gameafter the referee has whistled a minor law violation. A bound group of playersfrom each team form a "tunnel" with the opposition. The non-offendingteam puts the ball into the tunnel by rolling it into the middle and each teampushes forward until one player is able to hook the ball with the feet and pushit to the back row players of his/her team. The scrum half then retrieves theball and puts it into play.

OFFSIDES

One of the more challenging aspects about rugby for afirst time rugby observer is the offside law. Similar to soccer, the offsideline is continually ' moving up and down the pitch. In most instances, the ballcreates the offside line and players are not permitted to participate in playif they are on the opposing teams side of the ball. Simply being offside is nota penalty, but attempting to participate in the game from an offside positionis.

TACKLES, RUCKS AND MAULS

Players in possession of and carrying the ball may bestopped by being tackled by the opposing team. Players are tackled around thewaist and legs and, in general, may not be tackled higher. Once a player istackled, however, play does not stop as it does in football.

A player who is tackled to the ground must try to make theball available immediately so that play can teams (one from each continue.Supporting players from each team) converge over the ball on the ground, bindingwith each other and attempt to push the opposing players backwards in a mannersimilar to a scrum. This situation is known as a ruck. The ball may not bepicked up by any player, until the ball emerges out of the ruck. The ruck endsand play continues. A team that can retain possession after the tackle and theensuing ruck has a huge advantage.

A Maul is formed with a similar gathering of players,except the player in possession of the ball is simply held up, and not tackled.The maul ends when the ball emerges.

OTHER RUGBY TERMS

Drop Kick: A kick made when the player drops theball and it bounces off the ground prior to being kicked. Worth three points ifit travels through the goalposts. Drop kicks are also used to restart playafter a score.

Forward Pass: A violation that usually results in ascrum to the non-offending team.

Infringement: A violation of a law.

Knock-On: The accidental hitting or dropping of theball forward, The infringement is the same as that for a forward pass; a scrumto the other team.

Non-Contact Rugby: A Version of rugby designated tointroduce the game to first time players (touch rugby). Two hand-tag replacesthe tackle. `

Penalties: Penalties occur regularly in rugby.Unlike other sports there typically aren't yardage penalties an teams do nothave to play shorthanded. Instead, the non-offending team is usually awarded achoice to kick the ball to gain field advantage. Some of the more importantpenalties are listed below:

Penalty Kick: Awarded after a serious infringement of thelaw. Offenders are required to retreat 10 yards while the opposing team isgiven the opportunity to restart play unopposed. Teams will often kick the ballup field and out of bounds to gain field advantage. When they do this, play isrestarted as a lineout where the ball goes out of bounds. If in range, they mayattempt a kick at the goal posts, worth three points. Finally, they may simplytap the ball with their foot and run with it.

Free Kick: This isawarded after a less serious infringement of the law. The free kick is similarto the penalty kick except if the kick is made more than 22 meters (25 yards)from the defending goal line and goes directly out of bounds, the lineoutoccurs where the kick was made. Outside of 22 meters (25 yards) if the ballgoes out of bounds, it goes back to where the kick was awarded. Also, a freekick may not be kicked at goal for three points.

Sin Bin. Onoccasion, the referee will send a player behind one of the in-goal areas (theSin Bin) for serious and/or repeated infringements for a specified period oftime. The team is required to play short-handed until the referee permits theplayer to return. This penalty is fairly rare, but used by the referees tomaintain control of the game.

Send-Offs: Inextreme cases a referee may send a player off the field for dangerous orreckless play. A player who has been sent off is banned from that game and isnot permitted to return or be replaced.

Put In: Rolling the ball down the center of thescrum tunnel by the scrum half.

Sevens: An abbreviated game of rugby that followsthe same laws except a 7s team consists of only seven players and each half isseven minutes long. Much like a game of three-on-three full court basketball,it's a wide-open contest. Because of its wide open style of play, the 7sversion of rugby is a very entertaining game to watch.

Set Piece: A term for scrums and lineouts becausethese are the only choreographed plays of the game.

Support Players: Players who position themselves toincrease the ball transfer options of the ball carrier.

Tap and Play Kick/Move: A gentle kick to oneself,followed by a pick up, used to restart play after either a penalty or free kickis awarded.

Throw In: Throwing the ball down the middle of alineout.

Touchline: The side boundary of the field(sideline).

22-Meter Line: Balls kicked out of bounds frombehind the "22" are restarted by a lineout at the spot where the ballwent out. Balls kicked out of bounds from in front of the 22 are restarted by alineout where the ball was kicked. The exception is a ball kicked out of boundsimmediately after a penalty has been warded. In this case, the lineout is heldwhere the ball went out and the kicking team retains the throw-in.

For more information about Rugby or to learn where to playRugby in your area contact:

USA Rugby

3595 East Fountain Blvd.

Colorado Springs, CO 80910

719-637-1022

Fax 719-637-1315

www.usarugby.org info@usarugby.org