Rugby 101

 What is rugby?
 

Rugby is a competitive outdoor contact sport, played with an oval ball, by two teams of 15 players. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible. The team that scores the greater number of points is the winner.   

How do your score points?

Points are awarded for scoring a try or kicking a goal.  A try, which is worth 5 points, is scored when the ball is grounded by a player on the attacking team within the opponent's in-goal area.  A goal is scored by kicking the ball over the crossbar of the opponent's goal while remaining between the posts.

There are three ways to score a goal: (1) a dropped goal (scored in open play where the ball must hit the ground immediately before it is kicked); (2) a penalty goal (awarded after the opposing side infringes against the laws of rugby and may be kicked from a stationary ground position or by drop kick); and (3) a conversion (awarded after a try is scored) by either a drop kick or a place kick.  A penalty or dropped goal is worth 3 points; a conversion is worth 2 points.

How is the game played?
 

A typical passage of rugby takes the following form:  the team in possession of the ball moves the ball up the field in an effort to ground the ball over the opponents' goal-line in order to score a try until such time as the ball carrier is tackled. They then form a ruck in order to win the ball back. This process repeats until one team loses possession, makes a mistake that violates the laws of the game, moves off the field of play or a try or goal is scored.

The team in possession may choose to advance by kicking the ball forward. The ball may be passed from one player to another as long as the ball is not thrown forward. Rugby is one of the few ball games where the ball cannot be passed forward. Any teammate nearer the opposition goal than the ball-carrier is off-side and must not interfere with play, meaning that American football–style blocking is forbidden.

The team not in possession attempts to stop the ball carrier by tackling him, which consists of grabbing hold of him and bringing him to ground. A tackled player must pass or release the ball, allowing the opposition to contest possession of the loose ball. Play does not stop unless there is an infringement of the laws, or the ball/ball-carrier leaves the field of play.

If the ball goes into touch the game restarts with a line-out. If the game stops because of an infringement, play restarts with either a scrum, free kick or penalty kick (depending on the severity of the infringement) awarded to the non-infringing team.

Tries are the main form of scoring, and the primary aim of most teams is to score tries. Drop goals and penalty kicks are usually augmenters, a safer option against a steadfast defense or to punish ill-disciplined opposition. On some (usually rare) occasions, a team may be awarded a penalty try, if their opponents commit a foul which is deemed by the referee to have prevented a probable try, for example collapsing a scrum close to the try line.

Rugby 101 - 4.5 minutes

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