The Simple Guide Of Rugby Rules

The game of Rugby, has had its rules changed and evolved so many times through out the years that it now is very different from what it started out as but if you do decide to come out and ever watch a game of Rugby you will be wondering what the hell is going on...so here are the basics of Rugby.

Rugby is a game played in 2, 40-minute halves, with a 10-minute halftime break. Each team has 15 players and is allowed 7 substitutes. The positions are as follows:

• 2 Props
• Hooker
• 2 Lockers
• 2 Flankers
• 8th Man
• Scrum-half
• Fly-half
• 2 Side Wings
• 2 Centers
• Fullback

The field that rugby is played on is called the Pitch. It is a grassy field 70 meters wide by 100 meters long and separated equally into two equal halves by a white line.Scoring is done in one of 5 ways.

• Try - when a player touches the ball to the ground in the opponents’ in-goal area his team is awarded 5 points.
• Penalty Try - A player can attempt a penalty when a player would have scored a Try but was stopped by an opponent’s penalty. This is worth 5 points.
• Conversion Goal - Conversion goal is attempted after a team scores a Try, a conversion goal is worth 2 points.
• Penalty - Whenever a penalty is called the team who the penalty was called on gets to try for a penalty kick. If the kick is made that team gets 3 points.
• Dropped Goal - A dropped goal is when a players runs the ball back after a drop kick during the games general play.

Just like in American Football rugby starts off with kick off which is referred to as a drop kick. Unlike American football however, there are no downs, no 10 yards to get, the game is continuous. The play does not stop when the ball hits the ground it is fair game. Passing is allowed but it must either be done laterally or backwards, forward passing is not allowed. However any player may kick the ball at any time, and once the ball has been kicked it is up for grabs from either side. Players often use this method to get the ball down field to teammates. Players may also run the ball until 1 of 2 things happens either they are tackled or they step out of bounds. When a player steps out of bounds it is brought back into play by a method called "line out", both teams line up 1 meter from each other in parallel lines and a player from the side that didn't put the ball out of play throws it in a straight line between the two teams.

When a player is tackled the other method of bringing the ball back into play is called "scrum", this is done by each team forming a tunnel and the ball is placed in between them, each side must battle for the ball against the other teams line until a player is able to push the ball backwards with his feet to his teammates behind him in the "tunnel". If you've been thinking this sounds a lot like American football, well it is, it was the forerunner to the American Football's "line of scrimmage". And that’s it, the basics of rugby, so goes out there and plays!!