Chapter 1: What is rugby?
Rugby is a sport some may say is a cross between soccer and
football. There is no sport quite like this game. People who have played for
years could tell you that it’s difficult to explain the game unless you’ve seen
in action or have played it yourself. So, we’ll start with the basics.
Chapter 2: The Pitch
The field we play on is called a PITCH. There are many lines, dotted and solid, across the field. Simple
example:
Red - dashed line, distance from touch line to
the front of a lineout.
Orange - between dashed lines, maximum length
of lineout
Purple - dashed line, minimum distance for
kick-off/restart kicks
Black - dashed
line, distance from goal-line of 5-meter scrums
Grey - from goal-line to 22-meter line is the
22-meter area
Blue - goal-line to dead-ball line, in-goal
area where tries are scored
Chapter 3: Uniform
Your gear usually consists of an issued sturdy rugby jersey,
pair of rugby shorts, matching socks, a pair of cleats (one WITHOUT a cleat in
the front the toe, soccer cleats work perfectly) and a mouth guard.
Also, we play with a ball, obviously. The ball basically
looks like a fat football with rounded ends.
We also have one referee per game. What he says, goes. There
is absolutely no arguing with him unless you want to be penalized.
Chapter 4: Starting a match
Action on the pitch begins with a kick-off taken at center
field. The game is divided into two 40-minute halves.That’s a total of 80
minutes of good, hard rugby. The clock never stops, but any time taken for
injury is added onto the half in which it occurs.
Chapter 5: Rules
ANYBODY may play
the ball. A player is able to run with it, pass it, kick it, or tackle an
opponent who has it as long as you are ONSIDE.
If you are BEHIND the ball, you are ONSIDE. If you are in FRONT of it you are OFFSIDE. If you influence the play in
any way from an offside position this is BAD.
We cannot EVER pass the ball forward because
that would mean that the receiver would be in front of us and thus offside.
Kicking forward is permissible (and desirable). You must be behind the kicker
before you can go for the ball, or wait until she passes you. In fact, if you
are offside and within 10 meters of an opponent fielding a kick you MUST RETREAT beyond that 10 and only go
ahead in your pursuit of the ball after she has moved 5 meters, passed, kicked,
or dropped the ball.
You also cannot BLOCK
in rugby. Inhibiting opponents who do not have the ball or even standing in the
way is called OBSTRUCTION and it is
cheating.
Chapter 6: Positions
FORWARDS:
It is their responsibility to chase to gain possession of the ball and then
take it forward or present it to the backs. They are then expected to support
whoever carries the ball. Their work is tedious and they are also referred to as
the PACK or the SCRUM. A scrum is also the name of the formal conglomeration of
forwards who bind together in specific positions when a scrumdown is called. It
is the basic set formation of rugby and occurs after various minor infringements
of the law, when the ball becomes tied up, and in other times. Form and timing
are more important than brute strength.
Positions:
1: Loose Head Prop (sturdy and fearless)
2: Hooker (small, quick, ready to take control)
3: Tight Head Prop (see #1)
4,5: Second Rows (Locks) - (big and strong)
6,7: Wing Forwards (Flankers) - (quick, aggressive)
8: Number Eight (smart, foot and hand skills)
9: Scrumhalf (smart, experienced, quick) -- technically not a forward, but the
link between forwards and backs - special rules apply to the
scrumhalf.
SCRUMDOWNS:
The scrumhalf puts the ball straight into the space between the two front rows
(the tunnel). By combining a driving push and a quick foot strike by the hooker
(occasionally a prop) each team attempts to win the ball. It is then channeled
back to the #8 who lets it out to the scrumhalf (who has moved to the back) or
breaks off and picks it up. The team who gets to put the ball in has the
advantages of timing and having their front row closer to the put-in point. By
driving forward we not only win the ball, but give momentum to any offensive
moves after the ball is out.
RUCKS and MAULS:
A ruck is when at least one player
from each team binds over the ball on the ground. A maul is when at least one player from each team binds around a
player standing with the ball in her possession. Be sure to get low and drive FORWARD when engaged. When there are
people bound over the ball on the ground, a scrum or ruck, there are NO HANDS ALLOWED! You may not touch the
ball with your hands until it is clearly in daylight.
Once a ruck or maul forms, players not participating (by
being fully bound - with at least one whole arm) MUST REMAIN BEHIND THE LAST PERSON'S FOOT. This gives players not
involved some time and space in which to set up and look for defensive holes.
BACKS:
They are the quickest members of the team and are required
to ruck and maul when necessary, tackle and do whatever they can to advance the
ball. After the forwards have won them the ball, they are expected to run,
pass, kick, and score!
Positions:
9: Scrumhalf
10: Flyhalf (great hands, smart)
12: Inside Center (good change of speed)
13: Outside Center (same and faster)
11: Wing (burner)
14: Wing (ditto)
15: Fullback (very good foot, able to read game)
The backline puts its strength on the side of the field with
the most space, also known as the STRONG
SIDE. The other side is referred to as the WEAK SIDE. The wings remain on the same side of the field and thus play
both weak and strong. Once in possession of the ball, the backs have many options.
They might quickly pass it out to the wing or kick the ball. LOOPING, a way of extending the
backline, is when an inside player (often after passing the ball out) sprints
behind the line bursting through to receive it again somewhere. The backs may SKIP a player along the line in order
to get it our quickly or ADD an
extra player like the fullback who might come crashing through. The wing may
also change the direction of movement by REVERSING
the pass back to the person you got it from, or SWITCHING with another player. A switch happens when a player suddenly cuts back behind you to
receive a handoff as you angle a bit. You can also DUMMY the defense by faking a move to a teammate and keeping it
yourself. When running downfield, backs want to run STRAIGHT, NOT SIDEWAYS.
The basic idea of DEFENSE
is to come at them hard in a FLAT
line. The faster you FIRE UP (move
forward quickly) the less time they have to think. You must come up as a unit.
Chapter 7: Skills
Backs and forwards alike need to develop certain abilities:
PASSING:
DO NOT pass forward. Lateral passing is okay, but a close call. We pass BACKWARDS. This explains the diagonal line-up
of the backs. The ball is passed with both hands in an underhand fashion and
should arrive in the receiver's hands upright. You should lead the receiver so
that she is SPRINTING on to it and thus
gaining yardage even though she starts behind you. The distance between passer
and receiver varies depending on how skilled they are, the particular play and the
weather. The receiver stays at a deep angle to receive the ball running at top speed.
It will seem awkward at first, but we practice it often, so you’ll get the hang
of it.
KICKING:
The POP KICK is a popular item. It is
a short up-in-the air kick that you can field yourself. If there is no one to
pass to, you can pop it over her and run onto it. You've got the momentum -
she'll have to turn around to chase it and you. Remember, she cannot touch you
if you don't have the ball.
LONG KICKS may be used too, where
the ball is kicked to a part of the field that your teammates can get to first.
The ball may also be PUNTED INTO
TOUCH (out-of-bounds) for long yardage. If you are BEHIND YOUR OWN 22 METER
line and kick it directly to touch on a fly, the ball is brought back in at THE
POINT THAT IT CROSSES THE LINE. A long kick for touch can get you out of hot
water when the opposition is
near your goal line. This is also true when you have been awarded a penalty
kick anywhere on the field. However, if you kick it directly out when you are
AHEAD OF YOUR 22, the ball comes back in from the POINT IT WAS KICKED - meaning
no yardage gained. You are also able to dribble the ball with your foot anytime
it’s loose on the ground.
TACKLING:
When you tackle, the tacklee MUST release the ball, leaving it fair game for
either side. The play does not stop, but she will. When tackling, you should
hit the opponent low, squeeze their legs together, and drive them to the ground.
A person is considered tackled when that player is held by an opposing player
and at least one knee is touching the ground (falling down unassisted doesn't
count). If you are tackled you MUST release
the ball or it is a PENALTY. You may
pick it up immediately upon gaining your feet. You are allowed one motion to
place the ball to your team's advantage when tackled.
Chapter 8: Scoring
A TRY is similar
to a touchdown in football, but with one large difference. A try is
accomplished by bringing the ball into your opponent's in-goal and TOUCHING IT TO THE GROUND. Control,
downward pressure, and simultaneous hand/ball/ground contact are essential. A try is worth 5 points. The priority
is to get the ball in, but if possible, you want to place it near the middle.
The reason for this is that after a try, you have a chance to make it 7 points
by kicking the ball through the uprights. This is called a CONVERSION. The kick is made from any distance back, but in line
with where the ball was touched down. It is far easier for a kicker to make a
conversion when she is in front of the uprights as opposed to at an angle. The
kicker may use a PLACE KICK or DROP KICK (a drop kick is where she
drops it first and kicks it on the rebound).
After a try is scored, the game starts up again with a kick off (a drop-kick)
to the team who has just scored. Both teams must get back to the 50-meter
line as quickly as the kicking team can collect itself. There is no official
game stoppage.
The other way to score is BY GOING FOR POST (kicking a field goal). This is worth 3 points.
Most commonly it is made when a penalty is called within the range of your
team's best kicker. It may be place kicked or drop kicked from the point where
the penalty was awarded (the MARK).
If a team should touch the ball down in its OWN in-goal (better you than them), two
things can happen. If your team is responsible for bringing the ball in, a
scrum, 5 meters back from the try line, will be awarded to the other team
(meaning their scrumhalf gets to put it in). If the ball traveled into the in-goal
by the other team, your team will be awarded a 22 meter DROP OUT. A drop out
means that your team may drop-kick the ball from any point behind the 22 meter
line. The other team must RETREAT IMMEDIATELY to the other side of the 22.
Chapter 9: Line outs
If the ball is kicked, carried, or otherwise escorted into
touch (out of bounds), its re-entry onto the field is by way of a LINE OUT. A line out is a little like a
jumpball in basketball. Two columns of forwards (one column per team) line up 5
meters in from the touch line and perpendicular to it. A player from the team
who DIDN'T touch it last before it went onto touch gets to throw the ball down
the tunnel. It can be thrown any distance as long as it flies STRAIGHT between the columns.
Teams use signals to let their players know where the thrower intends to throw
it. Certain players in the line out are designated as JUMPERS (usually 2nd, 4th, and 6th in line). The rest support and
protect them in a variety of ways. The ball may be thrown beyond the line out
or drilled to the first person, but it must travel the initial 5 meters before
it may be played. The line out can extend out to 15 meters.
During a line out, the backs line up in much the same way as during a scrum,
with one notable exception. In a scrum they must only remain behind the #8's or
last person's foot. In a line out they must remain 10 METERS back until the
line out is completely over (NO CREEPING
UP OR IT'S A PENALTY).
Chapter 10: Penalties
For minor infractions of the law a simple scrum down is
preformed. A forward pass is one such infringement. The infamous KNOCK ON is another (a knock on is
where you drop or bump the ball forward with any part of your upper body). The
scrum is awarded to the non-offending team. A scrum may also be called when a
ruck or maul goes too long without the ball coming out or if the referee judges
it to be dangerous.
For a PENALTY KICK,
the referee extends his arm UPWARD toward the team to whom he's awarding it. A
penalty kick is given for obstruction, offsides, hands in a ruck, play deemed
dangerous by the referee, etc. A penalty kick is awarded at the place the
infraction occurs. A mark will be given and that is the point through which the
kick MUST be taken. To execute a penalty kick you must move the ball visibly
through the mark with your foot. This could mean anything from a short tap
(after which it may be picked up and moved in any legal way) to a long punt
(the space directly above the mark counts as the mark). The opposition must
RETREAT 10 meters (“BACK TEN”) immediately when a penalty kick is awarded --
giving you an advantage. So, when you hear your teammates screaming at you to
get "back 10" it is probable that the other team has just been
awarded a penalty kick.
Chapter 11: Advantage
In rugby, a referee does not have to call a penalty if he
feels that no advantage was gained by the offending team or that the other team
was able to capitalize on it. For example: a referee may see a knock on occur,
but wait to blow the whistle until it becomes apparent who has made subsequent
gains. If the NON-offending team scoops up the ball and gains 10 meters, the
penalty may never be called at all. This is called "playing the
advantage." The advantage law helps to keep the game flowing. If you do
spot an infraction, DO NOT STOP UNTIL
YOU HEAR A WHISTLE! The referee may not have seen it or may be playing the
advantage.
Chapter 12: The Referee
There is only one ref and this is a very significant fact. With 30 people on
the field at once, one person cannot possibly see everything. When the referee
does call something, his word is LAW.
In fact, he cannot change a call once made. It is no use arguing -- in fact,
you can even be penalized if you do. If you do need to make a comment to the referee,
for any reason, do so through your captain. Different referees have different
styles. It is a smart rugby player who learns to "play the ref." Many
calls in rugby are completely up to the referee's judgment.
Basically, there is a spirit of fair play that governs
rugby. With all those people running around, you could do things that aren't
nice and not get caught, BUT DON'T! These things have a way of escalating in a
game as physically intense as rugby and it's also distracting. If something
gets out of hand, go to your captain who can speak to the referee The referee
is the sole determiner of what constitutes foul play and a good one will keep
things clean. A player can be ejected from a game as the most severe resolution
of a problem. Should this happen, his team may NOT bring in a substitute,
leaving them to play short.
Chapter 13: Is rugby for you?
Yes. All shapes of people can play this sport. It is an
aggressive and physically demanding game. Rugby is a lot of things to a lot of
people. It is challenging and playful, exhilarating and exciting. But above
all, it is fun. Our team is basically a second family. Not only will these
girls be your best friends, but they’ll help you create memories that will last
a lifetime. We hope you will love it as much as we do. Thanks for reading. Now
go out and PLAY RUGBY!