Talk:Rugby union gameplay/Sandbox

The game of rugby is a full body contact sport, played by two teams of players. The team in possession of the ball carry, pass, and kick the ball, with the aim of scoring points by kicking goals or making tries. The defending team endeavors to prevent the attacking team from scoring points, and to take possession of the ball from their opponents. The rules of the game are defined by the International Rugby Board, in a document entitled, "The Laws of the Game."

Objective of game

Change in points

Period	Try	Conversion	Penalty	Drop goal	Goal from mark
To 1891	1	2	2	3	3
1891—93	2	3	3	4	4
1893—1905	3	2
1905—48					3
1948—71				3
1971—77	4
1977—92					–
1992—present	5

The objective of a rugby union match is for a team to score more points than the opposition team, by making tries, and kicking goals.

Try

A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area. The ball can be grounded in two ways: if a player has control of the ball, they can place it on the ground on or over the opponents' goal line using their hand(s) or arm(s); alternatively, if the ball is already on the ground on or over the opponents' goal line, the player can press down on it with any part of their body from the waist to the neck— including the hands and arms. The opponents' goal line includes the base of the posts and the padding around them, so an attacking player grounding the ball on the goal-line, or against the base of the goal posts, scores a try.

Penalty try

A penalty try can be awarded if the defending team commits foul play, and in doing so prevents what, in the referee's judgement, would have been a probable try. A penalty try is awarded between the goal posts. It is also common for the infringing player to be cautioned or sent off.

Conversion goal

After scoring a try, or being awarded a penalty try, the scoring team attempts a conversion. A player takes a kick at goal in line with where the ball was grounded, or from in front of the posts for a penalty try. Scoring the goal earns two points.

Penalty goal

A penalty goal may be attempted when the referee awards a penalty for an opposition indiscretion. To score, the ball is place kicked from the ground and must go above the crossbar and between the goal posts. A penalty is worth three points. If the penalty is awarded too far away from the goal posts to attempt a goal, then the attacking team can: kick for touch and get to throw in at the resulting line-out, take a tap penalty and run the ball, and opt for a scrum with the attacking team getting to feed the ball.

Drop goal

A drop goal (also known as a dropped goal) occurs when a player kicks the ball between the opposition goal posts and above their cross bar. The ball must strike the ground before being kicked, and scores three points.

Field and equipment

Rugby union playing field.

See also: Rugby league playing field

Rugby union is played on a field, known as a pitch, that should have a grassy surface, though the Laws permit the use of artificial grass, clay, sand or snow, but not permanently hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete. The Laws do not say that the pitch needs to be flat or level, merely that the surface must be safe to play on. If either team feels that the pitch is unsafe, the referee must try to resolve the issues and must not start the match if any part of the ground is considered to be dangerous.

The playing area consists of a field-of-play, not exceeding 70 metres in width and 100 metres in length, and in-goal areas at each end of the field-of-play which should extend not more than 22 metres but, "where practicable", at least 10 metres beyond the field-of-play. Solid lines are painted on to the field to mark the sides of the pitch (touch-lines), the rear of the in-goal areas (dead-ball lines), the sides of the in-goal areas (touch-in-goal lines), the goal-lines (usually called the try line), lines 22-metres from each goal-line , and the half-way line. Broken lines are painted parallel to the half-way line and 10 metres from it, in each half of the field, and parallel to the touch-lines and 5 metres and 15 metres infield from touch on each side of the field-of-play. Dash lines are also marked 5 metres from (and parallel to) the goal-lines. In rugby union the touch-lines are regarded as out of play. Thus, a player standing on, but not over, the touch-line is regarded as being "in touch" and a ball that touches the dead-ball line is "dead".

There is a goal at each end of the field-of-play, positioned centrally on the goal-line, and consisting of a pair of vertical posts, each a minimum of 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) high, placed 5.6 m (18 ft 4+1⁄2 in) apart and connected by a horizontal bar 3 m (9 ft 10 in) above the ground—giving each goal the shape of the letter 'H'. For the safety of the players, the lower portion of each goal post is usually encased in protective padding.

Flag posts, at least 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) high, are positioned at the four corners of the field-of-play and at the corners of each in-goal area. The two posts on the dead-ball line are considered part of the dead-ball line. The flags on the corners of the playing field are no longer touch-in-goal but part of the pitch. There are a further six flag posts positioned 2 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in) outside the field-of-play and in line with the 22-metre and half-way lines on each side of the pitch. All flag posts (save those on the dead-ball line) play no part in the game and are there solely for indicative purposes.

Game Structure

The basic structure of the game of rugby consists of the start or restart, general play, and set pieces. Ball is kicked to begin play, receiving team attacks by running (including passing) or by kicking the ball forward. Defending team attempts to stop attack by tackling, or re-taking possession of the ball. General play continues until there is a breakdown, whereby play is resumed by one of numerous setpieces.

Start of play

Prior to the start of the match, the teams meet for a coin toss. The winner of the coin toss, elects either to kick off, or select an end of the playing field to defend. If the decision is made to kick off, the loser of the coin toss chooses an end to defend, otherwise they must kick off.

The Western Force from Western Australia (blue team) restarts against the Waratahs from New South Wales (white team) in the Super 14 competition.

Play is started at the beginning of each half, and after a score has been made by a kick-off. The kicking team takes a drop kick from the middle of the halfway line to begin play. The ball must travel beyond the 10m line in the opposition half. None of the kicking team's players are allowed in front of the player taking the kick until after that player's foot has touched the ball. Several strategies are employed for kickoffs. One strategy is for the kick to travel on a high trajectory that would have it land just beyond the 10 m line, giving the players on the kicking team time to run into position to contest the catch. Another strategy employed is to kick deep into the opposition territory, sacrificing the opportunity to contest for immediate possession for territorial gain.

Italy kicks off against Scotland in the Six Nations Championship. Note the Italian players are behind their kicker.

The ball once kicked and having traveled beyond the 10m is considered in general play, and can be caught, kicked or picked up by any player. A restart kick that does not cross the 10 m line can be played by the receiving team, but not by the kicking team or a midfield scrum is awarded to the receiving team. A restart kick that crosses the side lines without being touched awards the receiving team either a midfield scrum or a line out on the half way line, receiving team option.

General Play

General play is characterized by the contest of the team possessing the ball attempting to advance the ball towards their opponents goal line by carrying, running, passing and kicking the ball, against the defending team attempting to stop the attacking team advance through tackling the ball carrier and taking possession of the ball away from their opponents. The player holding the ball may do one of three things with the ball: run with the ball, pass the ball to another player either by throwing or handing off to them, or kick the ball.

Running with the ball

The player holding the ball can travel in any direction, providing he does not use team mates to obstruct defenders from making a tackle.

The tackle

A player may tackle an opposing player who has the ball by holding them while bringing them to ground. The tackle is complete when the ball-carrier is held on the ground: if the ball-carrier is forced, or falls, to ground without being held the tackle is not complete and the ball-carrier may get to their feet and continue. Once tackled, a player must immediately release the ball, either by passing to a team mate or placing it on the ground, and the tackler must release them and move away. After the ball has been released by a tackled player — commonly referred to as the tackle-ball — players from either side may play the ball, provided they are on their feet and have approached the breakdown area from the side of their goal-line. However, the tackler and the tackled player may contest the ball as soon as on their feet—regardless of what side they are standing. Note that a tackler is defined as a player who goes to ground in the act of making the tackle, not simply any player involved in making the tackle (therefore a tackle is possible with no tackler if the person who makes the tackle does not go to ground).

Tacklers cannot tackle above the shoulder (the neck and head are out of bounds), and the tackler has to attempt to wrap their arms around the player being tackled to complete the tackle. It is illegal to push, shoulder-charge, or to trip a player using feet or legs, but hands may be used (this being referred to as a tap-tackle or ankle-tap).

The ruck

A ruck is formed when at least one player from each side bind onto each other with the ball on the ground between them. A ruck often ensues following the tackle-ball phase. As soon as at least two players, one from each side, are in physical contact together with the ball on the ground, a ruck has formed. This physical contact, or binding, is generally by locking shoulders while facing each other. Additional players may join the ruck, but must do so from behind the rearmost foot of the hindmost team mate in the ruck; this is often referred to as "coming through the gate". Players must also be on their feet to join the ruck, and must bind onto the ruck with their whole arm around the body of a team mate.

In a ruck, no player may use their hands to win the ball; instead each side attempts to push the other side back, and players use their feet to hook the ball back towards their own side — an action known as rucking the ball. The team with possession attempts to ruck the ball back towards their own goal-line, where it is picked up by one of their own players. Once the ball is out of the ruck, the ruck is over.

Players in a ruck may not deliberately go to ground themselves, and must try to stay on their feet. Players must also not attempt to ruck the ball near players on the ground as this is dangerous. If a player is on the ground, they must try to move away from the ball and not interfere with the ball in any way. If the ball becomes trapped in a ruck, the referee awards a scrum to the side moving forward.

The ruck and the maul are the two phases of the game where the offside law is particularly important. Any player not taking part in the ruck and maul must retreat behind the offside line, a notional line that runs through the rearmost foot of their hindmost team mate in the ruck or maul— the line runs parallel to the goal-lines.

Many infringements occur in rucks. Players may seek to slow down the speed that opposition can recycle possession. This is done by using their hands illegally, or lying over the ball, or going to ground deliberately. Such infringements result in penalties. As a result of the quickened pace in the modern game, there is increasing confusion among players regarding when a tackle-ball has become a ruck. Players are often penalised for using their hands in a ruck when they think the breakdown is still at the tackle-ball phase.

The maul

A maul [1] occurs when a player carrying the ball is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier's team mates bind on the ball carrier. Once a maul has formed other players may join in but, as in a ruck, they must do so from their own side. If the maul stops moving forward, and the ball is not available to be played, then the referee awards a scrum to the side not in possession when the maul began (unless the maul was formed immediately after a player received a kick other than a kick-off). The tactic of the rolling maul occurs when mauls are set up, and the ball is passed backwards through the players' hands to one at the rear, who rolls off the side to change the direction of the drive. This tactic can be extremely effective in gaining ground and both doing it properly and preventing it takes great skill and technique. It is a tactic most commonly used when the attacking side is inside the defending side's 22 m line.

It was once illegal on safety grounds to pull down a maul, causing that players fall to the ground. With the introduction of the Experimental Law Variations it was permitted to pull down a maul if the forward momentum of the attacking side had been neutralised or reversed, subject to maintaining safety. This decision was reversed to make the pulling down of a maul illegal once more.

On the other hand, a maul is not properly formed if the ball carrier binds on to a team-mate from the rear, and both of them then drive into one or more opponents – or if the ball-carrier breaks off from the back of the maul, which continues to drive forward. The players in front are either accidentally or deliberately offside and the referee awards either a scrum or a penalty to the opposing side, depending on whether the infringement was viewed as accidental or deliberate.

The tactic is sometimes referred to by players, commentators, and referees by the colloquial term "truck and trailer".

Passing the ball

Passing is an integral part of rugby union, as it is one of the few legal ways of distributing the ball to a team mate and has the highest success of contributing to the team’s chances of scoring a try while keeping possession.

To grip a rugby ball for a pass place your strong hand on the back of the ball and your other hand (the one you do not write with) on the front of the ball. "The hand behind the ball provides the thrust, the other is the guiding hand." You then push the ball from one side of your body, swinging your shoulders from one side to the other, before releasing with both, creating a linear motion. This pass is called the standard pass, and provides the basis for the main passes used in rugby.

Types of pass

The main types of pass and how they are completed are as follows:

Dive pass

The dive pass is a pass which is used in situations where the player has been unable to get himself into the proper position for a long pass. The player should dive and release the ball in the direction the player wants the ball to travel. Then when the arms are at full stretch the ball is released. This is a quick pass meaning the player with the ball is under time constraints.

Dummy pass

The Dummy pass is the ‘faking’ to pass the ball to a member of your team and instead running it yourself or passing to a different member of your team. It is effective as it can confuse a defender who is trying to tackle the ball carrier, and can leave the other side of the field open for attack.

Flick pass

Similar to the standard pass except the ball is passed with a flick of the wrists rather than exaggerated body movements.

Pop pass

This is a short pass. The ball is simply popped up in a small loop to a player who can collect it and continue running.

Scrum half pass

This pass is used when distributing the ball from the scrum to the back line. If passing to the left, the right foot must be nearest the ball. The foot placement in this pass is important as this allows the player to push off on the right foot and create more power. The other foot is positioned about a hip’s width away pointing towards the receiver, the knees are slightly bent. "Make the arms extended so that when the player receives the ball he can swing through a wide arc, with the force of his whole body in one movement."

Spiral Pass

"In this pass, the hand opposite the direction of the pass comes up over the ball as the pass is thrown, causing the ball to spin." The reason for the spiral pass is "a spinning ball travels quicker than a non-spinning ball, due to less air resistance, which in turn means the trajectory of the ball can be flatter and less likely to be intercepted."

The setpiece

explanation of when setpieces are used: restart, boundary infringements, handling infringements. (penalty infringements can involve these setpieces so I propose giving them their own section AFTER this section)

Drop-out kick

A drop-out is a dropkick to restart play that is taken from any position behind behind the 22m line by the defending team. It is taken after these circumstances:

• The attacking team has brought the ball without infringement into the in-goal area, but it has been grounded by the defending team.
• A player from the attacking team carrying the ball, grounds the ball in in-goal, while at the same time making contact with the in-touch or dead-ball area. A distinction is made between carrying and grounding. An attacking player who presses down on a in-goal ball while simultaneously making contact with the in-touch or dead-ball area is awarded a try.
• The ball has been sent over the dead-ball line, or touch in-goal line, by a kick from the attacking team. In this instance the defending team has the choice between the drop-out kick, or a scrum from where the attacking team made the kick.

Scrum

A scrum showing the body positions of the forwards, as well as the position of both scrum-halves and the referee.

Main article: Scrum (rugby union)

A scrum is a way of restarting the game safely and fairly after a minor infringement. It is awarded when the ball has been knocked or passed forward, when a player is accidentally offside, or when the ball is trapped in a ruck or maul with no realistic chance of being retrieved. A team may also opt for a scrum if awarded a penalty. It is also awarded to the passing or kicking team if the ball hits the referee.

A scrum is formed by the eight forwards from each team binding together in three rows. The front row consists of the two props (loosehead and tighthead) either side of the hooker. The second row consists of two locks and the two flankers. Behind the second row is the number 8. This formation is known as the 3–4–1 formation. The two packs of forwards engage with each other so that the heads of the front-rowers are interlocked with those of their opponents. Front-rowers always aims for the gap to the left (as they see it) of their opponent. The two locks in the second row bind directly behind the front row with their heads between a prop and the hooker. The flankers bind either side of the locks, and the number 8 binds behind and between the two locks.

Once a scrum is formed the scrum-half from the team awarded the feed throws the ball into the gap between the two front-rows known as the tunnel. The two hookers then compete for possession by hooking the ball backwards with their feet, while each pack tries to push the opposing pack backwards to help gain possession. The side that wins possession transfers the ball to the back of the scrum, where it is picked up either by the number 8 or by the scrum-half. Either the scrum half or the number 8 can then pass, run, or kick the ball and normal play then resumes. A scrum has to be awarded between the 5 metres (16 ft) lines along the goal-lines and touch-lines. A team may also score a pushover try from a scrum; once the ball has crossed the goal-line during a scrum an attacking player may legally ground it.

Scrums are one of the most dangerous phases in rugby, since a collapse or improper engage can lead to a front row player damaging or even breaking his neck. For this reason, only trained players may play in the front row to help avoid injuries. If a team is without sufficient specialist front row players, for example because of injury or sin-binning, all scrums may be "uncontested scrums". In this situation, the packs engage, but do not push, and the team that still puts the ball into the scrum must win it without effort.

Line-out

Main article: Line-out

A lineout, just after the ball has been thrown in.

When the ball goes into touch (i.e. outside of the area of play) the referee calls a line-out at the point where the ball crossed the touchline. There are two exceptions for this rule. (1) No line-out is awarded closer than 5 m to opponent team goal line, if the ball crosses the touch closer the throw-in occurs on 5 m line. (2) If a kick goes directly into touch and the kicker is outside his own 22 m line the throw-in occurs where the ball was kicked. The forwards of each team (though not necessarily all of them, their number is throwing-in team option) line up a metre apart, perpendicular to the touchline and between 5 m and 15 m from the touchline. The ball is thrown from the touchline down the centre of the lines of forwards by a player (usually the hooker) from the team that did not play the ball into touch. The exception to this is when the ball went out from a penalty, in which case the side who gained the penalty throws the ball in. There is an advantage to being the team throwing the ball as that team then knows where along the line the throw is aimed. If the ball passes over the 15 m line, it can be played by everyone and the line-out is over; if the ball is not thrown straight down the middle of the line-out, the non-infringing team may choose to have the put-in to either a new line-out or a scrum 15 m infield.

Both sides compete for the ball, and some players may lift their teammates. (While the laws say that jumping players may only be supported, lifting is uniformly tolerated under specified conditions). A jumping player cannot be tackled until they stand and only shoulder-to-shoulder contact is allowed; deliberate infringement of this Law is dangerous play, and results in a penalty kick, and frequently a trip to the sin bin. If a penalty kick is awarded during a line-out and the line out is not over, it is taken 15 m from the touch line.

Penalties

Introduction of how penalties are awarded, and the various types: free-kick, penalty and penalty try.

Free-kick

A free kick is awarded for technical infringements that do not warrant a penalty. A free kick differs from a penalty in that it cannot be used for an attempt at goal. If the ball goes into touch, the kicking team does not receive the throw at the ensuing lineout. When kicked directly into touch (i.e. without bouncing) there is no gain in ground from the free kick unless it was taken from behind the kicking team's 22 metre line. A free kick is also awarded when a player catches an opponent's kick on or behind his own 22 m line and shouts the word "mark".

Penalty

Penalty kicks are awarded for dangerous play. A penalty kick may either be used to attempt a penalty goal, kick into touch (either directly or indirectly, in both cases the kicking team throws-in the ball at the ensuing line-out) or tapped with the foot (giving the kicking player possession of the ball). In each case, the opponents must retire to a distance 10 m from the point at which the penalty is awarded.

Variations

each section should detail the main differences to rules and gameplay. Highly nuanced differences belong in a sub article