Rules of Rugby
Rugby is a very popular contact sport that has many similarities to football. Two teams play against each other on a grassy field with yard lines just like in the game of football. Each game consists of two 40 minute periods of play. During this time each team tries to move the ball to the goal line in six or less tries. Getting the ball to the goal line is worth four points.
While one team is attempting to move the ball forward into their goal line, the other team is working to stop them from moving forward. This is done by tackling the person who has possession of the football, stopping the action of the play. There are 15 players on the field for each team at any given time. Players have the position of either a forward or a back.
Many of the rules of Rugby are referred to as laws. These are very important to avoid penalties and to ensure that all the points your team scores are valid. A ruck takes place as the person with the ball has to release it as soon as they have been tackled. The other team tries to get possession of the ball at this time while the team that already has it struggles to retain it. A ruck has very strict rules though including you have to be a player still on your feet to participate and you can only get the ball from behind not from the sides.
A scrum is how the team’s line up to begin a play after a previous play has been completed without incident. Eight people from each team participate in the scrum, generally the eight forwards in the game. The location on the playing field where the scrum takes place is the spot where the referee has determined the other game to have ended.
A line in is another way that the ball is placed back into place. Instead of a huddle to get the action going, the team is able to throw the ball back in from the side lines. There is plenty of action in a Rugby game but also plenty of rules to take note of. The referees will be watching for illegal moves and actions so players have to understand what they are able to do.
