RUGBY

The game of Rugby incorporates elements of soccer, American football, and Canadian football. In our
Physical education classes students play a modified game called TOUCH Rugby. Many of the components
of tackle rugby are included; however the contact portion of the game is removed.
Scoring
A try is scored when a player grounds the ball (touch down in football) under control in the
oppositions goal area. It is worth 5 points.
A goal is a method of scoring whereby a placed penalty kick or a drop kick attempt goes over the
cross bar and between the uprights of the goalpost. A successful goal is worth 3 points.
A convert is attempted after a try has been scored. The convert is a place kick from any mark on a
line directly out from the location where the try was grounded (at a right angle to the goal line). A wise
strategy is to attempt to score the try by
grounding the ball as close to the goalpost
as possible in order to take advantage of
the best kicking angle for the subsequent
convert. A successful convert is worth 2
points.
Start of Play
Typically rugby is played with 15 players
from each team on the field. The game is
stared with a kick-off (a drop kick from the
center line). The kick must travel 10 yards
to be legal. Any defenders who are on-side
to the kick may attempt to pick up the ball
on a short kick. After a team scores a try,
the team that was scored upon must kick
off from the center line.
Attacking Team
The attacking team carries the ball downfield, running, passing, or
handing off to teammates in order to move the ball down field
and to score a try in the opponents goal area. The ball can only
be passed or handed to a teammate who is behind the ball
carrier. No forward handling or forward passing is allowed.
A player with the ball tries to run up the field towards the
opponents goal area.
For Touch Rugby:
If the player with the ball is tagged by two hands the player must:
Pass off to a teammate immediately (with in 3 steps or 3 seconds)
Or perform SET PLAY where the player will place the ball on the ground and step over it while another
player on their team retrieves the ball and continues play.
A SET PLAY occurs after a ball carrier has been tagged and chooses to hold onto the ball instead of
instantaneously passing. All defenders must remain 5 yards back and cannot interfere from an
offside position.
For Tackle Rugby
If a player is tackled to the ground, a RUCK forms where the offensive
player places the ball on the ground and must release the ball, players
who were not involved in the tackle will try to step over the ball in order
to gain possession and allow another teammate to pick up the ball and
continue play. Any players who are not on their feet cannot touch the
ball.

Defending Team
The defending team attempts to halt the progress of the attacking team by tackling (2 hand tagging) the
ball carrier. The defending team may gain possession of the ball by intercepting a pass, picking up a ball
off the ground, through a lineout, a scrum, or a penalty.
Lineout
A ball out is when one team carries or puts the ball out over the
touchline (sideline).
A lineout is formed with a player from the non-offending team
throwing the ball into the lineout.
Between 2 to 7 players from each team form the line of the lineout
with one person tossing the ball from the touchline, the players in the
line out attempt to get control of the ball by catching or tapping the
ball to a teammate, and the Scrum Half who initiates play down the
field with a run or pass to a
teammate. All other players must be behind the 10 yard offside line
until the scrumhalf gains
control of the ball.
The Scrum
A scrum occurs when:
A player passes the ball to a teammate with a forward pass.
A player with the ball is tackled behind the goal line (5 yard scrum).
A Player drops the ball forward and a teammate picks up the loose ball. This is called a KNOCK ON.
A player plays the ball when she is offside.
*In Touch Rugby there are no scrums the opposing team just gains possession of the ball for any of
those infractions and play begins with a TAP and GO.*
8 players from each team bind together to make up the scrum.
The scrum half of the non-offending team puts the ball into the
scrum. The hooker tries to hook the ball out to their side of the
scrum.
The scrum half takes the ball and initiates play down the field by
running or passing the ball to a teammate. All other players must
not interfere with the scrum and must wait behind the scrum
offside line until the scrum half has picked up the ball.
Penalty
A penalty is awarded for the following infractions of the rules:
- Interfering with a support player by holding, tripping, or blocking; whether in a lineout, scrum, or during
an open play.
- An illegal tackle.
- Unnecessary roughess.
-Touching the ball while on the ground
-Interfering with play while in an offside position (offside line is an imaginary line through the ball where
each team must stay on their side of this line and cannot interfere with play if they are on the opponents
side of this line)
The team awarded the penalty may choose to try and score a goal kick (3 points) or continue play with a
Tap and Go. The opposition must line up at least 10 yards from the ball until the ball is kicked or
tapped.
A Tap and Go is where a player taps the ball with their foot such that the ball is kicked just out of their
hands and then catches the ball and continues play.

The Field
The field is a similar size as a Soccer field. The dimensions are about 65 meters in width by 100 meters
in length with a goal area of about 20 meters.
Rugby Terms Glossary:
Advantage:- A method of referee. The referee allows the game
to proceed uninterrupted as long as the ball is in play and there
are no major infractions. Play can continue after an infraction if
the non-offending team gains an advantage.
Blind Side:-The side nearest to the touch line.
Drop Kick:-A kick technique where the ball is dropped to the
ground and as it bounces back up it is kicked.
Dummy:-A technique where one pretends to pass the ball.
Free Kick:- Kick where a score may be made. Can be taken as
a place kick, drop kick or if no score is attempted, a punt.
Knock On:-Where a player drops the ball forward (toward the
opponents goal line)
Line Out:- A play where two single file lines are formed by both
teams after the ball goes out of touch. A player from the team
that did not take it out throws the ball back in from the touch
line between the two lines. This brings the ball back into play
and determines which team receives the ball.
Maul:- A loose formation brought around a player who is still in possession of the ball and has not been
brought to the ground.
Obstruction:- Also called blocking. Where a player gets in the way of an opponent who is chasing after
the ball. This results in a penalty.
Off-Side:- Generally when a player is in front of the ball when it was played last by a team member. A
penalty occurs if a player is off-side and obstructs an opponent, plays the ball or is within 10 meters (10
yards) of an opponent playing the ball.
Penalty Kick:- Kick awarded to the non-offending team after a penalty occurs.
Place Kick:-A kick technique where the ball is place on the ground before being kicked.
Punt:- A kick technique where the ball is dropped and kicked before it touches the ground.
Ruck:- A loose formation created around a free ball or a player who has been brought to the ground
with the ball.
Scrum (Scrummage):- A tight formation between the two opposing teams in readiness for the ball to be
put in the tunnel between the two front rows and brought out into play.
Try:-Method of scoring worth 5 points by touching the ball down in the opponent's goal area.