Can anyone tell me the difference between rugby union and rugby league?

Question

Can anyone tell me the difference between rugby union and rugby league?

Answer 1

Union - amateur (originally) 15 players. When tackled players form a ruck or maul and try to wrestle the ball clear.

League - professional 13 players. When tackled player goes to ground. Ball passed back to team mate. After six tackles scrum occurs.

Those are the simplest differences.

Points for tries, conversions, drop goals and penalties differ but that's a minor diff.

Answer 2

Playing Field

The playing field for Rugby Union is 100 metres long and no wider than 70 metres wide.

The playing field [pitch] dimensions for Rugby League are:

For Australia, as all grounds are the same size for the NRL:

68 metres wide,

116 metres long. This includes two 8 metre in-goal areas at both ends of the 100 metre field. [1] p2

For England and others:

68 metres wide.

112-122 metres long. The in-goal area can vary from a inimum 6 metres to a maximum of 11 metres. The variance is allowed, as grounds have different sizes, and some are soccer (football) grounds and do not have the space for the in-goal area. [2] p2

Points

Although both union and league use the same scoring methods, they award a different amount of points for each score.

For a try, league gives 4 points, union 5 points. (The ball must have downward pressure and grounded in the opponents in-goal area).

For a conversion, both codes give 2 points. (A kick, the ball is placed on the ground elevated by a kicking tee, or pile of sand, awarded after a try is scored).

Penalty goal, league gives 2 points, union 3 points. (Similar to a conversion except can be taken when given a penalty).

Drop goal (field goal), league gives 1 point, unoin 3 points. (The ball must bounce off the ground before kicking it).

In all instances of kicking the ball, the ball must go between the posts, and above the crossbar.

The method of play.

In both games the object of the game is to get the ball into the opponents in-goal area and score a try. If scoring a try cannot be achieved, some teams resort to attempting penalty goals (if any penalties are given) and also field goals.

The player with the ball usually runs towards the opponents and attempts to get past them. This can be achieved by passing the ball to other team mates, or being able to beat the player (opponent) in front of you, and sometimes by kicking the ball. Most of the time you get tackled.

Rugby league.

When a player with the ball gets tackled by the opponent the player holds the ball, waits for the opposing players to stop tackling him and then gets to his feet and plays the ball by putting it on the ground just before his feet and using one foot to move the ball backwards so the ball ends up behind him.

A team mate, called the dummy half and usually the hooker (no 9), will get the ball from the ground and pass it to another teammate or attempt to run or kick himself.

The team with the ball gets a maximum of 6 tackles, times the opponents tackles them, to get the ball to the opponents in-goal area and score some points. The teams usually kick the ball down field on the 5th tackle, so as not to have to give the ball to the opposing side where they get tackled on the 6th tackle.

Sometimes there is a 0 tackle, and the team gets in effect 7 tackles. This is usually after a kick down field from the opposing side.

If the opposing side deliberately plays at the ball, and you get it back, your team gets the 6 tackles restarted or "6 again".

If the ball goes over the side line, the game starts again with a scrum where the ball went over the side line. A scrum is composed of 6 players from each team binding together and resting against each other. The half back (no 7) then feeds (puts the ball into) the scrum and this team usually wins the ball, and the halfback gets it at the back of the scrum.

If the ball is kicked out on the full, the scrum is where the player kicked the ball, not where it went over the side line, unless the kick was after the 5th tackle, then it is a turn over (the opposing team plays the ball as if tackled).

If a player puts the ball down in their in-goal, the team has to drop kick the ball from their own goal line (the line seperating the in-goal from the normal field) to the opposing side. This kick must go 10 metres.

Rugby union.

Instead of a maximum of 6 tackles, union has rucks and mauls. When a player gets tackled with the ball, if he stays on his feet, and his team mates are able to bind (kinda cuddle) him, and there are at least 3 players (the maul is formed with the 3 players), can be opposing team or team mates to make the 3, it is called a maul, and the ball is allowed to be passed backwards through the maul. This allows advanced techniques like rolling the maul where the player holding the ball is pivoted around the other players to gain an advantage over the opposing team. The ball eventually gets back to the half back (no 9) who can either run, kick, or pass to a team mate.

If the player with the ball gets tackled and goes to the ground, the tackled player must release the ball, pass quickly to a team mate, or reach over a score a try (if close enough). If any player is on his feet (not on the ground) and a ruck has not formed (at least 3 people), this player may pick the ball up with his hands, or kick it with his feet. If the ruck has been formed, then ball get only be handled by the feet (not be the hand). The ball should be 'rucked' back to the halfback, and he can do whatever he needs to.

If the ball goes over the side line, a line out is formed where some players, can be 3 to 7 of each side, stand in a line perpendicular to the side line. One player, the hooker (no 2), throws the ball in from the side line between the two lines of opposing players. The compete to catch this ball by lifting people into the air. The team that catches the ball may form a maul or pass the ball to the half back.

If the ball is kicked out on the full from inside the team 22 metre line (22 metres from the try line) the line out is where the ball went over the side line, otherwise it is where the player kicked the ball.

If a player puts the ball down in their own in-goal area, the team must drop kick the ball to the opposing side before the 22 metre line. The ball must go over or onto the 22 metre line.

Answer 3

league is much less organised the positions aren't as established and after 6 successfull tackles there is a turnover. the scrums are also uncontested so there is no pushing involved. in union tackles are just barriers for you to get past and you can be held without being brought down to ground while your opposition tries to get the ball from you. furthermore once you get tackled you "release" the ball and your side defends it and mini scrums tend to occur over the tackled.

Answer 4

rugby league dosnt have ,line outs,rucks and mauls and there jumpers are numbered different.

Answer 5

There are heaps of differences - here are some

RL - 13 players per side       RU - 15 players

RL - 3 man scrums              RU - 8 man scrums

RL - no line outs                   RU - line outs

RL - 6 tackle rule                  RU - no tackle limit

Answer 6

rugby union is no limited tackles, rugby league mean you gotta kick the ball away

Answer 7

Dunno the difference in rules but they only play league in the summer - thought it was us southerners that were meant to be soft!!