How to Play Rugby

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How to Play Rugby
Definitions and Advice from an Expert
2005-10-26
Article Written by: Bryan Munson

WHD: We should probably ask… how do you play rugby?

Richardson: Think of everything moving north and south, like football. However, there’s no forward passing of any kind. It’s like a big option play, with switches, dummies, that sort of thing. There are 15 players on the field for each team, and the ball has to be either ran or kicked forward; passes are permissible laterally or backward. Everyone must be either equal to or behind the person with the ball.

You can kick the ball forward at any time, and it can be picked up at anytime, unlike football. Blocking is considered a penalty, and when a tackle is made, a ruck is formed. A ruck is like an eight person line/grouping. When a tackle is made, the ball carrier will go to the ground with tackler. If he has possession of the ball, his teammates would go ruck (support the ball) ahead or over their teammate with the ball, passing the ball backwards with their feet until it’s picked up by the position player called the scrum half, kind of like the quarterback. He works on setting up the next play, distributing or running the ball. He’s usually a smaller, quicker, more agile player with good field vision.

A ball could be fumbled, but if the runner has no support, he has to let go of the ball anyway. If the ball is loose on the ground, it’s live at all times. Each time you run a play off a ruck, it’s called a phase. After tackle one, it’s considered phase two. That’s the time you possess the ball and move it toward your opponent’s goal. If you keep the ball for enough phases, you can put enough pressure on the opposing team and their defense will break down. In order to successfully score, the player has to have control of the ball as it touches the ground. It’s called a try.

The end result is usually similar to a football score, with each try worth five points. Where you score on the end zone, that’s where the kick is spotted. The kick is from one lone player who started the game, off a tee, sort of like a kickoff.

Penalties come from certain infractions, and if you’re within range, you can chose to kick a three pointer. If you’re in close at the wide part of the field, towards the out of bounds, it’s not a good angle. So, strategically, you’d want to kick it out of bounds. The throw-in is similar to one in soccer. Teams will lift a player to assist the comedown or as a defensive maneuver.

As far as position players go, there are two props and a hooker, which form the front row. The hooker is similar to a center in soccer, and the front line binds together by the arms in a scrum (like the line of scrimmage or, in this case, when the ball starts from the ground). Two locks stay low and perpendicular to the ground, helping support the front row, with two flankers behind the locks keeping them together, and what’s called an eight man who keeps the flankers together.

The ball is then passed to the scrum half, who acts most like a quarterback. He can either run plays or pass the ball off to the fly half. The fly half is usually a similar-style player to the scrum half, and is most likely the best kicker on the team. There are two centers near them that compare to running backs, and outside of them are a right and left wing. In back of them is the last position player, called a fullback, whose job is generally like a safety’s in football. His position is most beneficial when overloading a side.

Because our team has such a great core of veterans, I’ve been able to teach our new guys the basics and can pick people to play certain roles. But really, the only way to pick it up is to play it.

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