Rugby is the most complex simple game you’ll ever watch. At its
core, rugby is one team with the ball running into another team defending,
until the offensive team scores or loses the ball. However there are many rules
that govern the teams’ interactions, and this is what confuses most newcomers
to the game. I’m not going deep into the rule book here, just enough to make a
rugby watchable for a first timer.
Knock-On/Forward
Pass – The
ball can not travel forward off a player’s hands. That means no forward passes
or dribbling. The two ways you can advance the ball is kicking the ball or
carrying the ball forward. Passes have to be either lateral or backwards.
Result of breaking this rule: Scrum for the opposing team.
Maybe
the most commonly asked question is: What is that thing with all the guys
mushed together in a big blob? That’s a scrum. On each team, eight of the 15
players, known as the forward pack, bind together. Three in the front, four in
the middle and one at the back. They push forward in the same formation, while
the team that didn’t commit the foul puts the ball into the scrum, hoping it
comes out at the back of the scrum on their side. Around 90 percent of the
time, the team that puts the ball in gets the ball back.
Tackling – When one player tackles another there are
three rules for the tackler. 1. Don’t tackle around the neck or above. 2. Don’t
pile drive opponents head into the ground into the ground like you’re spiking a
football. 3. Tackle with your hands and shoulders, not just your shoulders.
Here’s a collection of big, but legal, hits.
Ruck – Once the player with the ball has been tackled, they must release it.
What’s called a “ruck” is formed and the ball is up for grabs — the two teams
have to fight for possession of the ball. Rules governing the contest for
possession often vary referee to referee, but the basics are: stay on your
feet, enter the ruck from your side of the field and don’t touch the ball until
it’s secured by one team or outside of the ruck. Here’s a good
The goal of every rugby team is to score a “try.” There is an
infinite number of ways to score tries, but they all involve crossing the goal
line and touching the ball on the ground. One try is worth 5 points, after
which the scoring team has the opportunity to kick the ball off the ground for
a “conversion” worth two points.
The
difficulty of a conversion depends on where the try scorer touches the ball
down. Touch the ball down underneath the uprights and the conversion will be a
chip shot, that most of you reading could make. Score next to the sideline and
even good kickers will only make this conversion half the time. The only other
way to score is off penalty kicks. A penalty kick is exactly like a conversion,
but are awarded after foul play instead of following a try.
A rugby
game is 80 minutes long with 40 minute halves and stoppage time similar to
soccer. Draws are allowed but rarely occur in competition.
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