Under 14 Rugby Rules? The 127 Detailed Answer

Mixed gender rugby policy

This policy takes into account the suitability of mixed-sex teams and the circumstances in which girls should be allowed to play contact rugby with boys. The policy takes into account the differences in the physical and mental development of boys and girls at different stages of development through the established age-class pathways within each union.

World Rugby recognizes the inherent differences between unions around the world and seeks to provide direction for affiliates on how to deal with this issue. Member unions are responsible for developing their union-specific policies.

application

This guideline applies to all levels of play and should be used in conjunction with the World Rugby Age Differential Guideline where appropriate.

policy

Best practice is that participation in mixed-gender teams is only allowed until the end of the season (including the following off-season) in which the player turns 12.

Exceptionally, a player over the age of 12 may play in a mixed-sex team if there is no other way to continue playing rugby.

To ensure the eligibility of players in such circumstances, the following criteria should be met:

Written consent from the player’s parent or guardian to play and accept the risk involved in playing with people who may be stronger and more physically developed than them. Written confirmation from a doctor with an understanding of the requirements of rugby is known that the player is in the physical condition to play rugby at the desired level and that this view is supported by a musculoskeletal evaluation and/or other appropriate assessment by the home association of the player that the player is in physical condition to play rugby at the desired level and that this view is supported by a musculoskeletal assessment and/or other appropriate assessment. Written confirmation from a coach with a reasonable understanding of the physical characteristics required, the risks faced by players in rugby and who the player is aware of, that the player has the requisite skills and experience to play rugby at the desired level. Such other approvals, agreements or endorsements (if any) as may be required by the player’s home association or to comply with local jurisdiction. Due to the unique nature of the front row compared to other positions, due consideration must be given in the scoring protocols outlined above as to whether or not the player is allowed to play on the front row.

A player should no longer play in mixed-gender teams after the age of 15.

Players, regardless of age and gender, should be prepared to play the game safely and should have participated in a safety awareness program such as Rugby Ready or an equivalent program available in their home association.

Player Development & Participation Considerations

Whilst player welfare is the primary consideration when introducing policies for unions in relation to mixed-gender rugby, it is important to also approach this issue from a developmental and participatory perspective. The following development considerations should be taken into account by unions when developing age class pathways for girls:

Research shows that girls prefer to play sports with girls mainly for reasons related to social interaction. Girls are more likely to remain involved in sports if given the opportunity throughout their developmental journey.

Girls under 12 should not be discouraged from playing with boys, but should be given a girls-only option to attract the optimal number of girls to the game.

Any mixed gender rugby policy implemented by unions should be developed as part of a broader player pathways plan for girls’ and women’s rugby. Long-term player development models and research will support this process.

Any cases where girls are allowed to play alongside boys due to lack of access to girls’ teams should be a short-term solution and unions should make plans to ensure girls have access to same-sex teams in their unions.

Last updated: 04/26/2022, 14:52:49

The full list of rules (laws) can be found on the International Rugby Board website.

For the beginners, here is your short list of rules.

No shoulder pads or helmets in rugby. The ball must be pitched backwards to your teammates. No forward passes. A team can toss the ball back and forth as many times as they like. There is no blocking to support your runner. Everyone runs with the ball and tackles it equally. Unlike American Gridiron Football where two or three guys get all the glory and the rest of the team never gets a chance to prove themselves and run for a goal, on the rugby field every player will run with the ball and more than Attack 20 times a game. If you were an offensive lineman and never ran with the ball and never tackled, this game is for you! Everyone will be a running back and linebacker. When a set dead-ball scrum is formed, the team will take their set positions, but shortly thereafter, when mass chaos erupts, all players will run and attack with the ball. If you get tackled, you have one second to let go of the ball and intentionally “fumble” the ball. Don’t touch it again until you get off the stack and are back on your feet. If you attack someone, you can’t pick up the fumbled ball until you’re on your feet. This is one of the most commonly cited penalties for new players. You have to get up to pick up the ball. You can’t dive on a loose ball. If you are on defense and a tackled player is brought down, you must make sure you are on your side of the huddle line before making physical contact with the other team. This is known as offside and is one of the most commonly cited penalties for players of all skill levels. This happens when a defensive player chases a runner from behind. The defender must walk around the back pile and enter from the other side to touch the back pile. This is a very large distance penalty if you get caught not lying on your sides on a loose ruck pile. The game consists of 15 players from each team entering the field. If your teammate throws you the ball while you’re running across the field and you accidentally drop the ball, that’s a penalty. It’s called knocking. The other team automatically gets possession of the ball right there. As you can see, dropping or tapping the ball deep within your own territory at the scorer’s end zone is the kiss of death. This is why we do so much ball handling drills in training to reduce those penalties. There are no downs in rugby like there are in football. An offensive team can have the ball for 20 straight phases or downs if they can continue to win the ruck stack and push the tackled player to win the ball and regain the ball. It is very important to always be in support and chase after your ball carrier at all times. If your offensive player is being tackled and four offensive players are running directly behind the ball carrier, they should undoubtedly be able to push the two or three defensive players in the tackle area or ruck stack. On the other side of the coin, if no offensive players are assisting and the ball carrier is being tackled, the defense simply steps over the ball and the ball carrier to pick up the loose ball. The offensive player must release the ball in one second. The defensive team will just pick it up and run the other way if there is no offensive support. It’s very important to have support and to have four players directly behind a ball carrier. First, you’ll be there for a pitch pass; and secondly, you are there to win the ball.

If you remember these rules, you’re ready to play a game!

Looking for fun facts about rugby? From bizarre rules to unbelievable stats, here are our top rugby facts you might not know!

Ahh rugby. The game of greatest hits, end-to-end attempts and unparalleled passion. Rugby stirs the emotions like no other game – you just have to listen to Flower of Scotland to prove it.

Rugby has been played for almost 200 years. Some historical sources even suggest that similar games date back to Roman times. The Romans always knew what they were doing.

It’s been a complicated journey from the 1800s to the present day, with a split in the sport resulting in two distinct professional games – rugby league and rugby union.

With such a rich history behind it, we’ve compiled a list of fun facts about rugby that all fans will love. Here are a few facts that will really surprise you!

It’s time to test your rugby knowledge!

Although rugby originated in England, it has become one of the most popular sports in the world, particularly in countries like Georgia, South Africa and New Zealand.

For our America fans out there, although comparisons are usually made to American football, rugby predates it by at least 50 years. Basically, rugby wins.

Whether you’re a fan or a player, read our rugby facts about the game’s origins, records and other incredible stats.

Don’t forget to check out our other fun facts about sports here!

For this, everyone plays in the Rugby World Cup every 4 years

15 fun facts about rugby

1. Rugby balls were first made from pig bladders

The rugby ball’s distinctive plum shape makes it aerodynamic, easy to hold and easy to play over distance. To embody these qualities, original rugby balls were made from inflated pig bladders that were sewn tightly to trap air. Rough but very true!

2. Rugby was originally called something completely different

If historians are to be believed, the game we know today as rugby was originally played by the Romans over 2,000 years ago.

The game was known by the Latin name harpastum, derived from the Greek term for grab, which seems quite appropriate given the game’s objective.

Rugby was born at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England

3. The modern game was born in a Warwickshire school

The most common origin of rugby takes us back to 1839 when a Warwickshire Rugby School pupil, William Webb Ellis, invented the game by picking up a standard football and charging at the opposing team’s goal. A formal rulebook would be drawn up later that year.

Also, another interesting rugby fact for you – the Rugby World Cup trophy is called the William Webb Ellis Trophy after the man who invented the game!

4. Rugby union was not classified as a professional sport until 1995

When a schism formed and rugby became rugby league and rugby union in 1895, rugby union was no longer considered a professional sport.

Shockingly, it stayed that way until a century later, when in 1995 it received the same recognition that rugby league had.

5. The All Blacks are one of the most successful teams in sports history

The New Zealand All Blacks are one of the most successful teams in sports history. Since 1903, when they played their very first game, they have had a 78% win rate in almost 600 games. This statistic is absolutely insane when you think about it. They have also won 3 Rugby World Cups (although arguably they should have won all but 1991 and 2003).

They were also the first rugby team to win 500 Test matches, one of many records that made the All Blacks the best team in the world.

Can you imagine winning 78% of all the games you play!?

6. England is the only team in the Northern Hemisphere to have won the Rugby World Cup

Given the origins of the game in England, teams from the southern hemisphere are statistically much better at rugby.

There have been 9 Rugby World Cups in total. New Zealand has won 3, South Africa has won 3, Australia has won it twice and England is the only team in the Northern Hemisphere to have won it. Perhaps Rugby World Cup 2023, hosted in France, will be another win for a European team!

7. Japan became the first Asian nation to reach the knockout stages

In 2019, Japan hosted the Rugby World Cup. Not only were they the first Asian nation to host their Rugby World Cup, they also shocked the world by beating Scotland and reaching the knockout stages for the first time in history.

Despite being stopped by South Africa in the quarter-finals, their style of play stole our hearts. They also showed that introducing rugby to new nations is the right way to increase the popularity of the game.

8. Rugby first appeared at the 1900 Olympics

Interestingly, rugby first appeared as an Olympic sport in 1900 when the games were held in Paris.

It has since performed intermittently until its formal reintroduction at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, playing both a male and female sevens tournament. At these games, Fiji won the men’s tournament and won its first Olympic medal in the country’s history.

Rugby is one of America’s fastest growing sports

9. Rugby is one of America’s fastest growing sports

Although American football is far more culturally relevant, rugby is growing rapidly in the United States. The sport is particularly popular in Colorado and Utah, where around 32,000 men and 11,000 women play senior rugby.

10. 160 caps and still at it

Alun Wyn Jones from Wales is a giant in sport. He has won over 160 international caps and is still at it.

He has competed in 4 World Championships (2007-2019) which is a record, has competed in 4 Lions Tours (2009-2021) which is also a record and has also made over 225 appearances for the Ospreys. Someone needs to look around their loft for a portrait of themselves because this guy just keeps going and going.

11. Most attempts by a rugby player are 69

Though Japan is yet to win the World Cup, former player Daisuke Ohata holds the world record for most international attempts at 69.

Between 1996 and 2006 he set the bar on the wing, once scoring eight tries in a single game. It will be a long time before anyone beats this record!

Daisuke Ohata is the world’s top try scorer with 69 tries

12. Rugby ball manufacture caused a very unusual and tragic death

In the early days of rugby, Richard Lindon’s leather shop was in high demand for balls. He asked his wife Rebecca for help, but she tragically died from the germs she picked up from the blisters when they blew them up.

From that point on, Lindon looked for an alternative to pig bladders.

13. The same whistle sounds at the start of each World Championship

This is without a doubt one of our favorite rugby facts. Welsh referee Gil Evans used the same whistle to referee rugby matches for 20 years and donated it to the New Zealand Rugby Museum in 1969.

The tradition was revived for the 1987 Rugby World Cup and the whistle has been used at every tournament since. It’s best not to think about how hygienic this 100-year-old pipe is.

14. The first rugby team to perform the haka did so in 1888

The Haka, a traditional Maori dance, was first performed by New Zealand rugby team The Natives in 1888 to show their pride, strength and unity.

It has since been performed before matches and has become a symbol of rugby for New Zealand. Whether you’re a Kiwi or not, it’s one of those chills moments when you know a big game is about to be played.

The haka is one of the most iconic moments in rugby

15. There are over 6,600,000 registered rugby players

As rugby grows in popularity, statistics show that there are over 6,600,000 registered players worldwide.

South Africa leads with 651,146 registered players, although England can claim a technical victory with 2,139,604 players playing professionally and non-professionally.

What was your favorite fun fact about rugby?

If you have any other facts you think we’ve missed, let us know in the comments below and we’ll add them to our Rugby Facts!

World Rugby has created a new law to be implemented with immediate effect. A World Rugby “Proclamation” states:

“In accordance with the Bye Laws and on behalf of the Council, the World Rugby Executive Committee has agreed to create a new Law 9.26 to implement with immediate effect:

Rule 9.26 In open play, any player may lift or assist a player on the same team. Players supporting or lifting a team-mate must bring the player down safely as soon as the ball is won by a player from either team. Penalty: free kick.”

This comes as an addition to the existing Rule 9 provisions on “Foul Play” and reflects the existing rules for picking up on the lineout (Rule 18). The move was seen by many as a response to an incident involving Australia’s Israel Folau during the June Tests which resulted in Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony being injured.

As will be explained, the law appears to be well-intentioned and a useful addition to the rules of the game; but questions remain. In particular, would the Folau incident have been handled differently? This author would suggest no.

analysis

player welfare

First of all, it should be noted that the new Law 9.26 is to be welcomed from a player protection perspective. When a player is lifted in open play, the risks if he falls (or is dropped) are obvious. Falling from such a height undoubtedly increases the risk of suffering a broken or dislocated limb; a broken neck; a spinal cord injury; and concussion.

The latter – both concussion and catastrophic injuries – are high on the list of things World Rugby wants to reduce the risk of. In fact, following the aforementioned Folau O’Mahony incident earlier this year, wallaby Dane Haylet-Petty and Waratahs trainer Daryl Gibson both questioned the safety of the one-man lift. Whilst in a collision sport such as rugby the possibility of incurring such injuries can never be eliminated, it is World Rugby’s duty to ensure that the risks are controlled. This new law helps.

“When the laws were first drafted, there was no provision for players to be lifted in open play, let alone for an opposing player to jump high enough to challenge that player.”

The effect of Rule 9.26 may well be to prevent a single teammate’s lift altogether in open play. While it’s a useful technique used regularly by most teams, given the dangers outlined above, it’s not a bad thing. But at least the threat of a free kick should encourage a safer lifting. Whether that means more concentration/control by the lifter, more training in lifting technique, or even more use of two-man lifts rather than one-man, this is a step towards reducing the risk of unnecessary injury.

At its core, Law 9.26 encourages teammates to look out for one another. Since the game is as brutal as it is today, you have to look at it positively.

mirror lineout?

Second, it is clear that in drafting Law 9.26, World Rugby attempted to replicate the laws governing the alley lifting. As the only other area of ​​the game where lifting occurs, it seems perfectly logical.

Law 18.28 states:

“Once the lineup has begun, each player in the lineup may:

…

c) Lifting or supporting a player of the same team. Players supporting or lifting a team-mate must bring the player down safely as soon as the ball is won by a player from either team. Penalty: free kick.”

However, it is worth noting that the wording of these provisions is curious. Both 18.28 and 9.26 state that the player must be brought down safely “as soon as the ball is won by a player of either team”. Literally interpreted this would mean that the rule does not apply before winning the ball. As such, a player could be recklessly lifted and dropped before the ball reaches him or perhaps where the ball breaks free. In reality, the new law certainly won’t count as such, but it’s odd wording for a provision aimed at protecting players.

This may be because Law 9.26 was taken directly from the lineout regulations. It is implied that the main focus of 18.28, certainly at the time of its creation, was not to ensure the player was lowered safely, but rather to not keep the player in the air for too long as this would benefit the team with the ball – If a player is held up in the line-out, the opponent cannot bring him down (Rule 18.28(e)) or engage him in a maul.

“The wording of the law leaves something to be desired as it creates a potential loophole. It would be fascinating to see how such an argument would be invalidated if made in a disciplinary proceeding.”

Of course, similar concerns apply to lifting in open play. However, the provision could have been worded better to reflect the focus on player safety. This author suggests that Law 9.26 (and indeed the relevant parts of 18.28) would be better read as follows:

“Rule 9.26 In open play, any player may lift or assist a player on the same team. Players supporting or lifting a teammate must safely lower the player to the ground. The player must be lowered as soon as the ball is won by a player of either team, if not before.”

A final point of interest regarding the lineout comparison concerns Law 18.19, which states:

“Players in the lineout lifting or assisting a team-mate who is jumping for the ball may reach ahead of that team-mate provided they do not reach under their shorts from behind or under their thighs from the front. Penalty: free kick.”

This particularly detailed provision was apparently drafted at the time the alley lift was introduced, to clarify exactly what is allowed. It is expected that such requirements will be adopted in Rule 9.26 in the interest of player safety. Even clearer would be a separate law on lifting in open play.

How is it used?

Finally, it remains to be seen how exactly this new law will be applied. Three example scenarios are worth considering:

A player is picked up by a teammate to receive a kick-off. The player is not challenged in the air, instead falling dangerously while grabbing the ball. A player is picked up by a teammate to receive a kick-off. The player is legally challenged in the air – there is a “fair challenge with both players in a realistic position to catch the ball” – but the lifted player falls dangerously. A player is picked up by a teammate to receive a kick-off. The player is illegally challenged in the air – there is no “fair challenge”, there is “no competition” – and the player is dragged down and lands dangerously.

The first scenario is clear. The lifter owes a duty of care to his teammate to ensure he is lowered safely. If the player does not go down safely, there is a free kick against his team.

The second scenario must also be interpreted in this way. When there is fair competition for the ball, there is nothing that can nullify the lifter’s responsibility to look after his/her teammate. He/she put the player in this position and therefore has to take care of his/her safety.

However, the third scenario is less clear. In fact, this example comes closest to the Israel Folau incident mentioned above. In that case, Ireland’s CJ Stander lifted his teammate Peter O’Mahony for a kick-off. Australia’s Israel Folau jumped (in an attempt to capture the ball) but caused a dangerous landing from O’Mahony in the process.

From available footage (see here) Folau was not in a realistic position to catch the ball, he made contact with O’Mahony (who was airborne) causing him to fall dangerously . In fact, certain angles suggest he dragged O’Mahony down.

How would rule 9.26 apply in this situation?

Contrary to some views in the media, this author suggests that the outcome would be no different: Law 9.26 does not create immunity for the opposition. According to Law 9.17:

“A player may not charge, attack, pull, push, or grab an opponent whose feet are not touching the ground”

According to a May 2015 World Rugby policy, a yellow card is awarded for breaking 9.17 when there is “no fair challenge, no contest and the player is pulled down and lands on his back or side”. This is what happened in the Folau case, and Law 9.26 does not change that. A yellow card was the right decision.

A root cause analysis explains why this is so. Anything 9.26 does is an added duty on the lifter to get their teammate back to the ground safely. So on the surface, if a player doesn’t land safely, it’s the lifter’s fault. However, the ‘chain of causation’ between the lifter and the dangerous landing must surely be broken if further – more serious – foul play occurs. If an opposing player intervenes in an illegal manner, making it impossible for the lifter to bring his/her teammate down safely, the lifter cannot be held responsible for that dangerous landing. In the Folau case, O’Mahony would have landed safely had Folau not been illegally challenged – he only landed dangerously when Folau effectively flipped him.

Therefore, in the third scenario (a Folau-type case), the lifter would not be sanctioned, but the opposing player (i.e., Folau) would be sanctioned.

Conclusions

In summary, the new Rule 9.26 appears to be a positive addition to the Laws of the Game of World Rugby. It is based on protecting players and deserves praise for it. Laws must continue to adapt as the game itself changes. When the rules were first drafted, there was no provision for players being lifted in open play, much less for an opposing player to be able to jump high enough to challenge that player. This change is a necessary response to a potentially dangerous trend. However, it remains to be seen whether it will have the desired effect.

However, the wording of the law leaves a lot to be desired, as it creates a potential loophole. It would be fascinating to see how such an argument would be invalidated if brought up in a disciplinary proceeding.

Additionally, Rule 9.26 creates a duty of care between teammates, but does not condone reckless challenges in the air – Israel Folau is not “exonerated” by this provision.

The last question is; When will we first see a team get sanctioned for violating this new rule? The Rules of the Game have now been officially updated, meaning that refereeing should be taking place worldwide starting this weekend.

Blocking a moving defender

By Colin Ireland, PE teacher with 16 years experience at Scottish Rugby Union

overview

The fend — or hand-off — is an important tool for players to step forward and hit the tackle.

configuration

A 15m x 10m box, several balls.

What you ask of your players

Divide into groups of four, with one group being the attack and the other being the defense. Give each attacker a ball and they have to run across the penalty area, fending off the defender and scoring. A no-go area is marked in the box to allow the attacker to leave the defender (see image 2).

Practice defending both ways before escalating into a 3v2 where the two defenders must drift onto the third attacker. Set up several areas like this to ensure all your players get plenty of practice (see image 3).

Encourage

The defending player should hold the ball in the arm farthest from the defender.

The parry is usually executed with a straight arm and keeps the defender away from the attacker.

The defending player should also keep his hips and legs off the defender by leaning out with the defense to hit the defender early.

Remarks

International Rugby Board (IRB) laws state that hand-offs, including those to the face, are legal at any age as long as they are done with the palm of the hand. However, it is always best to check with match officials for local interpretation of these laws at youth level.

There are few things more satisfying than landing a perfectly timed hand, preventing a player from attacking you, watching them fall to the ground, and then running in to score a try. However, it’s not as easy as it looks on TV, there are a few rules to follow, such as:

Handoffs can be made on any part of the body, including a player’s face, however, excessive force and leading with an elbow or forearm is not allowed. To be effective, the timing of the handoff is more important than strength, and it should be done with an open palm, thrusting into the upper chest.

On this page we will teach you the rules of a rugby handover and the techniques, we will even give you some tips and tricks on how to improve your rugby handoff. If you can do that, you’ll soon be knocking away tacklers like flies!

What are the rules behind a rugby handover?

Here’s what you can do:

“A ball carrier is permitted to hand off an opponent provided excessive force is not used.” Source: World Rugby

This means you can touch a player on every part of their body i.e. H. shoulders, chest, or even face, as long as excessive force is not applied.

What is excessive force?

Well, anything that looks more like a hit or strike than a well-timed handover can be questioned. It’s rare to see a penalty for using excessive force on a handoff, but if it appears aggression is intended to injure an opponent, then you can expect it to be penalized.

However, what you cannot do is:

“Players must not do anything reckless or dangerous to others, including leading with their elbow or forearm.” Source: World Rugby

Essentially, this means that if you want to pass, you have to do it with a more or less straight arm at the point of contact and try to use the open palm to nudge the would-be tackler one way.

World Rugby does not provide a definition of what is ‘excessive force’ and as such it is in the hands of the referee to decide whether a handoff is against the Rules.

It’s worth noting that the rules for surrender are changing a bit. Handoffs that would have been considered fine a few years ago are now likely to be penalized as World Rugby is on a mission to save players from unnecessary injury and protect the head area at all costs.

Hands away from the face are allowed

What are the techniques for a rugby handover?

The hand off technique isn’t too difficult to nail, to be honest. Rugby union handover is a simple move. You hold the ball under one arm close to your chest and extend your other arm towards the attacker.

Don’t hyperextend your arm, try to make contact when your arm is at about a 45 degree angle, which gives you plenty of leverage to push the player away firmly.

Do you remember this key rule? Can’t use excessive force? Well, you must try to incorporate that into your technique. Depending on how strictly the referee judges the game, you may still be breaking the law if you appear to be hitting or punching, particularly in the face or eyes.

We suggest that you work on bringing your extended arm firmly and powerfully into an almost straight position.

You can put some pressure on your opponent, otherwise the hand-off technique won’t work. However, you should not hit them with a closed fist or aim at the area around the eyes. If so, then expect a card!

If possible, we recommend aiming for the chest area. This won’t always be possible, but it’s a solid platform for knocking players away. Try to avoid waving your hand up in someone’s face, which again is likely to be a punishment.

Also check out: Rugby Tackling: Your 4 Step DIY Guide

Top tips for perfecting your handover

The handover often happens at full speed and without too much time to think, so these tips need to be practiced and thought through before game time so that they take place automatically in-game.

Switch the ball away from the defender

In any case, you must have the ball under your arm, which is furthest from the attack. This may therefore require you to switch hands carrying the ball while running. This sounds easy, but running at full power can be problematic, so practice this skill until it becomes second nature.

Practice the handover on both sides

Practice handing over with both hands. After all, the defender won’t always approach you from your dominant side, so you need to be comfortable carrying the ball in both hands and passing it off to either side.

Decide early, react late

Make this decision early to deal with the handoff, but react late. The defender needs to be in range, or you’ve slowed down your game and the defender might see your hand coming off and be able to react to it.

Watch out for the handle

Press down hard on the defender and quickly pull away. If you linger too long you risk having your hand grabbed. There is also a small chance that you will not have time to reset the ball position.

Use the momentum of the jab to give you a small speed boost.

Recommended for you: The 8 tackle techniques explained

Well I’m sure you’re excited to see some handovers, so here’s a great selection of handovers for your viewing pleasure:

How do you walk away with your hand?

When you find yourself on the receiving end of a handoff, you have a few moves:

Try to get under the handoff so you get a punch to the chest, or if you see the hand coming out, pretend to go on the punch and allow them to attempt the save without fully committed to the duel. After they try to fold the hand, you have a chance to get the hit.

Of course, if you are subjected to a hand off, you can always try to grab the hand or arm itself so you can try to pull it down with it. You can also try punching it out of the way and going for the punch immediately after, although this is the less common approach.

If you coach rugby union, you should spend a lot of time working on those handoffs. Try them out at different speeds (start with walking speeds for new players) and gradually work your way up.

Have defenders approach players from different angles or even different heights. It won’t take long for people to figure out the right way to use a handover and when to avoid it. In some cases it is actually much better to pass the ball.

You May Also Like: The 31 Skills Needed to Play Rugby

photo credit

Israel Dagg for the All Blacks 江戸村のとくぞう, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rugby tournament “Oktoberfest 7s”, Munich, 2017-09-29/30 in the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Henning Schlottmann (User:H-stt), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (tagged image)

What are the RFU Age Grade Rugby Progressions and Rules?

Age Group Rules Progress U7 Max Count – 4 Max Pitch Size (m) – 20×12 Max Minutes Per Half – 10 Max Mins Per Day – 50 Tag Games Only U8 Max Count – 6 Max Pitch Size (m) – 45×22 Max mins per half – 10 Max mins per day – 50 Tag games U9 only Max count – 7 Max pitch size (m) – 60×30 Max mins .per half – 15, Max mins per day – 60 Contact play begins. Tackle including hold. U10 Max number – 8 Max pitch size (m) – 60×35 Max mins per half – 15 Max mins per day – 60 Undisputed scrum with 3 players. Rucks and Mauls (1 support player per team). Grab it, don’t hold it. U11 Max number – 9 Max pitch size (m) – 60×43 Max mins per half – 20 Max mins per day – 70 3-player scrum – Strike, no push. Rucks and Mauls, 2 support players per team. Kicking allowed – no fly hack. U12 Max number – 12 Max pitch size (m) – 60×43 Max mins per half – 20 Max mins per day – 70 5-player scrum – Strike, no push. Rucks and Mauls – unlimited defense under the armpits. U13 Max number – 13 (girls 12) Max pitch size (m) – 90×60 (girls 60×43) Max minutes per half – 25 Max minutes per day – 80 boys 6-player scrum – Strike and Push. Boys kick – fly pecking allowed. Girls like U11 but with 5 player scrum – strike, no push. U14 max number – 15, max pitch size (m) -100×70, max min per half – 25, max min per day – 80 scrum with 8 players. Pick up number 8 and run. Kick on goal. Undisputed lineout. U15 Max number – 15 Max pitch size (m) – 100×70 Max min per half – 30 Max min per day – 90 Boys & Girls undisputed lineout – lift allowed. U16 Max number – 15, Max pitch size (m) – 100×70, Max min per half – 35, Max min per day – 90. Contested alley – Lift allowed. U17 Max number – 15 Max pitch size (m) – 100×70 Max minutes per half – 35 Max minutes per day – 90 U18 Max number – 15 Max pitch size (m) – 100×70 , Max mins per half – 35, Max minutes per day – 90

A PDF file of the Rugby Age Level Progression Table above is available for printing here.

Note: Boys play single age band rugby. Girls play rugby in the U13, U15 and U18 age groups.

Age Group Rugby FAQs

Personally, I started playing rugby at U7 level for my local club. Back then, over twenty years ago, while there was a mini-junior system and legal advances, they were not widely known and certainly not applied consistently between clubs.

Unfortunately, this created problems that led to dangerous rugby on the field and also sparked conversations between parents on the sidelines. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier for all of us to be aware of the rules, and it’s our shared responsibility to ensure they’re well known between players, coaches and everyone else involved, so that players play in the safest and most satisfying way on the pitch can experience possible.

Suggested Reading: What Size Rugby Ball Should We Use? (Table)

What age can you surrender at rugby?

Hand-offs or fend-offs are allowed in rugby union at U12 level provided they are below the armpit. Players under 14 and up may pass to any part of the opponent’s body. However, the referee can penalize any play which he deems unsafe or dangerous and which does not involve the use of excessive force.

To avoid any misunderstandings, it is good practice for mini youth coaches to talk to each other and agree on exactly which interpretation of the rule they wish to play, and of course to involve the referee in the discussion.

This might be a good time to take a look at: UK Rugby Insurance Policies Compared

How long is an under 15 rugby match?

An under 15 rugby union match should be 60 minutes long and consist of two equal halves, according to Rugby Football Union rules in England. Under 14s only play 50 minutes per game and under 16s play a total of 70 minutes per game.

There is also an additional requirement for players of different ages to not play more than a certain number of minutes per day. The maximum allowed playing time per day for under-15s is 90 minutes.

To be honest, a more useful guide might be the number of minutes allowed to be played per weekend. My big problem was that at the age of 16 I was playing for a school team on Saturday mornings, for my club’s U19/Colts team on Saturday afternoons and for the club’s U17 team on Sunday mornings.

Of course I was tired by the end of the weekend and my performance on Sunday morning wasn’t usually anywhere near as good as it could have been had I been fresh. Still, I loved it and probably wouldn’t change it looking back.

Recommended for you: What are Rugby Union half-time rules?

What age can you tackle rugby union?

Full-contact rugby tackling will be introduced in the under-9s mini-rugby age group. Proper tackling technique is paramount: tackling below the waist and with the head in the right position. For many, the introduction of tackle is where the game really comes alive, and it’s a great outlet for energetic kids.

Parents are often concerned about their child being injured while tackling, but they must remember that the body weight and speed of players at younger ages mean that the perception of rugby tackling is far worse than reality.

Personally I’ve played through all age groups and never seen a bad injury in mini/junior rugby until I got to the level of the Colts when there were occasional broken bones that were never comfortable but nothing serious in the long run. Rugby clubs these days are much more aware of the possibility of injury and there will almost certainly be qualified medical help available to treat more serious injuries.

From what age can you kick Rugby Union?

Kicking is allowed in mini rugby games under 11, but fly hack kicking is not. Fly hack kicking is when the ball is loose on the ground and players simply run through it and kick the ball across the ground. This is only allowed in rugby under the age of 13.

Fly hack kicking is not allowed under the age of 13 as it prevents skill development. Imagine if every time the ball was dropped everyone would just kick it across the floor, this would prevent children from developing the right instinct to fall on the ball and put it back or pick it up and with both hands to run with it.

In other words, fly pecking should remain an opportunistic part of the game when all else has failed with older consensus groups, and be prevented from being a tactic in and of itself.

Suggested Reading: Red Cards Explained (Sorry Kyle)

From what age can you scrum in rugby?

In the under 10 age group, scrums are allowed, but with only three players on each side and uncontested, so no pushing. At under 11 the strike is introduced but there is still no boost. Under 12 there are five-player scrums with two players in the second row, but there is still no pushing. At U13 level, there is now a five-man scrum with a punch and a jab. Finally, at the under-14 level, full eight scrums are allowed.

At the number 14 under 14 stage, eight pick-ups are now allowed, whereas in previous age groups there were only second rows in the five-man scrums and they were not allowed to pick up the ball and walk at the foot of the scrum.

Honestly, I think the progression in the rules is about right here. The no-shoving rule ensures that both pairs of backs get decent ball in games, which should allow for skill development and fun for players.

At what age do you start playing rugby?

Under 14s are allowed to kick out of hand or fly hacks off the ground in open play, including drop goals and box kicks. Penalty and conversion kicks to goal are also allowed. Punching or chopping through the ball when it is loose on the ground is allowed at level 13 and below, but box kicks and drop goals are not allowed at level 13 and below.

Just for fun: 14 rugby history facts everyone should know

source of information

Please note that all information on this page is sourced from EnglandRugby.com. If you would like to see a breakdown of the full rules for each of the age groups please go here. For more information and opinions on age and rugby click here.

Photo Credit: Nant Conwy under 11 supervised by coaches Wyn, Martin, Paul and Gavin LigmaBallss, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Diagram of a rugby union pitch with the various lines and distances marked.

Rugby union is a contact sport consisting of two teams of fifteen players. The aim is to score more points than the opponent in eighty minutes of play by shooting or scoring. The game begins with one team dropkicking the ball from the center line in the direction of the opponent. The rugby ball can be moved across the field by carrying or kicking. When passing, however, the ball may only be thrown sideways or backwards. The opponent can prevent players from improving the field by attacking them. Only players carrying the ball can be tackled, and once a tackle is completed, the opponent can fight for the ball. Play continues until a try is scored, the ball crosses the touchline or dead-ball line, or an infraction occurs. After a team scores, the non-scoring team restarts play midway with a dropkick towards the opponent. The team with the most points at the end wins the game.

Typical gameplay[edit]

A typical passage from rugby union takes the following form. Unlike rugby league and gridiron football, possession of the ball in rugby union is contestable at any time by either team – there are no separate ‘attacks’ and ‘defenses’. The team that is in possession at any given moment will usually try to hold it while the other team tries to win it back, or at least deny the team in possession an opportunity to attack and/or force them to take the ball step away or make a mistake. A team first gains possession of the ball, either through a kick-off, restart kick, or set piece (scrimmed and out). The need to maintain ball possession means that the team with the ball usually tries to move towards the opponent by running forward while carrying the ball. However, when there are few opportunities to attack, they may choose to kick the ball forward out of hand, and usually return it to the opponent, but in a position from which it will be difficult to attack. The ball may be thrown from one player to another (passing), but not forward, i. H. toward the opponent’s dead-ball line. Each player in front of the ball carrier is offside and must not disrupt the game. So American football-style blocking is illegal, although tackling or interfering with a player who is not in possession of the ball is against the law anyway, whether the tackle is offside or not. The team not in possession attempts to stop the ball carrier by grabbing and bringing it down (tackle). A tackled player, after being brought down, must immediately pass or release the ball in order for the two teams to contest possession of the loose ball. If the attacking player is tackled but the tackler lets go of the ball carrier, the ball carrier is allowed to stand up and play can continue. Play is not stopped unless there is an offence, the ball/carrier leaves the field of play, the ball becomes unplayable after a tackle, or the attacking team scores by either touching the ball over the goal line (a try ) or hit the ball over the bar with a drop kick. If the ball or ball carrier goes out of bounds (outside the field of play), play is restarted with a lineout. If play is stopped due to an infraction, play will be restarted with either a scrum, a free kick or a penalty kick (depending on the type of infraction) to the non-offending team.

running [edit]

A player running straight at the opponent

Players can run in any direction with the ball. However, you cannot use a teammate to hinder the opponent. This happens when they run around or into one of their friendly players, preventing a defender from fighting them. Defending teams can also run where they want as long as they don’t start from an offside position. Offside lines are behind the last foot on a ruck, maul or tackle, or fifteen and ten yards behind a scrum and lineout. When the ball is kicked, players on the kicking team cannot run forward until they have been passed by the kicker or someone behind the kicker.

Forwards tend to run straight and hard at the opponent, while backers run for gaps between players or use speed and cunning to avoid them. In modern rugby games, some defenders can be as big as forwards and try to break through the defensive line with brute force, and many forwards possess the running skills of defenders. Players run straight at the opponent with the aim of either breaking through the tackle or getting forward to launch another attack. If they are close to the try line, they can hit deep to help the ball touch down. Players can also attempt to break through tackles by spinning after contact[1] or by using the hand not carrying the ball to parry (push off) the defender[2].

A player could also try to bypass a defender by walking past, dodging, or goose-stepping past him.[3] To avoid a defender, the attacking player takes a large step in one direction while running forward, then shifts their body weight in the opposite direction.[4] If successful, the defender is thrown off balance, allowing the attacker to accelerate past.[5] An attacker runs straight at the defender while dodging, but accelerates and swings outward before making contact.[6] Although similar to a sidestep, dodging involves fewer sideways movements but results in less loss of speed. The Goose Step is a move made famous by David Campese that involves slowing down while running to the outside of your opponent, causing them to slow down as well before accelerating away.

Pass[edit]

The spiral pass is used to move the ball a long distance

The ball can be passed sideways or backwards, but not thrown forward. The opposing team receives a scrum if the ball is unintentionally thrown forward or struck forward by a player’s hand or arm – although doing so will result in a penalty on purpose. An exception is when a player smacks the ball forward to block an opponent’s kick – a “attack down”. Passing is an essential part of rugby union as the ball can be easily and quickly distributed to teammates. The backs are the main actors of passes and are used to get running players into the room. If one team has an overlap – more players are attacking than the other team is defending at any given time – then the tactic is to pull a defending player into a tackle and pass to the person outside of them. If each player executes a “tie and pass”, the wide players must not have defenders in front of them given the space.

Another tactic is to pretend to pass the ball, known as “dummying.” It can be used during normal backline play or as part of a set move. The aim of the dummy is to confuse the opponent and create a gap for the player with the ball. When used as a set move, a player runs as a decoy, usually at a different angle than the rest of the players. In complicated moves, multiple players act as bait. Care must be taken to ensure the lures do not interfere with the tacklers, which would result in a penalty for the defenders.

The standard rugby pass is the spiral pass, in which the player swings the ball point-up over their body and the ball rotates on its axis. This technique moves the ball quickly and precisely. “Fast hands” is the rapid movement of the ball between players and at best consists of catching and passing the ball in one motion. A “skip pass” is a basic move in which the ball passes past the closest player to a player farther away. The “double-around” is another simple move in which the passer quickly runs around the player to whom he just passed the ball and then receives the ball back from him. If successful, there may be an overlap. Another common passing motion is the “cut and switch,” used to change the direction of play. A cut involves the ball carrier running sideways across the field before passing the ball to a player running backwards at an angle; The switch is a simple change of direction: a player standing on one side of a scrum, ruck or maul receives the ball and then passes it to someone on the opposite side.

There are also some special passes that can be used during a rugby match. The ‘dive pass’ is a pass sometimes used by the scrum half when they can’t get into position for a long pass. The player dives when releasing the ball, resulting in a quick pass. A “flick pass” is similar to a standard pass, except the ball is passed with a flick of the wrists, making it a faster pass but with less distance. The ‘pop pass’ is a short pass where the ball is simply thrown up in a small loop towards a player.[9] The “gut pass” is a pass directly into the stomach area of ​​a player and is most commonly used by the forwards when the ball is returned through a maul.

kick [edit]

Ex-Wales fly half, Stephen Jones, just before the rugby ball

The ball can be kicked in any direction and serves as an attacking option or to gain territory. Three types of kicks are used; Punt, drop kick and place kick. To pot the ball, the player must kick the ball before it hits the ground. A drop kick is when the ball first bounces to the ground before being kicked. A court kick requires the ball to be placed on the ground (usually on a foosball tee or in sand) before it is kicked. Slight variations that are common are taps, when a player shoots the ball a very short distance and recollects it, and toe-throughs, when a player shoots the ball across the ground instead of jumping on it or picking it up.

A player trying to download a kick

Punts are the most common type of kick used by players. They are used as clearing kicks, especially when a team is close to their own goal line or trying to gain territory. With these kicks, the player tries to kick the ball as far as possible in the direction of the opponent’s goal, usually aiming for one of the sidelines. If the ball crosses the touchline before it has touched anyone, the opposing team is awarded a lineout. If the ball is placed within the player’s 22-yard line by a member of the opponent, he can kick the ball out with the full kick and gain ground. Otherwise, ground is gained only if the ball bounces in the field of play before it crosses the touchline. Care must be taken not to kick it too far because if it goes through the opponent in the goal and becomes dead, a scrum will be awarded to the opponent from where the kick took place. The disadvantage of “kicking for territory” is that it almost always gives possession to the opposing team. If a clearing kick is intercepted by the opponent, they can counterattack by running, passing, or kicking the ball back to the clearing team.

Attack thrusts are also employed, usually when the opponent is out of position or running proves ineffective. Common attack kicks include “up and under”, box kick, “cultivator”, crossfield kick and chip kick. The Up and Under, also known as “Bomb” or Garryowen, is a tall barge. A well-executed up and under will be high enough to give to anyone who has enough time to fight for the ball. Box kicks are similar, but are kicked over the shoulder by the scrum half when a ruck, maul, scrum, or line-out occurs near the touchline. The ball is kicked high and parallel to the touchline, with the wingers chasing. When the ball is kicked across the ground it is called a cultivator. He can catch defenders off guard and because the ball is oval it doesn’t bounce evenly, making it difficult for them to catch it. A cross field kick occurs when the ball is kicked from one sideline to a player waiting near the other. Chip kicks are short kicks just behind the defensive line that attacking players can run into.[12] As with defensive kicks, there is still a risk that the opponent will regain the ball after an attacking kick.

Drop kicks are used to start play at the start of each half, or to resume play after points have been scored or the ball lands in-goal from a defending team. The ball is either kicked long to gain as much territory as possible, or short to give pursuers a chance to regain the ball. A shot on goal can also be attempted with a drop goal. This can happen at any time during normal play, except after a free kick has been awarded. Since a missed drop goal gives the opponent possession, it is generally only in close games that attempts are made to either take the lead or to push the score past a converted try.

Place shots are only ever used for attempting a shot on goal after a penalty kick or converting a try. Generally, one player on the team is the designated scorer, although some teams use a more powerful but less accurate kicker for long shots. In tight games, the difference between winning and losing can depend on the goalscorer’s accuracy, making him an important part of any team.[13] The difficulty of a shot at goal increases with distance and angle from the goal post, with shots close to the touchline being particularly difficult. A conversion is taken back into the line from where the try was scored, allowing a goalscorer to aim to land the ball as close to the goal posts as possible if possible.

Kicking the ball is generally considered the sole domain of the back. Exceptions are flanker John Taylor, lock John Eales and number eight Zinzan Brooke, who all scored from kicks.

glitches [ edit ]

The defending side’s goal is to stop the player with the ball, either by bringing it down (a tackle often followed by a ruck) or by struggling for possession with the ball carrier on their feet (a maul) . ). Such a circumstance is called a breakdown and is subject to a specific law in each case.

tackle [edit]

A player attempts a duel

A player may attack an opposing player who has the ball by bringing him down. After tackling, a player must immediately release the ball, either by passing it to a teammate or putting it on the ground,[14] and the tackler must release it and walk away.[15] After the ball has been released by a tackled player, players on either side can attempt to regain possession.[16] Tacklers cannot charge over the shoulder (neck and head are out of bounds) and the tackler must attempt to wrap his arms around the player being charged to complete the tackle. It is illegal to shove, kick, or trip a player with your feet or legs, but the hands may be used (this is known as tap tackle or ankle tap). Tackles in which a player is lifted and then forced to the ground or dropped head first (known as tip tackle or spear tackle) have been identified as particularly dangerous. A player who makes this type of tackle is usually sent off.[18]

Tackling is the only way to stop a player from running and is an important part of any team’s defense. A good tackle keeps the player from moving forward and prevents them from passing the ball. It can also put pressure on an opponent and tear the ball loose. There are five types of tackles commonly used by players: side, rear, passive front, active front, and smother. The goal of the active front tackle is to push the opponent backwards, while the smother tackle prevents the opposing player from passing the ball. Once the player has been brought down, the tackler usually tries to get to his feet quickly and fight for the ball. Other players who come to tackle also fight for the ball.

The tackled player’s primary goal is to maintain possession of the ball. They will try to stay on their feet until teammates arrive to support. When brought to the ground, they can pass (offload) the ball immediately or place it on the ground in a position advantageous to their team. The supporting teammates can keep the ball running or form a ruck or maul.

Jerk [ edit ]

A jerk

A ruck is formed when at least one player from each side ties together with the ball on the ground between them. After a tackle, there is often a tug. This physical contact or bonding is generally done by locking your shoulders while facing each other. Additional players may join the ruck but must do so behind the rearmost foot of the rearmost teammate in the ruck; [27] this is often referred to as “coming through the gate”. If players do not “go through the goal”, it is a penalty for the opponent. In a ruck, no player may use their hands to win the ball; [29] instead, each side tries to kick the other side off the ball or hook it back to their own side with their feet; an action known as jerking. Any player not participating in the ruck and maul must retire behind the offside line, an imaginary line running parallel to the goal lines through the rearmost foot of his rearmost teammate in the ruck or maul.[30]

Players try to arrive at the ruck first, drive forward, and bond with the opponent. Once a ruck is formed, defenders can no longer use their hands, making it easier for the attacking team to retain possession. Defenders try to prevent the ball from coming out of the ruck, giving their team more time to organize their defense.[31] This must not be done by using their hands, laying over the ball or intentionally going down. Such violations will result in penalties if seen by the referee, although the number of bodies involved in the ruck can make this difficult.[32] A legal method of slowing the ball down is backing up when defenders are driving players back over the ball.[31] If done well, defenders can gain possession. This is called turnover.

A drive around a ruck or scrum is usually performed by the forwards and is intended to break through the defensive line with weight and power. The ball carrier runs straight at the opponent and tries to protect the ball to maintain possession on contact. Often referred to as “pick-up-and-drive,” this game usually features slow but sure progression. Sometimes the tactical goal is to suck defenders into a ruck or maul, opening up gaps in the defensive line for defenses to exploit. It is also often used in the final minutes of the game by the leading team as it is an effective way of maintaining possession and slowing down the time.

The ball comes out slower from a maul than from a jerk.

World Rugby announced in 2017 that it would add a major change to the laws governing the ruck as part of an ongoing series of global court cases. According to this amendment to the Procedural Code, a ruck is formed “when at least one player is on their feet and over the ball that is on the ground.” At that moment, the offside lines are set. A player on his feet (usually the tackler) can pick up the ball with his hands if the action is immediate, but once an opposing player reaches the ruck, no more hands can be used. Additionally, kicking the ball out of a ruck is specifically penalized, with only hooking “in a backward motion” allowed. The trial was used for several international competitions in 2017, including the U20 World Cup, before taking effect on August 1, 2017 in the Northern Hemisphere and January 1, 2018 in the Southern Hemisphere. [33] All of these changes were unanimously approved by the World Rugby Council and incorporated into the Laws of the Game in 2018. [34]

mouth [ edit ]

A maul [35] occurs when a player carrying the ball is held by an opponent(s) and one or more of the ball-carrier’s teammates attach themselves to the ball-carrier. Once a maul is formed, other players can join in, but as in a ruck, they must do so from their own end. If the maul stops moving forward and the ball is not available to play, the referee will award a scrum to the side not in possession when the maul started (unless the maul was formed immediately after a player received a kick other than a kick). -out). The rolling maul tactic occurs when mauls are set up and the ball is directed backwards through the players’ hands to a rear that rolls off the side to change the direction of the drive. This tactic can be extremely effective for gaining ground, and both executing it correctly and preventing it requires a great deal of skill and technique. It is a tactic most commonly used when the attacking side is within the defending side’s 22-yard line.

It used to be illegal for safety reasons to pull down a muzzle, causing players to fall to the ground. With the introduction of the Experimental Law Variations, it was permissible to pull down a maul when the attacking side’s forward momentum was neutralized or reversed, subject to maintaining safety. This decision was reversed to make ripping a maw illegal again.

On the other hand, a maul is improperly formed when the ball carrier attaches to a teammate from behind and both then drive into an opponent or opponents – or when the ball carrier detaches from the back of the maul, which propels further. The front players are offside either accidentally or intentionally and the referee awards either a scrum or a penalty to the opposing side, depending on whether the offense was deemed accidental or intentional.

The tactic is sometimes referred to by the slang term “truck and trailer” by players, commentators, and referees.

Restart kicks[edit]

The game begins with a kick-off at the beginning of each half. One side – determined after a coin toss – takes a dropkick from the center of the center line to start halftime. The ball must fly at least 10 m into the opponent’s half. None of the players on the kicking team may be in front of the player taking the kick until his foot has touched the ball. The shooting side often kicks the ball high and well over 10m, indicated by a dashed line across the field. This tactic gives their players time to chase the promised ball and hope to catch it before the opponent does. Alternatively, the kick can be a long kick deep into opponent’s territory, sacrificing the chance to regain possession for territorial gains. A restart kick that does not cross the 10-yard line may either be played by the receiving team but not the kicking team, or the receiving team will be awarded a scrum midfield. A restart kick that crosses the touchline without being touched awards the receiving team either a midfield scrum or a line on the center line, at the receiving team’s option.

There is also a 22 m drop. This is awarded when the attacking side is responsible for sending the ball into in-goal space, but instead of their player grounding the ball and scoring a try, it is first grounded by a defender. If the ball is kicked into the in-goal by the attackers and, instead of being grounded there from both sides, continues through the in-goal under its own power and crosses the dead-ball line, then the defenders have the right to either take a 22- To choose a meter dropout or a scrum at the spot where the attackers kicked the ball. The 22m exit is at any point along (or behind) the 22m line.

Penalties and free kicks[edit]

Penalties are awarded for dangerous play. A penalty kick can either be used to attempt a penalty goal, stepping into touch (either directly or indirectly, in either case the kicking team throws the ball in at the subsequent lineout) or foot tapping (giving the kicking player possession of the ball). In either case, opponents must retreat to a distance of 10m from where the penalty is awarded.

A free kick is awarded for technical infringements that do not warrant a penalty. A free kick differs from a penalty in that it cannot be used to attempt a goal. If the ball goes out of bounds, the kicking team does not get the shot in the next lane. In the case of a direct side kick (i.e. no impact), there is no ground gain from the free kick unless it is taken from behind the kicking team’s 22-metre line.

A free kick is also awarded when a player intercepts an opponent’s kick on or behind their own 22-yard line and yells the word “Mark”.

scrum [edit]

A scrum showing the body positions of the forwards, as well as the position of both halves of the scrum and the referee.

A scrum is a safe and fair way to restart play after a minor infraction.[36] It is awarded when the ball is batted or passed forward, when a player is accidentally offside,[37] or when the ball is caught in a ruck or maul with no realistic chance of recovering it. A team may also choose to scrum if they are awarded a penalty. It is also awarded to the passing or kicking team if the ball hits the referee.[38]

A scrum is formed by the eight forwards of each team forming three lines. The front row consists of the two props (loosehead and tighthead) on either side of the hooker. The second row consists of two locks and the two flankers. Behind the second row is the number 8. This formation is known as the 3–4–1 formation.[39] The two Forward packs interlock so that the front rowers’ minds are interlocked with their opponents’. Front rowers always aim for the gap to the left (from their perspective) of their opponent. The two curls in the second row tie just behind the first row with their heads between a prop and the hooker. The flankers tie both sides of the locks, and the number 8 ties behind and between the two locks.

Once a scrum is formed, the scrum half of the team awarded the fodder throws the ball into the gap between the front two rows, known as the tunnel. The two hookers then battle for possession by hooking the ball backwards with their feet while each pack tries to push the opposing pack backwards to gain possession. The side gaining possession transfers the ball to the back of the scrum where it is picked up by either the number 8 or half of the scrum. Either the scrum half or the number 8 may then pass, run or kick the ball and normal play then resumes. A scrum must be awarded between the 5-metre lines along the goal and touch lines. A team can also score a pushover attempt from a scrum. Once the ball has crossed the goal line during a scrum, an attacking player can legally ground it.

Scrums sind eine der gefährlichsten Phasen im Rugby, da ein Zusammenbruch oder ein unsachgemäßer Angriff dazu führen kann, dass sich ein Spieler aus der ersten Reihe das Genick verletzt oder sogar bricht.[42] Aus diesem Grund dürfen nur trainierte Spieler in der ersten Reihe spielen, um Verletzungen zu vermeiden. Wenn ein Team nicht genügend spezialisierte Spieler in der ersten Reihe hat, beispielsweise aufgrund von Verletzungen oder Sünden, können alle Gedränge “unbestrittene Gedränge” sein. In dieser Situation greifen die Packs ein, drängen aber nicht, und die Mannschaft, die den Ball noch ins Gedränge bringt, muss ihn ohne Anstrengung gewinnen.

Eine Gasse, kurz nachdem der Ball eingeworfen wurde.

Wenn der Ball ins Seitenaus geht (d. h. außerhalb des Spielbereichs), ruft der Schiedsrichter an der Stelle, an der der Ball die Seitenlinie überquert hat, eine Gasse aus. Es gibt zwei Ausnahmen von dieser Regel:

Kein Line-out wird näher als 5 m an der Torlinie des gegnerischen Teams vergeben, wenn der Ball die Berührung näher kreuzt, erfolgt der Einwurf an der 5-m-Linie. Geht ein Kick direkt ins Seitenaus und der Kicker befindet sich außerhalb seiner eigenen 22-m-Linie, erfolgt der Einwurf dort, wo der Ball getreten wurde.

Die Stürmer jeder Mannschaft (obwohl nicht unbedingt alle, ihre Anzahl ist die Option der Einwurfmannschaft) stellen sich im Abstand von einem Meter senkrecht zur Seitenlinie und zwischen 5 m und 15 m von der Seitenlinie entfernt auf. Der Ball wird von einem Spieler (normalerweise der Nutte) der Mannschaft, die den Ball nicht ins Seitenaus gespielt hat, von der Seitenlinie in die Mitte der Stürmerlinie geworfen. Die Ausnahme hiervon ist, wenn der Ball nach einem Elfmeter ins Aus ging, in diesem Fall wirft die Seite, die sich den Elfmeter zugezogen hat, den Ball ein. Es ist ein Vorteil, die Mannschaft zu sein, die den Ball wirft, da diese Mannschaft dann weiß, wo entlang der Linie der Wurf ist ist ausgerichtet. Wenn der Ball die 15-Meter-Linie überschreitet, kann er von allen gespielt werden und die Gasse ist beendet; Wenn der Ball nicht direkt in die Mitte der Gasse geworfen wird, kann das nicht verletzende Team wählen, ob der Put-in entweder in eine neue Gasse oder in ein Gedränge 15 m im Innenfeld erfolgen soll.

Beide Seiten kämpfen um den Ball, und einige Spieler heben möglicherweise ihre Teamkollegen hoch. (Während die Gesetze besagen, dass springende Spieler nur unterstützt werden dürfen, wird das Heben einheitlich unter bestimmten Bedingungen toleriert). Ein springender Spieler kann nicht angegriffen werden, bis er steht, und nur Schulter-zu-Schulter-Kontakt ist erlaubt; Vorsätzlicher Verstoß gegen diese Regel ist ein gefährliches Spiel und führt zu einem Strafstoß und häufig zu einem Sturz in den Sündenbock. Wenn während einer Gasse ein Strafstoß zugesprochen wird und die Gasse noch nicht vorbei ist, wird er 15 m von der Seitenlinie entfernt ausgeführt.

See also[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

The first rules

Work to draft the first rules of rugby football began on August 25, 1845 and ended on August 28. The work was carried out by three senior Rugby School students after receiving instructions to codify the game of football.

The three students were William Delafield Arnold, the seventeen-year-old son of former headmaster W.W. Shirley, who was only sixteen, and Frederick Hutchins.

They submitted 37 rules to the sixth dike; They were immediately adopted and a rule book was printed. The rules were regularly updated over the coming years, for example in 1846-47 a large committee met to review and revise the rules, but few minor changes were made.

In 1862 an attempt was made to “codify the customs”, see Rules of 1862.

Trinity College Dublin

[2] Charles Burton Barrington was introduced to soccer at St. Columba’s College, where “we played a kind of soccer game. After completing his schooling, he joined Trinity in January 1867 to find the football club with no rules or uniform. He set about introducing rugby rules, working alongside club secretary Wall. When Barrington and Wall met in the Secretary’s offices in Botany Bay in early 1868 to draw up rules, the rugby school tradition was at the forefront.

‘Wall sat gravely at his little table. A small, dark, wiry, sturdy fellow with a short back beard and friendly dark eyes. He wrote and I dictated. Gradually and gradually, as they could be remembered, the unwritten laws that govern the immortal game of rugby were written down.”

In fact Rugby School had written rules in 1846 and another set had been made by Blackheath FC, one of the earliest English clubs, founded in 1862.

YOU FOOTBALL LAWS 1868

[2]

1. The kick-off from the center must be a court kick.

2. Kick out must be 25 yards in front of goal, not a court kick.

3. For a court kick, the serve is fair once the ball has touched the ground; in the case of a kick from a catch, as soon as the player offers a kick, but he may always withdraw unless he has touched the ball with his foot.

4. When a player makes a fair catch, he is entitled to a free kick provided he claims it by immediately taking a heel push; and in order to execute such a kick he may step back as far as he pleases and no player on the opposite side may advance past his mark until he has kicked.

5. A fair catch cannot be made from touch.

6. A player is offside when the ball has been kicked, thrown, pushed, or run behind him by a player on his own side.

7. An offside player may interfere with play by standing close to the ball; but under no circumstances may he kick or touch it, attack it, or knock it down.

8. A player is on the side when the ball is kicked, thrown, nudged, or rebounds off the body of another player on the opposite side.

9. It is not allowed to pick up the ball without making contact, except in an obvious jump. Picking up the ball is strictly prohibited.

10. Any player on the side is allowed to walk in, provided he does not walk by touch.

11. In the event of a run-in, if the ball is held in a maul, no other player on his own side is allowed to take it from the runner and run with it.

12. Any player is permitted to ask another player holding the ball in a maw to put it down if it is apparent that he cannot escape.

13. A player who wishes to enter a maul must do so onside.

14. No player may be caught or dragged outside of a maul unless he is holding the ball himself.

15. No chopping, unlike tripping, is fair.

16. Try aiming. A ball touched between the goal posts may be brought to either goal post, but not between them.

17. If the ball has been grounded behind the goal, the player who grounded it is entitled to go straight 25 yards and either side of them can take a field kick, but once the ball has been placed the opposing side can charge.

18. It is a goal if the ball is dropped between the posts, but not when it is pushed, struck or thrown, or when it is generated at any height above the horizontal bar, whether it touches or Not.

19. No goal may be scored from contact.

20. A ball in contact is dead; Consequently, the first player on his side must put it down no matter what, bring it to the side of contact and eject it straight.

21. Holding and throttling is not allowed.

22. Sneaking into the opponent’s goal is discounted.

23. The captains of the sides, or two delegated by them, are the sole arbiters of all disputes

No law may be amended or enacted without at least one week’s notice of the meeting, and such meeting must be composed of at least 20 members or more.

Created by C.B. Barrington and R.M.Wall, 16 T.C.D., Jan. 1868.

Rule 15, which prohibits hacking, represents an important difference between the football played in Rugby School and Trinity College. Barrington described the hacking practiced at school: Back then, no one was allowed to lower their heads in a crowd, but if they did, the others would immediately pull them up again. The forwards all stood upright and hacked whatever they were worth on the opposite side. All standing upright, packed close together and wearing very heavy boots. The only momentum in their kicks is done with their jerking heads.

This may seem a bit like an Irish idiom. Before my time, at the end of a home game, there was something called Hallelujah… The ball was then taken away. All players went into the scrum and dutifully hacked each other away for five minutes. That was the end and everyone went home for hot water, foot pans, tea and fried potatoes. The latter is always a treat in a house match.

Barrington wrote to Watson in 1930, noting that even then the front of his shin had a “saw-like edge” from this practice. Clothing, too, was chosen by the captain and secretary, as Barrington later explained:

“Little Wall and I sat in conclave at his offices in Botany Bay and drafted the plans in rugby fashion. However, we introduced knickers instead of flannels – this was done out of respect for the black soil of our College Park. We chose the color red and black for the same reason. The committee accepted these proposals without hesitation and the arrival of the new kit ordered from Rugby caused quite a stir in college as formal Football uniforms were a novel idea in Ireland. Barrington was delighted with his new outfit, dressed and went to Fitzwilliam Square to let my dear mother see her son in this splendid outfit. She was at lunch, and Aunt Josephine was with her—a very pretty lady, daughter of Sir Matthew Barrington. Her back was to me as she sat at the table. I bent down and kissed Ker. “Look at that, Aunt Jo.” She turned around and saw the red and black and huge rough-looking person gave a terrified scream and then started sobbing and crying. “Oh that I should have lived to be kissed by an acrobat!” This was the attire of all playing members, and the fifteen wore “caps” as a distinguishing feature.

In response to a question from Watson, Barrington explained that the beginning of the game was more or less like today:

“The ball was placed nicely on the ground right in the middle between the two goals. The strikers positioned themselves at the opponent’s goal at a respectable distance from the ball on each side. In the case of a touch, the ball was retrieved, replaced and shot again. Immediately the ball was in the air and both sides started their work.”

In response to another question about the valuation methodology, Barrington stated the following:

A “touch down” meant putting the ball down in your own goal in defense: There weren’t any points back then… A “goal”, a “try”, a “touch down” were the points we missed.. A Goal after a try and a goal lost were the only two types of goals we had. There was no “penalty goal”. If an offense was committed, the ball would be returned to the crime scene, placed on the ground, and a scrum formed around it and on again. A goal from a fair catch was the same as a dropped goal. A goal or a try were the really decisive factors. A “touchdown” was only a deciding factor when there was nothing else, but that wasn’t considered an actual win.

Barrington recalled that in his first game at Trinity in 1867 there was no distinction between forwards and defenders as all players ran after the ball. He introduced a full-back and two half-backs, one on each side of the scrum, like in rugby school. Barrington’s contemporary Arnold Graves shed further light on the early manifestations of rugby in Trinity:

Some of the rules I remember were no hoes, but no tripping. Passing was illegal – that was called handball. We played without a referee. Of course there was offside. The scrums were never-ending and lasted until the man holding the ball indicated his willingness to put it down, and that was only if his side lost ground. I’ve seen a scrum go halfway down the floor… and as there was no overtaking you often saw very nice long runs – sometimes even three quarters of the length of the floor, with wonderful dodges… in each Attention the game was more individual and scientific than it is today.

The Laws of 1871

On 26 January 1871 Rugby Football Union was formed at Pall Mall Restaurant in Regent Street, London to standardize rules which also eliminated some of the more violent aspects of rugby school play.

A committee was formed at the time Rugby Football Union was formed and three former Rugby School pupils (Rutter, Holmes and L.J. Maton), all lawyers, were invited to help formulate a set of rules as they were lawyers ” laws”. not “rules”.

Algernon Rutter

President 1871-74

(Richmond) EC Holmes

(Richmond)

LJ Maton

President 1875-76

(Wimbledon Hornets)

Most of the work was done by Maton when he broke his leg playing rugby and got hung up, so he tried the first draft. He did so in Holmes’ bar association. This task was completed and the laws were passed by the full committee on June 22, 1871, and enacted two days later by an Extraordinary General Assembly. The laws prohibited the practice of hacking and tripping.

Six Scottish clubs, namely Glasgow Academicals, Edinburgh University in 1871 and Edinburgh Academicals, Royal High School and Edinburgh Wanderers in 1872, recognizing that this new code was more comprehensive and up-to-date than their own ‘Green Book’ and likewise adopted it as a member of the become RFU.

Laws used for the first International

Reference: The Glasgow Herald 25 March 1871, which reported that the game would use Rugby School rules with two minor changes (both common in the London area):

1. The ball in touch must be thrown back into the ground from where it crossed the line and not from where it was first pitched into touch.

2. In a goal attempt, the ball is brought out in a straight line from where it was touched down. (This would eliminate the alternate choice of poking after a touchdown).

In the London area there was a generally observed rule that a player could pick up a ball whether it was rolling or bouncing. Scottish clubs only allowed it in the latter case and this was agreed for the first international.

Formation of the Rugby International Board (IB)

In 1884 England played Scotland at Blackheath, in the second half Kindersley of England received a try from Irish referee A Scriven. This has been vigorously disputed by Scotland, as C.W. Berry (Scotland) had returned the ball just before Kindersley scored and it was illegal in the eyes of the Scots but not the English. An important point was that the Advantage Act was not introduced until 1896 and therefore the game had to be stopped if it was illegal. It was agreed that play would continue and this would subsequently be referred to the Rugby Union Committee. However, the SRU and RFU could not reach an agreement and the following year’s match was therefore not scheduled. Read the further article by Peter Shortell

When the Irish Union met for its annual general meeting in 1885, it recommended that the 4 home unions should meet and discuss the formation of a body to settle such international disputes. The unions then met in Dublin in 1886 and at that meeting Scotland offered to drop their dispute to the 1884 outcome if England would join such an international body composed of an equal number of representatives from each union. The International Board was then inaugurated in Manchester in 1886, but the RFU was not represented and did not accept the constitutional terms under which the IB was formed.

When the RFU changed its laws, the other unions did not accept this and referred the decision to the IB. The RFU then offered to allow representatives of the other unions to attend its committee meetings, but this was ignored.

In December 1887 the IB issued a statement that the IB rules must apply to all international matches and that no matches involving England would be arranged until they had joined the IB. Therefore, no games were played in 1888 and 1889.

The dispute then went to arbitration and Lord Kingsburgh, the Lord Justice Clerk, and Major Marindin, President of the Football Association, met in April 1890 and delivered a judgment recognizing the right of Scotland, Ireland and Wales to participate in legislation and thereby formalized the Rugby International Board. From then on, all international games were played according to the IB rules. Due to the size of the English union, it was given 6 members on the board, while the other unions were given 2 apiece. A simple majority decision would be used to settle future disputes, but a three-quarters majority would be required to change the laws.

On February 8th 1892 the Rugby International Board met. Discussions included a plan for a systematic revision of the laws, an agreement to set qualifying criteria for a country’s international matches, an agreement that the secretaries of the various unions should meet to avoid planning conflicts.

Members present were:

R.S.Warren (Ireland) in the Chair, E. McAllister (Secretary) (Ireland), J.A. Smith and R.G.Raine (Scotland), A.J.Gould and W.D.Phillips (Wales) and Rowland-Hill, J. McLaren, M. Newsome, J.R.S. Whalley, J. Budd and W. Cail (England).

In 1910, the RFU voluntarily agreed to reduce their IB votes from 6 to 4.

By 1930 each union had its own laws governing its home games. In 1930 England proposed and Ireland seconded that “all games should be played under the laws of the International Board.

Report of Legislative Changes 1931-32 by E. H. D. Sewell

Advertisement in the Sunday Post, January 20, 1935

In 1947 New Zealand, Australia and South Africa were admitted with 2 votes each and then allocated to all affiliated unions. France joined Argentina, Canada, Italy and Japan in 1978 and 1991 respectively.

As of 2006, the IRB consists of the eight founding bodies, each with two seats – Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France. Argentina, Canada, Italy and Japan each have a seat on the Council, as does FIRA-AER.

referee

Red and yellow cards

The system of the umpire’s use of yellow and red cards was invented by Ken Ashton, an association football umpire.

Aston thought of the yellow and red cards as he sat at a traffic light after attending the 1966 World Cup quarter-finals between England and Argentina. Newspapers had reported that both Jack and Bobby Charlton had been cautioned, but there was no public mention of this from the referee. Argentina captain Antonio Rattin had to be taken off the field after being sent off as he did not seem to understand what was going on. Aston considered how to make the position clearer. “As I was driving down Kensington High Street, the light turned red. I was like, ‘Yellow, keep calm; Red, stop, you’re out’.”

The idea was subsequently adopted by association football at national and international level. Red and yellow cards were introduced to the game at the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico.

In 1976, colored cards appeared in league games for the first time. However, there was still resistance from some quarters. Players complained that the referees showed the cards too often. The maps were removed between 1981 and 1987. The game became more chaotic, so the referees and the administrators had to get together to establish some ground rules for using the yellow and red cards. The cards returned to the field in 1988, but it wasn’t until 1992 that the cards were actually incorporated into the rules of the game and made mandatory at all levels. Ken Ashton died on October 23, 2001 at the age of 86.

Yellow cards are also used in other sports such as volleyball, women’s lacrosse, field hockey, rugby union, rugby league in many countries and handball.

In both rugby codes, a player who is shown a yellow card is banned from the game for 10 minutes (colloquially known as a “bucket of sin”, although neither rugby nor ice hockey, where the concept originated, refer to it as a “bucket of sin”). The tank lasts ten minutes within a single eighty minute game. It is game time, it ends when the clock is stopped due to injury and does not expire at the end of the first half.

Piet Robbertse, a Test and Currie Cup Final referee and later Chairman of the South African Referees, recounts a time when Bertie Strasheim, a top referee in the 1960s, officiated Tests and the 1968 Currie Cup Final , once officiated a game where he ordered A to sit on the touchline until he called him back, which he did after about three minutes. Strasheim did so as there was no middle ground in leaving the nuisance on the field and sending him off. Robbertse says this sparked a lot of discussion, and Dr. Craven tested the idea at his legal lab in Stellenbosch, where there is a highly competitive internal league. Then in 1972 South Africa proposed the concept of a ‘cooler’ to the International Rugby Board, but the idea was rejected. They proposed it again in 1975 and it was again rejected. But in 1979 South Africa was given permission to use and report on the introduction to The Cooler. It was allowed in domestic competitions in South Africa but did not apply to matches involving teams from abroad. (Two years later, New South Wales rugby league adopted the use of the bucket of sins.) The ‘cooler’ was not intended for repeat infractions or what is now known as a professional/cynical infraction. It should do what the name suggests – cool down a player who has been heated under the collar. It was originally set to last five minutes.

Eventually, the scapegoat, or temporary suspension, was introduced into the game. It was used in the Southern Hemisphere under permission and then included on 29 January 2000 in the experimental legislative changes following the 1999 Rugby World Cup (fixed at 10 minutes). The container for sin was then used for the first time by the Six Nations that year.

A red card is an association football-style sending off.

It’s been possible to send a playoff since 1888, when it was written that a player should be sent off for foul play, but showing a red card is a relatively recent addition. There were also instructions on how to deal with intentional violations, e.g. B. 1911: Referees must be very harsh with all cases of this nature as this is an increasing practice as players choose to risk a penalty in order to play an unfair try to win or save. This practice is so contrary to the spirit of the game that the Board has decided to treat it on the same basis as gross or bad play or misconduct.

The new law said:

10.6 YELLOW AND RED CARDS

(a) When a player has been cautioned and suspended

international match, the referee shows this player a yellow card.

(b) If a player has been sent off in an international match, the referee

shows that player a red card.

(c) For other matches, the match organizer or association is responsible

The game can decide on the use of yellow and red cards.

The first yellow card shown in an international match was during the All Blacks’ 1995 tour of France when Irish referee Gordon Black showed it to All Blacks lock Mark Cooksley after winning a midweek match in Nancy had hit opponents. The referee later found out that it had yet to be officially introduced, but it was shortly thereafter.

The first ‘official’ recipient of a yellow card in a Test match was Ben Clarke, playing for England against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. He punched Bath club-mate Simon Geoghegan in the 63rd minute and received a yellow card but kept playing. Continuing play after a yellow card remained the law until after the 1999 Rugby World Cup. A ten-minute temporary suspension was then introduced, signaled by the waving of a yellow card.

The first yellow card at a World Cup was given to Argentinian Roberto Grau (ARG) by referee Paddy O’Brien in the 15th minute of the match against Wales in Cardiff at RWC 1999, while Italy’s Alessandro Moscardi holds the record for most yellow cards at a World Cup. At RWC 1999, Moscardi was sent into sin in games against England, Tonga and New Zealand.

The first player to be sent off in a World Cup match was Wales’ Hugh Richards – by referee Kerry Fitzgerald in the 71st minute of the semi-final against New Zealand in Brisbane at RWC 1987.

Incidentally, the French also had a white card once. Yellow and red were for foul play of varying severity, the white card for violations of the law. The white card then disappeared.

Replacement of injured players was included in the 1968-69 laws (Act 12: up to two players per team).

Mike Gibson replaced Barry John in the Lions’ first Test against South Africa in 1968, becoming the first official substitute in a Test match (although previous unofficially substituted in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia).

Tactical substitutions were introduced in 1996 (three substitutions).

Modern Laws (provided by the IRB)

Note: Check the World Rugby website for the latest laws, changes and regulations. There you will find a wealth of information worth checking out.

Legislation:

IRB Law Clarifications/Judgements:

Full regulations:

Development of modern laws

‘The History of the Laws of Rugby Football’ Pub 1949 contains 241 pages of changes to the Laws that have occurred over the years. “The History of the Laws of Rugby Football 1949 – 1972 contains a further 83 pages.

As you can see, while the basic principles remain the same to this day, extensive attempts have been made over the decades to refine the laws, eliminate ambiguity, and improve the fun and safety of the game.

An interesting chapter in the development of the law was the genesis of The Laws in Plain English, read the full story here.

2012 law change attempts

The following legislative amendments have been approved for global review by the IRB Council. The implementation dates are the start of the season in the Northern Hemisphere on or about September 1, 2012 and the start of the season in the Southern Hemisphere on or about January 1, 2013 in or mid-season implements competition. Unions are given the opportunity to provide both quantitative and qualitative feedback on the studies.

Legislative Amendment Processes 2012 – Detail

Aug 2009

The ELV conference in March 2009 raised concern that mauling can, and in fact, can be seen as a form of ‘legalized disability’. This is evidenced by players on the back of an elongated racquet holding the ball while the racquet moves forward (“truck and trailer”).

An IRB working group concluded that:

1. The maul must be shaped so that the opposition can contest the maul in formation; This includes the formation of the maul at a lineout and from a maul formed after kick-offs or restart kicks. (Match Officials have been instructed to use this beginning in May 2009 – a DVD has been distributed to all Match Elite Match Officials and Referee Managers.) Mauls from open play should be called in the same manner as mauls from lineouts or restart kicks .

2. A player may have both hands on the ball and be manacled by other players involved in the maul.

3. If a player takes the ball in a formed maul and disengages while the players in the maul continue to move forward, they impede the opponent as that player moves further forward and uses the front players as a shield.

4. If the team in possession of the ball is moved backwards in the maw at or immediately after the formation, Rule 17.6(d) and (e) should apply:

“(d) If a club has stopped moving forward for more than five seconds but the ball is moving and the umpire can see it, the ball is allowed a reasonable time to surface. If he does not show up within a reasonable time, a scrum will be ordered.

(e) When a maul has stopped moving forward, it may move forward again provided it does so within 5 seconds. If the stick stops moving forward a second time and the ball is moved and the referee can see it, the ball is given a reasonable time to come out. If it does not appear within a reasonable time, a scrum will be ordered.”

Currently, when the stick is moved backwards, on-ice officials do not apply Rule 17.6(d) to stick formation. If they did, it would allow only one more forward movement, and it might encourage the non-ball-carrying side to commit to the maul in their formation.

On-ice officials also allow lateral movement of mauls and do not apply 17.6 (d) and (e). Strict application can help.

If the referee says “use”, the ball must be used and a re-stroke is not an option.

5. The “Truck and Trailer” concern is not related to the ball being a player or two away from the ball carrier when the maul moves forward as this mimics a scrum. The concern is for the player who is “hanging” on the back of the maw. Strictly applying the definition of a binding can help solve this problem:

“Binding. Firmly grasping another player’s body between the shoulders and hips with the entire arm in hand-to-shoulder contact.

If the player with the ball does not tie in this manner, the maul is deemed to have ended and the on-ice officials insist that the ball be used. If the player comes back and ties the players in front of him, the team should be penalized for interference. This can encourage players to bond appropriately.

You can get the official document here.

February 2010 – Charge into a ruck

Players entering a ruck must do so in accordance with the rules of the game. Referees are reminded that proper binding is required and that charging into a ruck is dangerous play and as such must be penalized. Video examples can be seen here.

16.2 JOINING A JERK

(b) Ein Spieler, der sich einem Ruck anschließt, muss sich mit dem ganzen Arm an einen Mitspieler oder Gegner binden. Das Binden muss entweder vor oder gleichzeitig mit dem Kontakt mit einem anderen Körperteil des Spielers erfolgen, der sich dem Ruck anschließt.

Strafe: Elfmeter

10.4 GEFÄHRLICHES SPIEL UND FEHLVERHALTEN

(g) Gefährliche Ladung. Ein Spieler darf einen Gegner, der den Ball trägt, nicht angreifen oder niederschlagen, ohne zu versuchen, diesen Spieler zu greifen.

Strafe: Elfmeter

(h) Ein Spieler darf nicht in ein Ruck oder Maul stürmen. Das Aufladen umfasst jeden Kontakt, der ohne Verwendung der Arme oder ohne Ergreifen eines Spielers erfolgt.

Februar 2011 – Dangerous Tackles (hohe Tackles)

Die spezifischen Bestimmungen von Regel 10.4(e) in Bezug auf High Tackles lauten wie folgt:

Ein Spieler darf einen Gegner nicht oberhalb der Schulterlinie angreifen (oder versuchen zu angreifen), selbst wenn der Tackle unterhalb der Schulterlinie beginnt. Ein Tackle um den Hals oder Kopf des Gegners ist ein gefährliches Spiel.

Ein Stiff-Arm-Tackle ist ein gefährliches Spiel. Ein Spieler macht einen Stiff-Arm-Tackle, wenn er einen Stiff-Arm benutzt, um einen Gegner zu schlagen.

Auf einer medizinischen IRB-Konferenz, die im November 2010 in Lensbury stattfand, wurden die Ergebnisse von Studien zu Verletzungen durch Tackles vorgestellt. Eine Studie in England kam zu dem Schluss, dass „eine strengere Umsetzung der Rugby-Gesetze in Bezug auf Kollisionen und Zweikämpfe oberhalb der Schulterlinie die Zahl der Kopf-/Nackenverletzungen verringern kann“. Eine separate Studie in Neuseeland kam zu dem Schluss, dass „Ballträger dem größten Risiko durch Zweikämpfe im Kopf- und Nackenbereich ausgesetzt waren“.

Die Teilnehmer der Ärztekonferenz erkannten allgemein an, dass Tackles oberhalb der Schulterlinie schwere Verletzungen verursachen können, und stellten fest, dass sich ein Trend abzeichnete, dass Spieler, die für solche Tackles verantwortlich waren, nicht angemessen sanktioniert wurden.

Der Zweck dieses Memorandums ist es zu betonen, dass sie ebenso wie Tipp-Tackles von den Schiedsrichtern und allen am Disziplinarverfahren außerhalb des Spielfelds Beteiligten streng gehandhabt werden müssen.

Es wird natürlich anerkannt, dass, wie bei anderen Arten von illegalem und/oder Foulspiel, je nach den Umständen des hohen Tacklings die Bandbreite der Sanktionen von einem Strafstoß bis zum Erhalt einer roten Karte für den Spieler reicht. Ein illegaler High Tackle mit steifem Arm oder Armschwingen gegen den Kopf des Gegners ohne Rücksicht auf die Sicherheit des Spielers trägt alle Kennzeichen einer Aktion, die zu einer ernsthaft in Betracht gezogenen roten oder gelben Karte führen sollte.

Schiedsrichter und Zitierkommissare sollten ihre Entscheidungen nicht auf der Grundlage dessen treffen, was sie für die Absicht des fehlbaren Spielers halten. Ihre Entscheidung sollte auf einer objektiven Beurteilung (gemäß Regel 10.4(e)) der Gesamtumstände des Zweikampfes beruhen.

15. Mai 2012 – IRB und Gewerkschaften sanktionieren globale Gerichtsverfahren (aus der Pressemitteilung des IRB)

Das International Rugby Board und seine Mitgliedsverbände haben nach einem umfassenden Konsultations- und Bewertungsprozess einen weltweiten Prozess zu fünf Aspekten von Gesetzesänderungen genehmigt.

Der Versuch, der vom IRB-Rat auf seiner Jahrestagung am Dienstag in Dublin genehmigt wurde, wird zu Beginn der nächsten Saison in jeder Hemisphäre (August 2012 im Norden und Januar 2013 im Süden) beginnen und sowohl international als auch anwendbar sein heimische Konkurrenz.

Zu den für den Prozess genehmigten Aspekten des Gesetzes gehören die Begrenzung der Zeit, in der der Ball auf der Rückseite eines Rucks verfügbar ist, und die Positionierung für einen schnellen Einwurf. Zusätzlich zu den fünf Gesetzen, die für eine weltweite Prüfung genehmigt wurden, werden im Laufe des Jahres 2012 drei weitere Prüfungen durchgeführt.

Eine versuchsweise Ausweitung der Zuständigkeit des Fernsehspieloffiziellen wird später in diesem Jahr eingeführt, während die Zahl der nominierten Ersatzspieler im Test-Rugby für einen Versuch im Novemberfenster auf acht erhöht wird.

Der globale Prozess wurde nach einem beispiellosen Bewertungsprozess genehmigt, der mit Einreichungen und Empfehlungen für 20 potenzielle Änderungen von Mitgliedsverbänden begann und in jüngsten Gerichtsverfahren über Änderungen an sieben Aspekten des Rechts als Paket in speziellen Spielumgebungen in Cambridge und Stellenbosch gipfelte.

This evaluation process is in line with the remit of the Laws Amendment Process approved by the IRB Council in December 2009.

Unlike previous amendment processes, the process of selection, monitoring and evaluation has been steered by an independent Laws Representative Group, comprising technical representatives from each of the 10 Tier 1 Unions covering elite and community Rugby and representatives of the IRB Rugby Committee.

Extensive evaluation of the Cambridge and Stellenbosch University trials undertaken earlier this year determined that each of the seven amendments could have a positive effect on the Game or clarify existing areas of Law and therefore a recommendation was made to the IRB Council via the IRB Rugby Committee to approve a global trial of all seven amendments.

The five Law amendments to be trialled globally are:

1. Law 16.7 (Ruck): The ball has to be used within five seconds of it being made available at the back of a ruck following a warning from the referee to “use it”. Sanction – Scrum.

2. 19.2 (b) (Quick Throw-In) For a quick throw in, the player may be anywhere outside the field of play between the line of touch and the player’s goal line.

3. 19.4 (who throws in) When the ball goes into touch from a knock-on, the non-offending team will be offered the choice of a lineout at the point the ball crossed the touch line; or a scrum at the place of the knock-on. The non-offending team may exercise this option by taking a quick throw-in.

4. 21.4 Penalty and free kick options and requirements: Lineout alternative. A team awarded a penalty or a free kick at a lineout may choose a further lineout, they throw in. This is in addition to the scrum option.

5. A conversion kick must be completed within one minute 30 seconds from the time that a try has been awarded.

In addition to the global trials, the IRB Council approved three specific additional trials:

1. A trial to extend the jurisdiction of the TMO to incidents within the field of play that have led to the scoring of a try and foul play in the field of play to take place at an appropriate elite competition in order that a protocol can be developed for the November 2012 Tests.

2. A trial has been sanctioned for the November 2012 Test window permitting international teams to nominate up to eight replacements in the match day squad for Test matches. In line with current practice at domestic elite Rugby level, the additional player must be a qualified front row player.

3. An amendment to Law 3.4 (Sevens Variation) to enable Sevens teams to nominate up to five replacements/substitutes. Under the revision, which will operate from June 1 2012, a team may substitute or replace up to five players during a match. Approval has been granted on player welfare grounds to recognise the additional demands on players and squads owing to the expansion of the HSBC Sevens World Series where there are three blocks of three events on consecutive weekends.

Council also approved the referral by the Laws Representative Group of one potential Law amendment that was successfully trialled at Cambridge and Stellenbosch for further consideration by the specialist Scrum Steering Group (overseeing scrum force project) to be considered alongside the ongoing review of the scrum.

The amendment that will be considered by the Group relates to the engagement sequence and will see the referee call “crouch” then “touch”. The front rows crouch then touch and using outside arm each prop touches the point of the opposing prop’s outside shoulder. The props then withdraw their arms. The referee will then call “set” when the front rows are ready. The front rows may then set the scrum.

“We have a collective responsibility to ensure that the Game is as enjoyable to play, officiate and watch as possible at every level while player welfare is of paramount importance,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“Rugby is currently in good health with participation growing around the world, but there is collective responsibility to ensure that a structured process can be implemented to allow for global analysis and to monitor trends relating to the shape and character of the Game as it evolves.”

“The approval of five aspects of Law for global trial is the culmination of the Laws Amendment Process which was agreed by the IRB Council in 2009. The journey to this point has been exhaustive and collaborative and has involved full stakeholder consultation and I would like to thank Member Unions for their buy-in and commitment to the process from the outset.”

“The Laws Representative Group were encouraged by the outcomes of the initial trials in Cambridge and Stellenbosch. The next step is a global trial with full buy-in and which has been approved by Council on the basis that the amendments can have a positive effect on the playing of the Game.”

“The global trials are not fait accompli. It is essential at the end of the global trial process that decisions made are in the best interest of Rugby worldwide,” added Lapasset.

Editors notes:

Laws Representative Group (LRG): David Nucifora (ARU), Rob Andrew (RFU), Franco Ascione (FIR), Joel Dumé (FFR), Owen Doyle (IRFU), Rod Hill (NZRU), Stephen Gemmell (SRU), André Watson (SARU), Francisco Rubio (UAR), Joe Lydon (WRU), Paddy O’Brien and Graham Mourie (IRB Rugby Committee).

IRB Laws Amendment Process (approved December 2009):

Laws Laboratories commenced in early 2012 (Stellenbosch and Cambridge)

LRG considered outcomes – statistical, player/coach feedback and match to criteria

Council reviewed the recommendations and approve global trials if applicable

Global trials – August 2012 NH – January 2013 SH if applicable

LRG review and recommendations to the Rugby Committee

Recommendations to Council Annual Meeting 2014

Implementation immediate if accepted

Definition of Terms

May 5th, 2015

The quadrennial laws review process kicked off with technical experts beginning the process of critiquing the game’s law book following commentary and feedback submitted by unions.

Every four years, the governing body runs a health-check on the laws of the game with a view to ensuring the enhancement of player welfare, the maximisation of enjoyment for players and fans, while making sure the sport can continue to develop at all levels around the world.

During two days of productive analysis and discussion in London, the expert Law Representation Group critiqued feedback in order to make recommendations for the Rugby Committee to consider at its next meeting in September. Truly representative, the LRG is made up of coaches, players, referees, medics and union delegates.

Considerations included reinforcing of the application of existing law, edits or re-writes of law and the introduction of new laws deemed appropriate for local trial. The process could culminate in law amendments within the next Rugby World Cup cycle but no changes can be made prior to RWC 2015 in England.

The scrum and breakdown was a particular area of focus with the group agreeing:

Scrum: With the crouch-bind-set engagement sequence proving successful in reducing scrum injuries, the LRG has recommended that the specialist scrum steering group reconvenes to consider strategies to improve scrum duration and completion rates

Breakdown: the LRG will further consider proposals regarding the tackle, ruck and maul with a view to maintaining a fair contest for possession while also enhancing player welfare

LRG and Rugby Committee Chairman John Jeffrey said: “World Rugby is committed to continual review and assessment of the laws of the game to ensure that the game is enjoyable to watch and play and is as safe to play as possible at all levels, from the elite, professional tier right down to community and youth rugby.

“This important process occurs after every Rugby World Cup and is an opportunity to take stock, review the laws, drawing on expert input and make changes where needed with those who play and support the game and ongoing prosperity of the sport in mind.

“It was great to see our unions and associations making such a strong contribution, while the level of expertise and discussion from our expert group when considering the submissions was very impressive. We have lots to consider and some interesting proposals to develop.”

New Zealand representative and All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen added: “We all have a responsibility to ensure that rugby is as simple, enjoyable and safe to play as possible. It was a fascinating review and I look forward to ongoing involvement in this important process.”

The previous cycle saw the revision of the scrum engagement sequence on player welfare grounds following extensive evaluation and trials. The crouch-bind-set sequence has reduced forces on engagement by up to 40 per cent at the elite level.

World Rugby confirms closed law trial programme

September 10th 2015

Exciting law trials will take place in national competitions during 2015-16 season with the successful ones taken forward to global trial from 2017.

With the promotion of player welfare, law simplification and spectator experience at the core, World Rugby has confirmed details of a package of law trials that will be trialled domestically within the current quadrennial law review process.

Every four years, rugby’s governing body undertakes a complete health-check of the game’s playing trends across the Rugby World Cup cycle to ensure that the sport continues to develop at all levels around the world. This extensive process is undertaken with full union consultation.

The approval of the package of law trials by the World Rugby Executive Committee, follows detailed analysis and evaluation of union submissions by the specialist Law Review Group (LRG), Scrum Steering Group (SSG) and the Multi-Disciplinary Injury Prevention Group (MDIPG) over the past five months and is the third of a seven-phase process of law change.

The full package of law trials can be viewed here.

In previous cycles, closed trials were operated by World Rugby at Cambridge and Stellenbosch but a desire to deliver extensive, meaningful, elite-level analysis and feedback, meant that unions were asked to nominate competitions for the trials. All trials will be filmed and independently analysed in preparation for World Rugby Council to consider which trials go forward for global trial in 2017.

World Rugby’s Pacific Challenge, U20 Trophy, Tbilisi Cup and Nations Cup in 2016 will trial the full package of law amendments, while the first trials are underway with the Principality Cup in Wales and the National Rugby Championship in Australia. A full inventory of competitions will be released in due course.

Player, coach, fan, match official and media feedback will be sought as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the closed trials by the LRG in mid-2016 with recommendations made to the World Rugby Council in November 2016 as to whether to adopt or not as global trial. Any global trials will commence in January 2017 (south) and August 2017 (north).

LRG and Rugby Committee Chairman John Jeffrey said: “World Rugby is committed to continual review and assessment of the laws of the game to ensure that rugby is enjoyable to watch and play and is as safe to play as possible at all levels, from the elite, professional tier right down to community and youth rugby.

“This important process occurs after every Rugby World Cup and is an opportunity to take stock, review the laws, drawing on expert input and make changes where needed with those who play and support the game and ongoing prosperity of the sport in mind.

“It is great to see our unions and associations making such a strong contribution to this process, while the level of expertise and discussion from our expert group when considering the submissions was very impressive. While this is not a fait accompli, we are excited by the package of trials and look forward to detailed coach, player and fan feedback.”

Meanwhile, the World Rugby EXCO has approved a package of minor law edits, which will operate globally from 1 January, 2016 (south) and 1 August (north). These edits follow submissions by unions as part of the law review process and were recommended to EXCO following detailed evaluation by the Law Review Group and Rugby Committee. These changes will be put in front of Council in October 2015. The LRG is also currently undertaking a wider review of the tackle and ruck area.

Law trials and minor law amendments set for 2016

December 23rd, 2015

Package of closed law trials announced in September with some already underway

Minor amendments come into effect on 1 January (south) and 1 July (north)

Player welfare at the heart of the process

2016 law clarifications recap

In addition, as announced in September, a package of clarifications in law have been brought within the law book. All clarifications are already effective from the date of the designated members’ decision. However, the LRG felt that these clarifications should be recognised by full inclusion in the law book:

If the ball travels forward from the ball carrier as the result of a rip or deliberate ball-strike by an opponent then that should not be considered a knock-on and play should continue.

Try-scoring teams will have the option of declining to take the conversion and, if they do so prior to time elapsing at half-time or full-time, the restart shall take place.

VIEW THE FULL LIST OF LAW CLARIFICATIONS HERE >>

Editors Notes Law review proposals were considered against the following agreed principles:

1. Player welfare, especially concussion, is the number-one priority

2. The laws must allow for a fair contest for possession, especially in the contact area, in general play and when play is restarted at scrums, lineouts and kick-offs

3. The game remains a sport for all shapes and sizes, for men and women, and for boys and girls

4. The unique identities of the game must be maintained, including the scrum, lineout, ruck, maul, tackle, kick-off and restarts

5. Any changes must promote enjoyment for participants and entertainment for spectators and must be in line with World Rugby’s core values of passion, respect, integrity, discipline and solidarity

6. The laws must be applicable by match officials

7. The game should be as easy to understand as possible for players, coaches, match officials and spectators

Law review cycle 2015-18:

1. Early 2015: Call for suggested amendments

2. Mid-2015: LRG reviews suggestions made by unions/regional associations

3. September 2015: Rugby Committee meets to discuss proposals

4. Early 2016: Initial trials are conducted in relevant competitions

5. Mid-2016: Initial trials are reviewed by LRG

6. October 2016: Initial trials are reviewed by Rugby Committee

7. November 2016: Global trials (if appropriate) are approved by World Rugby Council

8. January 2017: Any such global trials start in southern hemisphere and August 2017 in northern hemisphere

9. June 2018: Any global trials are reviewed by LRG

10. October 2018: Recommendations are made to Rugby Committee

11. November 2018: Council confirms law amendments (if appropriate) at a special meeting and the law is changed accordingly

LRG members were nominated by the top 10 unions (Six Nations and SANZAR). Composition includes directors of rugby, coaches, players and referee representatives. Every World Rugby member union and all the regional associations had an opportunity to propose law changes and trials. As part of the review process, all relevant footage is analysed independently against agreed success criteria, for desired and undesired results as well as looking for possible unintended outcomes (positive and negative).

At the original LRG meeting the members agreed that Laws 15-17 (Tackle, Ruck and Maul) needed further consideration. All unions were asked to further consider any potential trials with their Unions. As a result the LRG met again and agreed to trial the following elements of the game, the full list of which can be found HERE.

Law 15 – Tackle

1. The tackler must get up before playing the ball and then may only play the ball from behind his side of the breakdown mid-point. (amend current 15.4 (c). The breakdown mid-point is not the ball but the point where players are in contact.

2. A tackled player must immediately pass the ball or release it. That player must also get up or move away from it at once (existing 15.5 (b)).

3. If tackler and ball carrier only then there is no breakdown or offside line – this is open play and subsequent attacking players maybe be tackled by retreating players.

4. Recognise assist tackler in law

Players in opposition to the ball carrier who remain on their feet who bring the ball carrier to ground so that the player is tackled must clearly release the ball and the ball carrier immediately after the tackled player is put on the ground. Those players may then play the ball providing they are on their feet and do so from behind the breakdown mid-point (Existing 15.6 (c))

Law 16 – Breakdown

1. A breakdown commences when at least one player from the attacking team is on their feet and over the ball which is on the ground (tackled player, tackler plus one more). At this point the offside line is created (new definition).

2. Only players acting as a half-back can play the ball with their hands (lift the ball out of the breakdown). They must be on their feet and on-side. They must subsequently run, pass or kick (new 16.2 – Joining a breakdown). A half-back is any one player who is not part of the breakdown and behind the hindmost foot who is in a position to play the ball emerging from the breakdown. The hindmost foot will be the offside line for half-back players.

3. Offside line at a ruck is the back foot plus one metre. If the back foot of the hindmost player is on or behind the goal line, the offside line for the defending team is the goal line. To be policed by assistant referees (new 16.5 (a) – offside at the breakdown).

4. All arriving players must come from an onside position (see 3 above) and can enter their side of the breakdown mid-point (no gate). Players must remain on their feet (new 16.5 (c)).

5. No players at breakdown can have hands on the ground beyond the ball, hold onto or lean on or have knees on players on the ground. Players off their feet sealing the ball will be penalised. Arriving players encouraged to drive over or past the ball (existing 16.4).

6. Players must not handle the ball in a breakdown once the breakdown is formed. Once the breakdown contest is formed the player must release the ball (new 16.4 – other breakdown offences).

7. The breakdown ends when the ball emerges or the ball is picked up (new 16.6 – successful end to a breakdown).

Law 17 – Maul

The group debated trialling a collapsed maul. The consensus was that this would be perceived as dangerous and should not be trialled.

The group agreed to issue a law application (from 1 January) guideline to enforce the following:

The ball can be moved backwards hand-to-hand once the maul has formed. A player is not allowed to move or slide to the back of the maul when he is in possession of the ball. Sanction: Penalty kick.

References:

1. The Daily News, Tuesday April 29, 1890.

2. Extract: The Bold Collegians: The Development of Sport in Trinity College, Dublin by Trevor West, the Lilliput Press, 1991.

Top 10 Rugby Rules Rugby is a sport with two teams, each made up of 15 players. Each team can carry, pass or kick the ball to the end zone to score as many points as possible. While popular in the United States, it’s particularly famous in Europe and parts of Australia. Rugby is said to have originated in 1823 at a school in Warwickshire, England. William Webb Ellis is the creator, hence the name of the World Cup Trophy is named after him. The Rugby Football Union was formed in 1871 and remains the sport’s umbrella organization to this day.

What are the main rugby rules? Have fun! Respect your opponents Avoid going offside Understand the structure of the game Avoid foul play Respect the referee Make sure you pass correctly Tackle correctly Don’t violate the drug policy Understand the Ruck and the Maul

1. Have fun! Sport is meant to be fun and rugby is no exception. When playing rugby always try to make sure you are enjoying yourself. If you’re losing or not playing well, try to remind yourself why you decided to take the field in the first place. Sometimes it can be difficult to stay positive when you’re feeling down, but half a glass mindset will benefit you and might even make you do better. If you’re having fun, your teammates and everyone else around will have fun too. While rugby is extremely competitive, having fun should be just as important as winning.

2. Respect your opponents Rugby is a very intense and competitive game with a lot of physical contact. Both you and your opponent want the same thing, which is to win. Unfortunately, only one team wins. Sometimes an opponent plays really aggressively and that can bother you. It’s important that you keep your composure and don’t do anything rude. You also don’t want to talk trash to opponents, as that can lead to something physical in the heat of a rugby match. Also, you will look pretty stupid if you talk rubbish then an opponent will dominate you. It’s a competition, so obviously you don’t have to be friends with your opponent. However, you must treat them like humans and acknowledge/hug them at the end of a hard-fought game.

3. Avoid offside A basic rule of thumb for this rule is that the player must always stay behind the ball when planning to receive a pass. Your team’s ball and ball-carrying player must always be in front of you in relation to the opponent’s goal line. If you are not behind the player and the ball you can be penalized and give the ball to the other team. Being sidelined can be very demoralizing for a rugby team and often kills a team’s offensive momentum.

4. Understand the structure of the game It is important to know how the game works when you start. The rugby game has two periods, each of them lasts 40 minutes. There is a maximum of ten minutes between halves before both teams switch sides. Before kick-off there is a coin toss to determine who will kick off the game. The game is started by a placekick or a dropkick from the middle of the halfway line. At the kick-off, the ball must be covered at least ten meters. If this is not the case, the opposing team has a choice of a scrum or a halfway line-up. If penalty kicks or drop goals are scored during play, play is restarted with a drop kick from the halfway line. The team that conceded the points takes the kick-off.

5. Avoid foul play As mentioned earlier, rugby is a high-contact sport. This does not mean that any kind of physical contact is allowed. Hitting, elbowing, kicking, headbutting, tripping, etc. are considered foul play and are not allowed. Foul play is dangerous and has many different aspects. You are not allowed to tackle a player who is not in possession of the ball, nor are you allowed to tackle or shove someone who is in the air. It is also not allowed to kick the ball out of the ball carrier’s hands as this is also something that can injure your opponent. Sanctions for foul play include penalties and sometimes ejection. If a player is cautioned for foul play, the referee will show the player a yellow card and they will be suspended for ten minutes. If that player commits another penalty, he will be sent off and not allowed to return to play. The player is also not replaced, causing the offending team to abandon a player for the remainder of the game, so engaging in foul play will drastically reduce your team’s chances of winning.

6. Respect the umpire The rugby umpire is there to do his job and wants to make decisions just as rightly as you want them to. It is important not to make life difficult for the referee when he or she makes a mistake. Being rude or disrespectful to the referee will only harm you and your team. Being polite to the referee will actually prove very helpful. In close decisions, a referee will be reluctant to make a decision in favor of you and your team if you have been disrespectful the entire time. Being on a referee’s bad side is one of the last things you want in a sporting event. Rugby is extremely competitive and in the heat of the moment people could lose their temper if a bad decision is made. Although this is very common, it is very important that you try to control your temper and not take your anger out on the referee. Chances are the referee knows he managed to make the wrong decision and wishes he had the opportunity to correct himself. If you react calmly, a referee can sometimes ensure that the next tight decision goes in your team’s favour.

7. Make Sure You Pass Correctly Rugby has a specific passing style that you must follow. As in most American sports, throwing over the hand is not allowed. Rugby has many different types of passing techniques. In rugby, you make a pass with two hands moving across the front of your body. You can also apply spin to move the pass further. Passing is a valuable skill for any rugby player and it will be difficult for a player to thrive without a strong passing ability. It is also not allowed to throw the ball forward to a teammate. If you are looking for a teammate to pass the ball to, they must be either at your side or behind you.

8. Tackle Right Rugby is a very aggressive and physical game. The game involves a lot of shots that can lead to injuries. To prevent these injuries, it is important to know how to treat them properly. This is for both your safety and that of your opponents, as an improper tackle can result in injury. The only acceptable method of tackle is for a player to wrap their arms around an opponent in possession of the ball. Players may not attack opponents over the shoulder, nor may they use their legs to attack or trip them. You must also fall to the ground with your opponent. Failure to do so will be considered an illegal dump tackle. Improper tackling can result in serious injury as rugby is a sport that does not contain much padding. The risk of injury in rugby increases dramatically when players don’t follow the rules of tackle.

9. Do not violate a league’s drug policy Almost all professional and amateur sports leagues have drug policies. Performance-enhancing drugs play a huge role in sport and are strictly prohibited for a variety of reasons. Athletes sometimes take drugs like steroids because they believe they will increase their performance. This gives them an unfair competitive advantage over players who play by the rules. They are not only illegal but also unsafe. There are numerous side effects of these drugs, which is a major reason why they are illegal. When you take performance-enhancing drugs, you put yourself at risk while damaging the integrity of the game. Numerous leagues also do not allow “social” drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and more. While not necessarily competitive, they are all illegal and leagues do not want their players to use illegal drugs. Disciplinary action may be taken against players who return positive samples showing any of these drugs. Some leagues even have a two-year ban on starting.

10. Understand Ruck and Maul Ruck and Maul are two crucial elements of the game, but both contain differences that you need to be aware of. The ruck occurs when a player is tackled and the player immediately goes down. The ball carrier must release the ball immediately, and then there is a race as to who can gain possession, provided he stays in play. To gain position, both sides must attempt to drive over the ball to make it available to their teammates. After about five seconds, the referee will likely award a scrum to the team that he thought had more forward momentum in the ruck. The muzzle is somewhat similar; Only the player with the ball stays on his feet, allowing his teammates to tie up and push the opponent back. In a maul it usually starts with about three players, the ball carrier and one player from each team. However, the pile of players can be expanded beyond 10 players. Mauls are often used near the try line to secure a try. These are two simple games, but it’s important to understand the differences between them.

How long does a rugby match last? Professional rugby matches vary in length depending on the type of rugby being played. Fifteen or rugby union matches consist of two 40-minute halves. Generally, these halves of the time run without a break, similar to association football. Although rugby union matches last 80 minutes in total, they generally take around 100-120 minutes to complete in real time. This takes into account a 15 minute half and any injuries or stoppages in play. Rugby sevens matches consist of two seven-minute halves. These 14-minute games are extremely fast-paced and often allow rugby sevens teams to play two or three games in a day. Sevens games generally last 20 minutes in real time, including a two-minute half and other injuries and stoppages.

Interruptions There are a few instances where a rugby match is interrupted, one of which is at half-time. After 40 minutes of play in a rugby union match, each team is allowed a 15 minute break. At higher levels, rugby union teams leave the field for the dressing room at half-time. Rugby Seven’s half lasts just two minutes to keep the flow of the games fast paced. Union and Sevens umpires may stop play for up to one minute, either because of an injury or to discuss a decision with other officials. The referee can also stop the game clock for a player change, a new ball or a change of equipment while the ball is dead. There are also circumstances where a game may be suspended due to poor weather conditions.

End of Game Procedure Games or halves do not end exactly when the clock hits zero. At the 40th and 80th minutes in rugby union, the game transitions to the “Endgame” scenario. The same is done for rugby sevens at the 7th and 14th minute markers. This scenario continues play until a dead ball appears. Dead ball situations end the game or half for all but a few scenarios. If play is resumed from a break-off, lineout or scrum after a result has been achieved, the game must be stopped. A free kick or penalty kick for the team in possession does not end the half, nor does a direct contact kick after a penalty kick. The scoring team must still attempt a conversion if a try is scored.

Overtime Most rugby matches end in a tie when time runs out and the score is equal. However, there are scenarios where a winner needs to be determined, such as the round of 16 at Rugby World Cup. If two teams are tied after 80 minutes of play in rugby union, they play 20 more minutes of overtime. Similar to association football, teams switch sides after ten minutes and then play another ten. If the game is still tied after 100 minutes, teams play ten more Minutes of Sudden Death. It’s extremely rare, but if teams are still tied after 110 minutes, each team takes five penalties 22 yards from the goal posts to decide the game in a penalty shootout.

Rugby 101 • How the sport works

STORY

In 1823, at a football game, William Webb Ellis picked up a ball with his hands and ran towards the goal with it. On this day rugby was born. There are two main forms of rugby union: rugby fifteens and rugby sevens. Touch rugby, beach rugby, tens rugby and twelves rugby are also iterations of the sport, which is often used as a path of development and feeder to the main forms.

SAFER WITHOUT PADS

Although rugby players don’t wear pads or helmets, the sport’s techniques and rules make impact much safer. Rugby players are taught to use their arms and shoulders when making contact with opponents; serious consequences for any contact over the shoulders and other dangerous ways of playing. Players caught disobeying these rules will be given a yellow card and forced to sit on the bench for ten minutes in rugby fifteens and two minutes in rugby sevens. Serious offenses can result in a red card, with the possibility of the athlete being banned for weeks.

ABOUT RUGBY 15s

Fifteens is played with 15 players on each side of the ball competing for 80 minutes (two 40-minute halves) in singles matches throughout the year. Rugby fifteen was an Olympic sport in the early 1900s, with US men winning gold medals in 1920 and 1924. The Rugby World Cup is now the sport’s main pinnacle – it takes place every four years – and also serves as the third largest single sport event in the world.

RULES OF RUGBY 15s

Two teams of 15 players have 80 minutes to get the ball past the opponent’s side of the field (pitch) and touch the ground to score 5 points (try). Competitors may only pass the ball backwards or sideways, blocking is not allowed; Using a variety of phases like lineouts, mauls, rucks, and scrums to maintain ball possession throughout the game. Rugby is unique in that play continues even after players are tackled on the pitch. Kicking is the only method both teams can use to move the ball forward.

After each try, which is worth 5 points, the scoring team has the opportunity to kick the ball through the posts for an additional 2 points (conversion). Certain penalties also award the non-offending team a kick through the posts, worth 3 points (penalty) if executed. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins.

ABOUT RUGBY 7s

Rugby sevens is a current Olympic sport that made its debut at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Sevens is played with 7 players on each side of the ball competing in tournaments of up to three players for 14 minutes (two 7-minute halves) of games per competition day. The first day usually consists of pool rounds, after which a team’s performance qualifies them for the championship track or the challenge track. The championship circuit usually awards the tournament’s top finishes, including first, second, and third places. The challenge route consists of consolation laps. Teams for both routes must progress through the tournament to reach their final placement.

RULES OF THE RUGBY SEVEN

A fast-paced, high-scoring version of traditional rugby, sevens are played with two teams of 7 players who have 14 minutes to put the ball into their opponent’s pitch (pitch) area and take it for a score of 5 points to touch (try). As in the 15v15 version of the sport, participants are only allowed to play the ball backwards or sideways with no blocking allowed. Using phases like lineouts, mauls, rucks and scrums to maintain possession throughout the game. Kicking is the only method both teams can use to move the ball forward. As with rugby fifteens, play continues in rugby sevens.

After each try, which is worth 5 points, the scoring team gets the opportunity to kick the ball through the posts for an additional 2 points (conversion). Certain penalties also award the non-offending team a kick through the posts, worth 3 points (penalty goal) if executed. Penalty goals are rarely seen in a seven.

At the end of the regulations, the team with the most points wins. If both teams are tied in a knockout round, a 5-minute overtime period is played in which the first team to score wins.

COMMONLY USED TERMS

Try – the main goal of the game to land the ball in the opponent’s goal area (tryzone) to score five points. Unlike American football, the ball must touch the ground for points to be awarded. Tries are the origin of touchdowns in American football.

Tryzone – the area in the goal where attempts are scored.

Conversion – a kick worth two extra points offered to the scorer immediately after a try. Conversions must be kicked in accordance with where an attempt was made. In Rugby Sevens, players are not allowed to place the ball on a tee and must kick the conversion with a drop kick (throw the ball over their feet and kick it before it hits the ground).

Penalty – a kick worth three points awarded to a non-offending team when their opponent commits a penalty.

Sideline (similar to sideline) – when the ball moves out of bounds or outside the field of play.

Tryline – the goal line separating the area where a try can be scored from the remaining field of play

Tackle – A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is brought down and pinned by one or more opponents. A ball carrier must release the ball immediately after the tackle. Unlike American football, play does not stop when tackles are made.

Ruck – A ruck is when the ball is on the ground and at least one player from each team wraps it while on their feet. The ball cannot be handled in a ruck, players must move it until it reaches the rearmost foot of a teammate and can be picked up.

Maul – When the ball carrier is pinned by one or more opponents and one or more of their teammates also pin themselves. The ball must touch the ground, at least three players must be involved.

Lineout – A way to resume play after the ball has fallen out of bounds (sideline). Forwards gather in a line on each side, where a team’s hooker throws the ball straight down the middle. Each team uses different formations to lift players, retrieve the ball, and put it back in play. The team’s hooker who throws the ball in the alley is awkward.

Scrum – A means of resuming play after an infraction. Each team’s forwards connect and connect with an opposing team’s forwards. The ball is thrown into the middle of the tunnel by the scrum half of the non-offending team. Both teams’ hookers try to use their feet to move the ball while simultaneously pushing the other team backwards until the ball reaches the backmost leg of one of their teammates, where they can claim possession.

Sin Bin – when a player is removed from the game for dangerous play or serious infractions and forced to sit out for 10 minutes (rugby fifteens) or two minutes (rugby sevens).

PITCH

The playing field.

WORLD RUGBY

World Rugby is the world governing body for rugby union and organizes several international competitions including Rugby World Cup and Rugby World Cup Sevens. Click here to find out more about World Rugby.

MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY

Major League Rugby is the professional form of men’s rugby (15s) in the United States. It began its inaugural season in 2018 when the Seattle Seawolves won the championship title. Click here to learn more about Major League Rugby.

WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE

The Women’s Premier League is the premier annual competition for women’s 15-year-old rugby in the United States and was established in 2008. The San Diego Surfers are the current reigning champions. Click here to learn more about WPL Rugby.

5:38pm Dec 06, 2020 By Rugby Onslaught @kick_francis

How long does a rugby match last?

How long does a rugby match last? The length of a rugby match is 80 minutes with two halves of 40 minutes each.

For decades, rugby matches in the sport have lasted 80 minutes, giving teams time to fully settle in.

The half-time break in a game may not be longer than 15 minutes. At this point, players are allowed to leave the field of play and recover in their respective dressing rooms.

Unlike other sports such as soccer, rugby ends when the clock reaches 80 minutes. There is no extra time like in sports like soccer.

A stoppage of play occurs either when the ball has left the field of play or a player has made a mistake, e.g. B. hit the ball forward or made a forward pass.

To ensure that no time is lost during the game, the referee can stop the game clock whenever he likes. In other sports, the clock will continue to run instead and the time will be added to the end of the game.

In rugby, overtime can occur in knockout tournaments if both teams are still level. These periods are 10 minutes long and there is a 5 minute rest between halves.

In the very rare situation that both teams are still level after extra time, there will be a penalty shootout-style ending, with teams falling between the posts from 22 yards out.

We saw that in 2009 between Leicester Tigers and Cardiff Blues. The Midlands team won this shoutout.

This article will be updated regularly if the rules regarding rugby matches and the length of a match ever change.