Would someone explain the rules of rugby to me?

Question

I am an American and I occasionally see rugby here but am not sure of the rules and the scoring.

Answer 1

Run, Throw, Demolish...pretty much aim for the teeth...it's like hockey on grass.. :-)

Answer 2

Well it will take me almost to next year's Christmas to explain everything.  I suggest you go to the nearest rugby club in your vacinity and request a rule book from the officials.  Study this book and ask the local rugby players or coaches to assist you in interpreting the rules if you are unsure.

P.S.  Not even the professional rugby players know all the rules of the game, so good luck.

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_footb...

Answer 4

Just to add some clarification to what scubafetish2000 said.

In the section 'Scoring'

'Drop Kick' - The ball must hit the ground before the foot strikes the ball.

The competitions awarding Bonus Points.

You can get a bonus point for:

- scoring 4 tries.  

- losing the game by less than 7 points.  For instance, 6-0.

In the section 'Issuing a Penalty'

'Yellow Card and Power Play' - Unlike a power play in hockey, the team member does not come back on the field before the 10 minutes if the other teams scores any points.

'Sin Bin' - The 10 minutes off for the Yellow Card is called 10 minutes in the sin bin.  Being sent off (red card) is called being sent off.

In the section 'Ball Movement'

Passing forward is an infraction, not a penalty, and a scrum is awarded with the opposing team having the feed into the scrum.

In the section 'Scrums'

If a scrum is screwed, or turned, 90 degrees, the scrum is halted, and the opposing team wins the feed into the scrum that is then set.  Once again not a penalty.

Answer 5

As an American, let me try some "Football" terms. (Purest players may find this over-simplified-sorry-forgive us Americans!)

Scoring:   A "try" = a "touchdown," only a "try" is worth 5 points.

      A "conversion" = "the extra point." only you can't run, just kick, and it's worth 2 points.    Two other ways to score:  A penalty kick (when the other team does something major against you) is worth 3 points as is a "drop kick" -- think of it as a kicker running near the goal and dropping the ball on his foot - if it goes over the goal - it's 3 points.  You see it attempted maybe once a game. Oh, some competitions award a bonus points if you have more than 3 or 4 tries in a game.  And the ball has to be "planted on the ground by a player" for it to be a try.  Which is why you see players getting over the goal line, but not being awarded the try.  The opposing team may have gotten a hand under the ball when it went down so it was never planted on the ground !

Penalties:  Most common penalties are awarded for things like being offside (example: being caught in front of the ball after a tackle and not immediately trying to hop behind the ball), entering a ruck (a stack of tackled players on the ground) from the side -- you have to enter the hunt for the ball from the back called "going through the gate,"  dangerous tackles like ringing the other player around the neck to bring him to the ground, actually grabbing a hold of a player in the air and "pulling"  him to the ground (usually by pulling his shirt or arm), also tackling a player in the air, or lifting a player off his feet without putting him down safely.  

The Referee:  There's one that is the sole judge on the field, one that watches the instant replays but usually is only called upon if the referee on the field doesn't see if the "try" has actually made it across the line correctly.  And two "touch judges" -- the guys who say when the ball has crossed the outer marks.  Occasionally they will tell the Ref if they saw a penalty, but even then, it's up to the Ref to agree and call the penalty.  

Issuing a Penalty:  The catch with penalties is there are degrees of awards which the referee awards.  The first time a player enters the ruck from the side, a Ref may issue a warning and the call for a scrum (we'll get to that in a minute).  Once a Ref issues a warning to a particular player, if he is caught again, the Ref may warn him again or chose to give him a "yellow card" -- essentially making him sit out the game for 10 minutes.  Think a power play in hockey.  The team will be one man short for 10 minutes.  Major penalties may also incur a penalty kick awarded to the other side, worth three points if made.  A third infraction or really bad play and you’re red carded and out for the game.  It's called being sent to the "Sin Bin" though unlike hockey, they are just sent to the side and just before they return you'll see them on stationary bikes warming up again.  The important thing to remember is the referee is sole judge and jury.  A really good Ref, like Chris White from england, can control the game and he knows when things are accidental (player was caught accidentally offside --  he was trying to get back but couldn't before play resumed.  Versus a blatant player trying to catch an opportunity.)  A poor Ref will blow the whistle on trivial things so many times that the game looses it's momentum.

Ball movement:  You can kick it anywhere in any direction. But if you are kicking it to a receiver, the receiver must be behind the kicker when the ball is kicked - then he runs as fast as he can to catch the ball forward.  You can only pass it to the side or back to a player. Passing it forward is a penalty.  A knock-on usually happens when someone misses a catch and hits the ball FORWARD with part of his body, like his shoulder.  A scrum is usually called.  A knock-backwards is allowed and someone can pickup the ball and continue play.

Playing ADVANTAGE:  This is another form of awarding a penalty.  In the interest of keeping play moving quickly, if the Ref sees a penalty, instead of stopping play, he'll give a side advantage -- basically saying "ok guys let's see if you can capitalize on your position for the next few minutes.  If so, we move on, if not, I'll blow the whistle and we'll move back to the point of the penalty and I'll award a scrum or kick or something for you."

Scurms: Most often used to change ownership of the ball usually after a minor penalty is awarded.  Numbers 1-8 (collectively called the forwards: includes props, locks, flankers).  They line up in formation.  Ref calls: Crouch, Hold, Engage.  When they engage, they need to stay "up and parallel to the ground."  They also need to be no more than an arms distance away from each other.  If this routine isn't followed (someone in the front row drops his shoulders to the ground), serious neck and spinal injuries occur -- so that's why Ref's are always resetting the scrum so that the boys no he is serious about doing them properly.  Come 2007, front rows will actually have to touch across and pause more.  After all is good, #9 of the controlling team rolls the ball under the foot of his front row and the players have to kick the ball back past #8 in the back, all the while they must continue to "bind on" (hold on to each other's jerseys with their full arm).  Once the ball comes out of the scrum, #9 can pick it up and through the ball to another player.  Sometimes the opposing team will try to "s***w the scrum" to get a more favorable field position or just overpower the other team.  If the scrum is turned more than 90 degrees, though, it is a penalty.

Lineouts:  Ball goes out of the field ("finds touch"), the team that didn't touch it last (unless it's from a penalty kick then the kicking team still gets it), their #2 gets to throw the ball back into the field.  Each team sets up a line that looks confusing, but a play is called and a designated player will usually jump for the ball.  A favorite penalty is when one player is high in the air and the opposing player reaches over and instead of grabbing the shirt, grabs the players arm or shirt and pulls the player down with force.  Ouch !

Rucks and Mauls:  Ruck: when the players are tackled to the ground with the ball and then a group of players jump on top and the only way to get the ball freed is for players to start kicking at it.  You will hear the Ref call "hands away."  Until the ball has cleared the pack, if someone reaches into the ruck with their hands (especially from the side), it's a penalty.    Mauls:  Think of a couple of players holding the ball running smack into a couple of players running the opposite way -- two walls collide but the ball doesn't hit the ground.  The team with the ball keeps passing it back as more players add into the maul.  Eventually, either the maul drops to the ground (pitch) and becomes a ruck, or they manage to work the ball to the back of the maul and one of the backs (think tight-ends) grabs and goes.

Players:  22 are signed up for a game.  #1-8 are forwards -- strong, defensive line, form the scrum.  #9-10 -- think quarterbacks -- they work between the forwards and the backs and usually decide the whether or not the ball will be run or kicked. #11-15 "the backs" -- think tight ends.  Agile runners, but also the last defense if the other team breaks through.  They are usually the best passers and receivers and the fastest runners. #16-#22.  The reserves.   Once a player is either substituted or injured, he is gone for good, so chances are you are going to play the game.  Though he can come back to replace an injured player if they run out of reserves.  

Blood Bin.  Rule # whatever.  You can't have blood on the pitch (playing field).  So if you get cut or bloody nose or last week's stitches pop, the trainer will first try to fix you up on the field -- if not, the Ref will allow you up to 10 minutes in the Blood Bin to fix the gusher.  So a player with a gash will run back to his locker room ("shed") and have the team doctor staple the gash together, wrap it with tape, and send the player back to the field (staples to be removed after the game and replaced with stitches).

Fighting:  Oddly enough, there isn't a lot of fighting.  A shove here and there.  But most professional players know that fighting either with a player or Ref lends itself to penalty kicks (3 points) or time in the Sin Bin -- both leaving your team vulnerable.   If arguments arise, the designated Captains will be called upon to clear the players back from each other.   And then a seasoned Ref will call the hot-headed players over and ask them to be civil for the remainder of the play or face a yellow card.    At the end of the game, everyone is quite civil -- shaking hands, hugs around to the other teams -- dinner invites -- some will exchange jerseys -- and then the hosting team hosts a social event for the two teams to mingle.  

Some things you think you would see, but you don't (or do):  A team doesn't have to make 10 yards in 4 attempts to maintain possession.  They just have to maintain possession.  There are no chains and markers.  It's where the Ref makes a mark with his foot that play continues.  If play gets six inches from the goal line and a scrum or penalty is called.  It goes back 5 meters, regardless.  (Argue that with the Steelers!)  Teams routinely give up possession by kicking (punting?) the ball down field.  A good kicker will kick the ball into touch (out of bounds) 60 meters down field, allowing potential possession by the other team, just because they feel they are strong enough to win back the ball closer to their goal line without having to fight every meter to get down there.  If the kicker misses the touch line, the other team will usually try to kick it back down field the other way.  There could be 4-6 kicks back in forth before a team decides they like where the kick lands and plays on.

I think those are the really unique areas rugby to American football.  Sorry it turned out to be a book !

Answer 6

rule one: don't get tackled while holding the ball

rule two: go towards your team's goal

rule three: no crying

Answer 7

pass to your player if he is behind your attack-line (otherwise it's a forward pass)

tackle the OTHER team's player if he has the ball

never move in between your player (with the ball) and a tackler from the opposition (called offside)

score behind the goal line, not the dead-line

throw in straight in the line-outs, otherwise it's a penalty

bind correctly in the scrums

never do a high or dangerous tackle (immediate yellow card if you want)

play with a lot of guts (and brains), and don't mind the pain or the blood...that's the other team's problem!

p.s don't argue with the reff...they can be quite unfair sometimes...